Hiking near Grand Canyon National Park

Trails, viewpoints, and hikes in and around Grand Canyon National Park

Hiking Into the Grand Canyon

The National Park Service is explicit about this: there is no easy way down to the Colorado River and back in a single day, and it actively discourages attempting a rim-to-river-to-rim day hike, especially in summer heat. Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail are the two maintained corridor trails from the South Rim into the canyon — both have no reliable water above certain points (Bright Angel has seasonal water stations; South Kaibab has none below the rim), and temperatures at the canyon floor regularly run 20-25 degrees hotter than the rim.

Overnight backcountry camping below the rim requires a permit, awarded through the park's own advance lottery/request system — Phantom Ranch itself (a bunkhouse rather than backcountry camping) uses a separate 15-month lottery shared with its lodging reservations.

The North Rim's trails are higher in elevation and open only roughly mid-May through mid-October, when the road and facilities are open; it closes for the season with the first significant snowfall, typically by early December.

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A towering red rock butte rises above desert scrub vegetation inside Grand Canyon National Park under clear blue skies.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Sumner Butte

A named butte above Phantom Ranch, seen from the Clear Creek Trail

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A towering red rock butte rises above desert scrub vegetation inside Grand Canyon National Park under clear blue skies.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Sumner Point

A Tonto Platform waypoint on the way to Clear Creek

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A rustic trail restroom facility sits beside a rocky hiking path surrounded by fall foliage on the North Rim.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Supai Tunnel

The North Kaibab Trail's rock-cut turnaround point, 1,400 feet below the rim

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Dramatic South Rim cliff edge at The Abyss overlook reveals deep Grand Canyon layers and scattered juniper trees.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Abyss

A sheer, nearly 3,000-foot drop on Hermit Road, with none of the crowds of the Rim's busier stops.

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ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Alligator

A tail-shaped butte below Mohave Point, named by Emery Kolb

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Two riders on mules descend the Bright Angel Trail with sweeping Grand Canyon South Rim views behind them.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Battleship

A stone battleship anchored below the South Rim

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ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Colonnade

A layered rock rampart in the Shiva-Isis-Buddha Temple country of the North Rim.

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Dramatic aerial view of Howlands Butte rising from the Grand Canyon's layered red sandstone inner canyon.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Howlands Butte

A quiet inner-canyon butte named for two men who never made it out.

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ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Tabernacle

A river-trip summit with canyon views in every direction

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Sweeping panoramic view from the Tipoff on the South Kaibab Trail, with the Colorado River below.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

The Tipoff

The last shade before the river on the South Kaibab Trail

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ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Thor Temple

A thunder god's namesake rising from Clear Creek Canyon

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A wood-pole survey cairn stands near Tiyo Point on the Grand Canyon North Rim, circa 1904, with layered canyon buttes in the hazy distance.
Day HikeGrand Canyon North Rim

Tiyo Point

An overgrown forest road to a quiet view of Isis and Osiris Temples

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A wood-pole survey cairn stands near Tiyo Point on the Grand Canyon North Rim, circa 1904, with layered canyon buttes in the hazy distance.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Tiyo Point Trail

A remote North Rim trek to a quiet canyon overlook

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A lone sandstone rock spire stands dramatically along the Tonto Trail deep inside Grand Canyon National Park.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Tonto Trail

The long bench trail that ties the inner canyon together

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A sweeping aerial panoramic view of Grand Canyon's layered red rock formations and deep shadowed canyon depths.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Tower of Ra

A sunset-lit stone pillar named for the Egyptian sun god, seen from the South Rim

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Grand Canyon Hiking FAQ

Can I hike from the rim to the river and back in one day?

The National Park Service actively discourages this — it's a serious, often dangerous undertaking, especially in summer heat, and is responsible for the majority of the park's search-and-rescue incidents. Plan an overnight instead if you want to reach the river.

Is there water available on the corridor trails?

Bright Angel Trail has seasonal water stations at several points; South Kaibab Trail has no water available below the rim at all. Carry more water than you think you'll need on either trail.

Do I need a permit for backcountry camping below the rim?

Yes — overnight backcountry camping requires a permit through the park's own advance request/lottery system, separate from day hiking, which needs no permit. Phantom Ranch's bunkhouse uses its own separate 15-month lottery, shared with its lodging reservations.

When is the North Rim open for hiking?

Roughly mid-May through mid-October, when the road and facilities are open. It closes for the season with the first significant snowfall, typically by early December, and the South Rim stays open year-round in contrast.