Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon should be on everyone’s bucket list. The views from the top of the canyon are breathtaking. It is hard to put in words the vastness of the desert views along with the enormous size of the canyon.
Trail Report
This section covers all the trails I hiked in the Grand Canyon, not just the Bright Angel Trail. A narrative of my trip follows the Trail Report.
Bright Angel Trail
Distance: Total 11.8 miles (5.9 to Plateau Point).
Time of year: Labor Day Weekend.
Temperature: Started cool in the morning but in the afternoon exceeded 100 degrees as I hiked further down into the canyon.
Trail Condition: Trail is mostly switchbacks. This will take a toll on your legs from the start because the decline will thrash your quads. The trail is a loose dirt sand mixture and can be slick even in dry conditions.
Start the hike early, I began at 8:00 am and did not return to the top of the Canyon until 4:00 pm and that was only with a 20 minute lunch break, short snack breaks, and a short break at Plateau Point to take some pictures. 7 total hours on the trail (this is largely dependent on your activity level and experience hiking constant inclines and declines).
Carried approximately 164 ounces of water, snacks (Cliff Bars, nuts, apple, sandwich, electrolyte chews. There is a water refill point every 1.5 miles from the top of South Rim to Indian Garden but the refill stations can have long lines and be crowded.
Hike back was more difficult as it was a constant incline for 5.9 miles.
Crowds: Crowded at first but the crowds dissipated the further I hiked into the canyon. First 1.5 miles was crowded.
Rim Trail Along Grand Canyon Village
Grand Canyon Village and the more “tourist” locations of the Grand Canyon are still fun to check out. The views are spectacular and are an easy stroll along a flat paved path. There is a lot of history at the lodge,
Hoppi House, and the small buildings built into the canyon cliffs. Learn about the explorers, adventurers, and scientists who studied the Grand Canyon and made it their home over the years.
Also worth checking out, and it’s a beautiful drive through the upper plateau of the Grand Canyon, is the Desert View Watchtower and Tusayan Ruins. The Desert Watchtower has more amazing views of the Grand Canyon along with the vast views looking deep into the desert. The upper plateau is filled with wildlife and I saw plenty of elk and javelinas.
Rim Trail
Route: Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest.
Distance: 9 miles to Hermit’s Rest.
Trail Condition: Paved, think your typical bike path.
About the hike: This is a long hike but really easy and flat. The trail is also paved and is ideal for the ability levels of any hiker. Conveniently there are multiple bus stops along the trail so you can catch a bus to Hermit’s Rest if you do not want to hike the entire 9 miles. I took the bus back from Hermit’s Rest instead of walking the 9 miles back to Grand Canyon Village. Hermit’s Rest has a gift shop and snack bar with sandwiches. The hike was very tranquil, I barely saw anyone during the entire 9 mile hike. The trail also follows along the rim of the Grand Canyon so there is
nothing short of amazing views the entire time. I even saw wild horses on the bus ride back.
Narrative
I visited the Grand Canyon during the 2018 Labor Day weekend. Like any “popular” national park, the Grand Canyon was quite crowded, especially on a long weekend. However, when done right, the crowds can be avoided and the peacefulness that is so often associated with the desert can be discovered.
Instead of staying in the park, I stayed in an Airbnb outside of Williams, Arizona. Williams, Arizona is approximately and hour to an
hour and fifteen minutes from the South Rim entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. Thanks to the scenery of the elevated plateau, the drive into the park was beautiful and hardly seemed to take an hour. Rather than feeling like a chore, I enjoyed and looked forward to the drive each day.
Williams, Arizona is a quintessential small town that offers shopping, great restaurants, a brewery, and all the essential comforts needed after a long day, or week, of hiking in the Grand Canyon. When I visit national parks, I am typically not one who is drawn to what the nearest town has to offer but I recommend spending a little time in Williams, Arizona. It is easy to see why people choose to call it home.
I unfortunately did not get a chance to venture into the North Rim but the South Rim offers plenty of hiking and opportunities to
explore the canyon. The South Rim has trails for those who are looking for a challenge and a desire to enter deep into the canyon as well as flat, paved paths, for those looking for a more gentle walk but still want to take in some incredible views.
The desert is extremely warm even during September. Temperatures fluctuated from being very cool in the evening (I needed pants and a sweatshirt) to over 100 degrees at midday. I cannot stress enough that every hiker should carry more than enough water. I typically carried 164 ounces of water. While that might be considered excessive by some, I would much rather have more than enough water than run out.
The first day in the Grand Canyon I ended up hiking part of the Bright Angel Trail. This was not the original plan. I was pretty tired
after working a full day and then driving five hours the previous night, however, I could not say no to my sister who was excited to hike the trail. Morning came fast. I wanted to get an early start on the trail before the crowds and the heat hit.
My pack contained two 32 oz. water bottles, a 100 oz. Camelback, and a variety of different snacks (Gatorade chews, nuts, Cliff Bars, apples, a sandwich, and chips). While I would have loved to hike down to the river, I knew that would be ambitious. Instead I choose to hike to Plateau Point where, based on my understanding of the map, I would have some beautiful and unencumbered views of the river.
The drive through the park to the trail head is the high plateau with various coniferous trees and shrubs. The canyon itself catches you off guard. It is almost as if this giant gorge appears out of nowhere. Looking down into the Grand Canyon, the landscape and ecosystem quickly changes into what is a more recognizable desert landscape full of bright reds and oranges which contrast beautifully with the green vegetation that is sprinkled throughout the canyon.
The morning temperature was perfect and there was barely anyone in the park at the start of my hike. I immediately noticed the steepness in the grade on the switchbacks. Even though I was a seasoned hiker, I knew the descent was going to take a toll on my legs. I made it to the Mile and a Half Resthouse. This was the first stop with a water station. I was carrying more than enough water and pushed past it. I decided to wait until getting near the Three Mile Rest House to take a break. I had plenty of snacks to also keep me going while I hiked.
What did surprise me throughout the hike was the number of people who only carried one water bottle. Yes, there are water refill stations about every mile and a half up to Indian Garden, but temperatures can still exceed one-hundred degrees in September, and, the combination of heat and the dry air typically results in a higher than usual water consumption.
Hiking down into the canyon, my eyes were fixated on Indian Garden, which is an emerald green oasis. There was plenty of shade throughout Indian Garden for a weary hiker to get some rest. There was a bunch of hikers soaking their feet in the small creek that ran through Indian Garden. The water was even surprisingly cool. However, I did not spend too much time in Indian Garden on my decent because my goal was to rest after reaching the plateau.
Once I left Indian Garden I was in a completely exposed open area. The plant life was just small shrubs and cacti. The sky was still bright blue and sunny, but little did I know that an emerging thunderstorm was blocked by the canyon walls. I began to notice a drastic drop in the temperature and a dramatic increase in the wind speeds. While the sky did not present any evidence of an incoming storm, I could begin to sense it. I picked up my pace. As I approached the plateau I could see a huge thunderstorm approaching. It was just beginning to break across the canyon wall behind me. I grabbed a few quick pictures of the Colorado River from the plateau and then took off running back towards Indian Garden. I did not want to be caught in the exposed plateau during a storm.
I arrived at Indian Garden just in time to take cover under a picnic shelter before the sky opened up. I stayed there and ate a sandwich. The storm passed quickly and I was back on the trail to begin the more difficult part of the hike, the climb back to the top of the canyon.
I made it back to the top of the canyon in decent time, taking intermittent breaks every mile and a half. I finished my hike around
4:00 PM. In total, my hike took seven hours. The Bright Angel Trail is a great way to experience the Grand Canyon. The hike up and down allows any hiker to truly appreciate the canyon for its size and steepness. The trail can be hiked for any length based on an individual hiker’s ability. A hiker does not need to go all the way down to the Colorado River to truly appreciate this hike or the
Grand Canyon.