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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Ken Patrick Trail junction sign surrounded by golden autumn aspens in North Rim's Kaibab forest.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Ken Patrick Trailhead

A quiet North Rim trailhead, partly closed for 2026 after fire damage

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Layered red rock buttes and forested canyon walls seen from the Grand Canyon North Rim overlook.
ViewpointGrand Canyon North Rim

Kibbey Butte

A brushy off-trail scramble to a knife-edge summit above Nankoweap Canyon

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Sweeping view of Grand Canyon's inner canyon revealing dramatic layered rock formations and a winding green valley below.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Komo Point Trail

A faint former forest road to a lonely North Rim overlook

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Deeply layered red rock buttes and canyon walls stretch across the Grand Canyon in dramatic shadow and light.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Krishna Shrine

A Hindu-named summit beside Vishnu Temple on the North Rim's Walhalla Plateau

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Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Long Jim Trail

Pine-shaded miles away from the rim crowds

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ViewpointGrand Canyon Village

Lookout terrace

Trail near Grand Canyon Village

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Layers of colorful red, orange, and purple rock buttes recede deep into the Grand Canyon's vast interior.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Lyell Butte

A layered limestone summit rising above the Tonto Trail, named for a 19th-century geologist.

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A rocky butte rises above forested canyon ridges with hazy layered walls stretching deep into Grand Canyon National Park.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Manu Temple

A mythologically named sandstone temple rising above Bright Angel Canyon

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A vintage black-and-white aerial view of Grand Canyon's dramatic steep canyon walls and rocky terrain below Maricopa Point.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Maricopa Point

A wide-open South Rim overlook with a uranium-mining past

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A vintage black-and-white aerial view of Grand Canyon's dramatic steep canyon walls and rocky terrain below Maricopa Point.
Day HikeGrand Canyon interior

Maricopa Point Trail

A wide-open South Rim overlook above the old Orphan Mine

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A sweeping aerial view of Grand Canyon's layered red rock buttes and shadowed canyon depths in Arizona.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Marsh Butte

A river-gorge summit named for a paleontologist, seen from Pima Point

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Lookout Studio, a stone building on the South Rim edge in Grand Canyon Village, with visitors on its terraces
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Mary Jane Coulter Lookout

A 1914 stone studio built into the rim, with terraces looking straight down into the canyon

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A sweeping panoramic view of Grand Canyon National Park from Mather Point on the South Rim, revealing layered red rock formations.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Mather Point

The South Rim's first big view, steps from the Visitor Center

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A sweeping aerial view of Grand Canyon's layered red rock walls and vast canyon depths under blue sky.
ViewpointGrand Canyon interior

Mencius Temple

One half of the canyon's philosopher-named Twin Buttes, seen from Point Sublime

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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.