Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails

8 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Two maintained trails lead from the South Rim into the Grand Canyon. The Bright Angel Trail starts in Grand Canyon Village, the South Kaibab Trail on Yaki Point Road east of the Village. The National Park Service calls them corridor trails and recommends them for a first hike below the rim. Neither is a stroll: every step down has to be climbed again, at an altitude of around 7,000 feet, and the park’s rule of thumb is to allow twice as long for the way up as for the way down.

Bright Angel Trail

The trailhead is in Grand Canyon Village, at about 6,860 feet. Parking Lot D near Maswik is roughly 0.4 miles away on foot, and the Village (blue) shuttle stops at the Hermit Road Interchange nearby. The trail descends in switchbacks and has some shade. In normal years there is water at the two resthouses from May to October and at Havasupai Gardens all year, but this winter all three are off.

The National Park Service gives these turnaround points, each as a round trip from the rim:

Below Havasupai Gardens the park does not recommend the Bright Angel Trail as a day hike.

South Kaibab Trail

The South Kaibab Trailhead lies at about 7,260 feet on Yaki Point Road, which is closed to private vehicles all year and has no public parking. The Kaibab Rim (orange) shuttle gets there from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in about nine minutes. Until 30 November 2026 the Hikers’ Express also leaves Bright Angel Lodge at 6, 7 and 8 am and reaches the trailhead half an hour later. The trail has very little shade and no water at all; in hot weather the park says to carry at least four litres.

In winter, ice lingers on the upper parts of both trails from late autumn into spring. The park recommends over-the-shoe traction devices, and its winter hiking page notes that the Chimney section of the South Kaibab Trail holds ice all winter.

The park’s rules for a safe day

The National Park Service is direct on this point: do not attempt to hike from the rim to the river and back in one day. Its other advice for day hikers:

• Avoid hiking between 10 am and 4 pm in the warm months. From May to September the heat can quickly become life-threatening, and summer temperatures in the inner canyon can exceed 110°F (43°C).
• Carry all the water you will need and bring salty snacks. Drink when you are thirsty rather than forcing fluids, and rest and eat often; drinking too much water without food can be dangerous too.
• Plan to be self-reliant. The park says immediate help may not be available and rescue is not guaranteed. The park says it is nearly impossible to get and keep a phone signal at Grand Canyon; emergency phones at ranger stations and at the Bright Angel resthouses connect to the park’s 24-hour dispatch centre. For emergencies, dial 911.
• From July to September thunderstorms bring lightning and flash floods. The park notes that lightning can strike 10 miles across the canyon and advises against sheltering in caves or alcoves.
• Give way to mules. Step aside on the uphill side, stand still and move on only when the last animal is 50 feet past.

Pets are not allowed below the rim, apart from service animals. No permit is needed for a day hike, but an overnight stay below the rim requires a backcountry permit, and groups of 12 to 30 people need a special use permit.

Mules on the trails

Mule rides are run by the park concessioner Xanterra and cannot be booked through our partners. The rides to Phantom Ranch are cancelled through February 2027 because of trail conditions. The Canyon Vistas ride, a four-mile, three-hour outing with about two hours in the saddle, starts from the Yaki Barn about five miles east of the Village. Riders must be at least 9 years old and 57 inches (about 145 cm) tall. The park’s mule trips page has the current conditions.

Hiking with a guide

A guide does not change the rules above, but carries the route knowledge and some of the kit. One small-group hike meets at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, starts at Yaki Point and descends the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point and Cedar Ridge, possibly as far as Skeleton Point depending on the group’s pace. A backpack, trekking poles, snacks and lunch are provided; bottled water and park entry are not.

From Sedona or Flagstaff, a full-day guided hike picks you up at your hotel. The operator asks that you can hike at least 3 miles, carry at least 2 quarts of water and manage a 1,000-foot change in elevation, and that you are older than 8. Water, lunch, entry fees and permits are included. Non-US residents aged 16 and older pay the 100-dollar nonresident fee on top, charged by the tour company to a credit card before the tour date. The fee applies on top of the entrance fee to every non-US resident of that age entering the park, tour or not, while children aged 15 and younger pay neither (National Park Service, as of November 2026). Our entrance fees page explains the details, and the guided hikes page compares the hiking tours.