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Rim to Rim (Thru-Hiking) of the Grand Canyon in Two Days

Welcome back! 

We’re jumping back on to our blog to tell you about one of the biggest adventures we had in 2023…hiking across the Grand Canyon!

We want to share all the ins and outs of our planning, how to prepare, and what we brought along with us. If you have any questions regarding anything in this blog, reach out to us! We’d love to hear from you!

So let’s jump in…

My (CeLynn’s) parents moved to Arizona for work in 2022. We knew we would head out to visit them at least once per year while they were out there. I had hiked Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2018 but didn’t get to enjoy it to the fullest due to the incredibly hot mid-summer heat (but I was offered the opportunity and a permit, so I had to jump on it). So I was eager for a redo and Brad had never seen the Grand Canyon, so we were going to try and get it done! So, in the spring of 2022 when National Park reservations opened up for September (2022), we jumped on it. We applied for a backcountry permit to spend a night below the rim and provided flexible options in September or October that we could make work. We soon after received an email saying we weren’t picked in the lottery and to try again another year…

We were very bummed we didn’t get it, but we thought — oh well! Let’s try again next year!

We were pretty shocked to learn that only ONE IN FOUR applicants will receive a permit!

A little about the application process:

  • You need a backcountry permit to stay below the rim of the Grand Canyon and you must stay at one of the designated campgrounds (Cottonwood, Bright Angel, or Havasupai Gardens are all along the Rim-to-Rim trek)
  • They will not charge you for your application unless you receive the permit! It’s $10 per permit plus:
  • $12 per hiker or stock animal in January, February, and March
  • $15 per hiker or stock animal in April – the end of the year 
  • A permit is NOT required for day hikers, day stock rides, overnight camping at Mather Campground and Desert View Campground, overnight camping at North Rim Campground (between June 9 – Oct 15), overnight camping with private stock at Mather Campground, or overnight stays at the dormitories or cabins at Phantom Ranch (advanced reservations are required for this)
  • Knowing WHEN to apply is the most important thing!
  • You can find the application schedule on the Grand Canyon – National Park Service website


The timing was tough to plan because the North Rim of the Grand Canyon closes every year from October 15th – May 15th, or sooner/later depending on how much snow they receive. Hiking in spring and fall is much more tolerable than the incredible heat the canyon sees in the summer. Hiking during the summer can be extremely dangerous so please be careful and take proper precautions. 

Fast forward to spring of 2023. We tried again. At 6:20 a.m. on a workday, I opened my email to find out they had given us a permit! They did ask for us to provide more information regarding our past hiking experiences and fitness levels, noting that doing the Rim-to-Rim trek in two days was quite the feat. We responded with our information and they then emailed us our permit. Woohoo!!! 

We got a campsite at Bright Angel Campground for the night of September 21st. Half awake, I headed over to recreation.gov to secure a spot at the North Rim Campground online and scored one of the last available campsites. This was so we could spend the night as close to our starting point as possible. We also booked two tickets for the Trans-Canyon Shuttle ride so we could get to the North Rim. This is $100 per person (one way) and tickets can be purchased at https://www.trans-canyonshuttle.com

Side note on this ^ There are “overflow” camping spots for hikers doing this trek, however, spots are limited and when we arrived it was VERY full. Please consider scoring a campsite for the night before you start hiking because, for us, it took a lot of anxiety off our shoulders knowing we had a spot saved for us to sleep. We have a bit more about this later on —

Some people do the Rim to Rim trek in one day, 4 days, or a week! Whatever pace you think you can handle, do that, but be sure to do your research. Although we don’t regret doing this trek in two days, we think three days would be the ideal timeframe for us. We didn’t want to spend half of our vacation not spending time with my parents, since that’s who we were there to see, so we time-crunched this trip. We think 3 days would allow us to slow down, take in the scenery, and enjoy it to the fullest. Our goal was to have Phantom Ranch/Bright Angel Campground as our halfway point. This was for a couple of reasons. We wanted a majority of the mileage done on day one. Bright Angel Campground also has an especially beautiful creek, Bright Angel Creek, running right next to the campsites and we wanted to soak our feet once we arrived. The water is cold and sure to bring down the swelling!

We packed, prepped, and laid out everything we needed well ahead of time. We were going to have to fit all of this, and our regular items into suitcases to head to Arizona. It’s important to keep an eye on the weather before you go, for above AND below the rim – they’re very different! September 20th, the North Rim was windy and roughly 40F at night, while at the bottom of the canyon, it didn’t drop below 82F. Here’s what we packed below:

We’ve linked many of these items to the specific gear we brought. We do earn a commission off of these links and appreciate your support!

Documentation/Paper Items

  • Our permit, attached to the outside of our trip leader’s (CeLynn’s) pack in a gallon ziplock baggie – hanging by a carabiner
  • Wallet/ID’s
  • North Rim campsite reservation

Tenting Items

Daily-Use Items

Clothing



Fast forward to arriving in Arizona. We left Phoenix, Arizona early on September 20th. We drove four hours north until we arrived at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We left plenty of extra time before our 1 p.m. Trans-Canyon Shuttle ride. We had to meet at Bright Angel Lodge roughly 20 minutes before we left the village, so we got lunch at the cafeteria building, after checking in with the person handling shuttle rides at the lodge. After eating, we checked out views of the Grand Canyon, where Brad got his first look at what we’d be hiking across. As much as we’d like to share his direct quote, it was along the lines of “What the truuuuuuck. That’s what we’re hiking across?”. I had to then explain that you can’t even see the other side of the canyon, where we’d be beginning our trek…

We headed back to Bright Angel Lodge and pulled out headphones, a book, our phones, water bottles, and any other items we’d use on the four-hour shuttle ride around the canyon. We put our bags into a small trailer that was towed behind the 12-passenger van. We had two rest stops along the way and thoroughly enjoyed listening to our driver’s stories about his many adventures in the canyon. At our second stop, he mentioned that on previous rides, he’d spotted a pair of rare California Condors nesting in that area. Lo and behold, we saw them! I love birds and was ecstatic to get some photos of them flying over us with their incredible 10-foot wingspan. We arrived at the North Rim around 5 pm and the sun was setting. We had met some other friendly hikers in our van and they had not reserved a tent site for the North Rim that night. One of the park rangers directed them to the “overflow hiker camping” area, way out on a ledge in the fierce wind. Noticing it was quite full of people, we offered for them to join us at our campsite since we had reserved a group site (it was the last site available when we were booking). They were ecstatic! We set up camp, cooked our dinner, brushed our teeth, and hit the hay early, setting our alarms for 4:30 am. 

September 21st, we woke up, made oatmeal and coffee, packed up our tent, and hit the North Kaibab trail. It was a very short walk to the trailhead, probably around half of a mile. The sun was beginning to rise as we started descending into the canyon. We quickly warmed up as temperatures rose the further down we went. There are some water stations and restrooms you’ll pass on your way down the canyon walls, but we HIGHLY recommend bringing your own water filtration system. When we went, there was a burst pipe so there was no water at these stations, all the way to Phantom Ranch – around 15 miles in! We took our time, taking so many photos and videos on the way down, and enjoyed the views. We would say heading down the North Rim wall is some of the most scenic views you’ll get, so take it all in! You may be an avid hiker but almost nothing can prepare you for how much downhill you’ll be doing. You’ll be so thankful once you’ve hit the flat ground! Be sure that your shoes fit properly and that your toes don’t hit the front of your shoes before this trek, or you’ll likely lose some toenails.

We stopped at Cottonwood Campground to sit in the shade, use the restroom, grab a snack, take our packs off, and stretch our legs. This campground is roughly 7 miles in. Take the time you need here, because the next stretch is exposed, hot, and long! You’ll have almost 8 miles to go to reach Phantom Ranch. By the time we reached the junction for Ribbon Falls, I had reached my cranky, hot, and tired phase. We saw three men who had just returned from Ribbon Falls and we asked them if it was worth the extra mileage (it’s an unmarked side trail that now requires a river crossing that does not have a bridge – do this at your own risk but please be safe and smart about it). One of the guys said “It was one of the top ten most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life.”, so of course…we had to go check it out. 

We reapplied sunscreen and I soaked my shirt in the river to put on before we continued to the falls. Once across the river, it’s probably 1/4 – 1/2 mile to see the falls. Once there, we realized why that guy was so enamored with it. It was incredible!! The mossy rocks were something we never expected to see in such a hot desert climate. It was well worth the detour and we hung out for a while, splashing down and taking photos and videos. We headed back to the main trail and trekked on into the most uncomfortable section of the trail. What’s called “the Box”. Before entering the box, use your water filter to fill up your water reserves and have a snack. It’s a breezeless, baking-hot oven that winds along the river and canyon walls until you pop out at Phantom Ranch. You will likely be crossing your fingers around every turn, hoping you’ll catch a glimpse of the end.

Once we got to Phantom Ranch, I was suffering from some pretty nasty blisters on my heels. We think that’s because we crossed the river to get to Ribbon Falls and my feet weren’t totally dry when we put our shoes back on. We picked a site along the river at Bright Angel Campground to pitch our tent. Make sure to put your permit paper in the box at the entry of your site. After speaking with a friendly park ranger who stopped by to check our permit, we all agreed it’d be best for me to pop the blisters and wrap them up in duct tape for the following day. We were thankful we brought our first aid kit and used our lighter on a sewing needle to sterilize and get the job done. At these campsites, there are boxes to put all of your food, toiletries, and other smelly stuff in. The squirrels at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. They are brave and will chew through your pack to get to anything that smells good. So use this box! Also, utilize the tall metal pole at your site to hang your pack. This will prevent scorpions, snakes, or any other creepy crawlies from making a home in your bag while you sleep. We sat in the creek to soak our feet, used body wipes, and changed into the clothes we’d wear tomorrow to feel somewhat clean. We had a family of three deer roaming throughout the campground that we enjoyed watching and taking photos of. We cooked our dinner and went to bed as soon as the sun went down. 

We set an alarm for 3:30 am the next day to try and beat the sun most of our way out of the canyon (it gets HOT). We made oatmeal and coffee again and were startled to see the deer had not left and they were grazing just ten feet from our tent. Using our headlamps, we meandered around them to use the restroom and pack up our stuff before leaving. 

Pro tip: The red light on your headlamp is meant for when there are bugs! Red light is much less attractive to bugs, so they will be less likely to come after your light if you’re using this setting. WE WISH WE HAD KNOWN THIS. There are these dragonflies that live by this campground and we swear they were BIRD-SIZED. MASSIVE. I called them pterodactyls and they were quite terrifying to have flying at your face from all angles.

Many campers around us were also getting up very early to hit the trail again. Be sure to look up and check out the stars. These were some of the best views of the stars we have ever seen. It was so incredible with such little light pollution. Once you leave Phantom Ranch, you’ll quickly cross over the Colorado River. It’s huge, with a large suspension bridge spanning it’s width. We do wish we had gotten to see the views from here in daylight, but we didn’t think it was worth baking in the sun all day. We saw small mice scurrying across the trails and never saw a rattlesnake, though we always had our eyes peeled. We had about nine miles to get out of the canyon on this day. We witnessed a beautiful sunrise with bright pink colors hitting the canyon walls. We saw few people on the trail this early, only a couple of trail runners heading opposite of us toward Phantom Ranch. This part of the trek is so different from the first half and so enjoyable! 

Once we made it to Havasupai Garden Campground, we took a break to use the restroom and get snacks and water before climbing the steep south wall out. The south wall has many tedious switchbacks. One of the greatest surprises we had on this trip was coming across a big horn sheep lying in the middle of the trail on one of these switchbacks. We waited and watched for a long while before he got up and headed over the bank. It’s incredible what they can traverse! On the way up the wall, take time to rest and recharge at the rest houses that are placed at mile-and-a-half intervals. They will have a bathroom and water for you to drink. You’ll notice as you get higher, you’ll come across crowds of people walking down into the canyon from the south rim. Many of them will notice your big pack and inquire about where you came from and how long it took you to get there. 

Did you know only 1% of visitors at Grand Canyon National Park ever go to the bottom?

We had plans to grab a sit-down meal once we exited the canyon, but we were so spent we just wanted to head home to lie in a real bed. We were so excited to have reached our truck on the other side. Roughly 24 miles with a 40 lb. pack can be pretty rough on your body, but we sure made up for it with how much food we indulged in after. Both of us ended up with some gnarly blisters, but thankfully we were able to take it easy the next couple of days. 

Our biggest takeaways that we’d stress to anyone doing this trek would be:

  • Start hiking early – beat the heat!
  • Protect yourself from the sun to stay as comfortable as possible – sunscreen, sun hoodie, baseball hat, dunk your shirt or a neck gaiter in the rivers, etc.
  • Use provided bear boxes and metal poles to avoid bad interactions with wildlife
  • Consider pre-hiking accommodations at the North Rim
  • Bring electrolytes or salt tablets to keep your body going
  • Snack often and seek shade when you can
  • Bring a water filter – you never know!
  • Always have a camera ready, because you’re bound to see wildlife!


To see some photos and videos of our trip, head to our Instagram page @wildandout_doors

This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we feel so lucky to have shared it together. If you’re considering doing this trek, we cannot recommend it enough. If you have any questions about our trip or details regarding planning, reach out to us! We’d love to share more.

Until next time,

Brad & CeLynn

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