The Grand Canyon is home to over 1,900 square miles of immense red rock canyons dating back millions of years. It is also one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Aka, visit now. My favorite thing about the Grand Canyon is that there is something for everyone to do: countless look out points for families, easy hikes for those looking to get into the canyon, and difficult hikes for those adventurous at heart. Read on to find out information about hiking in the Grand Canyon: the amazing South Kaibab Trail.
Hiking South Kaibab
While South Kaibab Trail is one of the many ways to get down to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, it is the most direct route on the South Rim. This trail features multiple lookout points to help break the hike up as well! Some of the stops includes: Ooh-Aah Point, Cedar Ridge, Skeleton Point and Kaibab Bridge. As mentioned earlier, we decided to stick with a day hike and made Skeleton Point the furthest point of our trip.
Everything about this hike into the canyon was BREATHTAKING. The views on your way in almost make you forget about how steep the decline is, how many literal steps you are descending, and that you will eventually have to turn around and climb OUT the same way you came in. The hike out, which took us about 30 minutes longer than the hike in, will 100% get your heart racing. With that being said, do not eat all of your snacks and drink all of your water on the first half of the hike!
On route to Skeleton Point At Skeleton Point Views on the switchbacks
Trail Information
Elevation: 1,978 ft
Distance: 6 mile out-and-back to Skeleton Point. Brad and I were searching for a day hike and found that it is NOT recommended to do the full 14 miles out and back to the Colorado River in one day. We wanted to be respectful of the rules so we stuck with a 6 mile round trip day hike.
Rating: Moderate
Time: 3.5 hours total (including a half hour break to eat and ogle at the views at Skeleton Point!)
Tip: Pack water and snacks! While there is water at the trailhead, there is NO WATER on the trail. So, you need to be able to carry your water supplies with you. Every one is different, but we each carried about 2.5L of water each and honestly could’ve done with a little bit more for the hike out. 250 people are rescued from the canyon each year so be smart and be prepared!
At the trailhead Views at Skeleton Point
In hiking this trail, we really came to understand that Grand Canyon is so much more than the scenic overlooks. Do not get me wrong, some of the scenic overlooks will knock you off your feet. They are a wonderful option to have when traveling with family or children. But, if you are in the right place to hike into the Grand Canyon, I promise it will be worth it.
Yours,
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