South Kaibab to Bright Angel via the Tonto Trail: Grand Canyon National Park

Difficulty: Hard

13.5 Miles

This was our first time to the Grand Canyon, and Aaron and I really wanted to experience everything it had to offer. Since we flew into our destination, backpacking was out, so we only had one day to get in as much as we could. Let me put a warning all over this hike: DO NOT attempt to do this unless you are in great shape, are an experienced hiker, and are very prepared with a lot of water and adequate food. (as a matter of fact, there are signs all of the internet and all around the park that warn hikers against doing this). If, however, you are amazing like we are (insert a winking smiley face here), read on and plan your adventure. If not, well then just sit down and enjoy the ride along with us as I share our experience.

We started our day out nice and early, as we wanted to try and beat a lot of the heat. We have heard that there is as much as a 20-30 degree swing in temperatures from the top of the canyon to the bottom, and we didn't want to be in the bottom when things were getting close to the 100 mark. You have to take a shuttle bus to the Kaibab Trailhead, and they start at 5:00 am: we were on the 6:00 a.m. bus and started our decent at 6:30 a.m. Even at 6:30 in the morning, and at the top of the canyon (where it's suppose to be cooler) it was pushing 70 degrees.

KAIBAB TRAIL: The decent on this trail is brutal - 3,000 feet in only 4.5 miles, to the Tonto trail, which is what we did, or 4,500 feet in 6.5 miles to the river at the bottom. The views are so amazing however, that it is worth the toes being crammed into the front of the hiking boots and barking knees. Even if you feel like you cannot do the entire hike, it is WELL WORTH hiking on this trail to the first and/or second lookout points. 

Ooh Aah Point is the first lookout on your way down, and really the first time that the trail opens up to all the grandeur surrounding you. It is called ooh aah for a reason as the view is spectacular and that's the cliche that wants to escape your lips.

The next steep decent takes you to Skeleton Point. Things are much more open at this part of the trail, and it's hard to pay attention to where you are walking and not the surrounding views. Skeleton is a great place to turn around and head back up if you are looking for a hike that will just take a couple of hours. You get all of the amazing views, a good hard climb back up, and will log you in at a good 6 mile strenuous hike, round trip. This is nothing to baulk about, and is a great hike at this point. Of course, we are crazy, so we kept on trekking. The trail from here gets even steeper.

About 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile past Skeleton Point you will get your first glimpse of the Colorado river below. Since we didn't actually hike all the way to the river we were really glad we got a view of it.

Here is the steepest part of our decent. The switchbacks are fast and furious here as you drop quickly to the Tonto trail junction. At this point you will have bathroom facilities (good ol' cybos), and the shade of the building to get a drink, rest your knees and feet and refuel with a snack.

At this point we had knocked off 4.5 miles of our 13.5 total. Temperatures were rising and the next leg of the journey was bare and open. We doused up on the sun screen made sure our full water bottles were out and easy to get to in the side pockets of our packs and started out on the Tonto Trail.

TONTO TRAIL: Even though this trail is very open and exposed, and it seems very barren, don't let it fool you - the views here are still so amazing that you can't stop being in awe at what is all around you. It's much easier to look at your surroundings here (most of the time) since you are meandering along a mostly flat mesa. Instead of looking down into the canyon at this point, you have huge rock walls reaching for the sky in all directions around you. There are a lot of hawks flying through the canyon here, and Aaron and I broke out into song: "The Eagle and The Hawk" by John Denver...... it was a very bonding moment. The other great thing about this point in the hike - we were completely alone. Most people at this point have either turned around and gone back or have continued on down to the bottom for the night. The Tonto trail is not highly used, and it was so peaceful and beautiful I could have stayed down there for a very long time.

The Tonto Trail hooks up with the Bright Angel trail for the climb out of the canyon. It intersects at a place called Indian Gardens, and is a beautiful place for lunch. There are trees, a water station to fill up the water bottles if you need extra water, bathroom facilities and a campground here. It's a popular turn around spot for those who are only hiking the Bright Angel Trail. We took a nice break here, had something to eat, went potty and rested before we trudged back up the canyon.

It's a 5 mile climb back out of the canyon up Bright Angel trail, but it is not as steep as the Kaibab trail so it's much more manageable. There are two great markers on your way up to let you know how much more you have to go. There are bathrooms at both the 3 mile mark and 1.5 mile mark. Once you've made it to that second bathroom you know you only have 1.5 miles to go, and after all the ground you have covered that day, 1.5 miles is nothing.

What an amazing day and an amazing hike!! This will definitely be one of the most memorable hikes in my lifetime. 13.5 miles - 6.5 hours. We were actually able to ascend much faster than we descended, as the views from the Kaibab Trail are much more beautiful and we spent a lot of our time heading down just looking at the beauty around us.

One of the best parts about ending at Bright Angel Trail? The trailhead is at Grand Canyon Village, so as soon as you climb out of the canyon all sweaty and tired there is an ice cream shop right there waiting for you..... and yes, we did! We earned it.

I have to make sure to stress once more that this hike SHOULD NOT be done unless you are in great shape, are a very experienced hiker, and have plenty of water. DO NOT take this hike lightly!!! Aaron and I did fine on it, but we run marathons, hike a ton every summer and were prepared. However, doing portions of Kaibab or Bright Angel Trails are very doable for anyone and very worth your time. If I were to pick one or the other, I would definitely do the Kaibab, as the views are much more open and beautiful.

Directions: The Kaibab Trail head is in the South-East rim of the Grand Canyon. You will enter the park through HWY 64, either coming up from Flagstaff or from the East out of Cameron.  There are trams that leave from the Grand Canyon Village every hour starting at 5:00 a.m. in the summer time. (check the tram schedule based on when you are in the park, it changes depending on the time of year). If you want to do the Bright Angel trail the trail head is right in the Grand Canyon Village, making this (and the fact that this trail is slightly easier) a more popular trail to take.