Rim to Rim Grand Canyon: A Weekend Hiking Itinerary

The crossing is about 24 miles one-way from the North Rim to the South Rim. The classic line drops down the North Kaibab Trail roughly 14 miles to the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch, then climbs out about 9.5 miles on the Bright Angel Trail. You lose nearly 6,000 feet on the way down and gain about 4,400 feet on the way up.

Most hikers do it as a 2 to 3 day backpack with at least one night below the rim. Two days is doable for fit, experienced hikers; three days, with a second night at Cottonwood, is much safer in the heat and far kinder on your knees. Doing it as a single push, or rim to rim to rim in a day, should only be attempted by extremely fit hikers.

Yes. A weekend is the classic way to do it: descend the North Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground on Saturday, then climb out the Bright Angel Trail on Sunday. You need a backcountry permit for the night below the rim and a pre-booked Trans-Canyon Shuttle or second car, since the rims are about 215 road miles apart. Go in May or September to October, when the North Rim is open and the inner canyon is not dangerously hot.

The hike is rated strenuous: about 24 miles one-way with nearly 6,000 feet of descent and roughly 4,400 feet of climbing out, plus inner-canyon heat that can push well past 100°F. Most hikers go north to south, starting on the higher, cooler North Rim and finishing on the more accessible South Rim, which puts the big descent first and the long climb out at the end. Whichever way you go, poles, an early start, and a night below the rim make it far more manageable.

R2R2R, the double crossing, means hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim and then turning around and coming back, roughly 42 to 48 miles with about 11,000 feet of climbing. It is one of the hardest day or overnight efforts in the country and the park strongly discourages doing it in a single day. Only extremely fit, canyon-experienced hikers should attempt a double crossing, and even then only in cool months with careful water planning.

The full crossing goes the whole width one-way, about 24 miles from the North Rim to the South Rim, while the rim to river Grand Canyon hike goes from a rim down to the Colorado River and back up the same side. A common version drops from the South Rim on the Bright Angel Trail to the river near Phantom Ranch and returns, so the Grand Canyon rim to river route is an out-and-back rather than a one-way crossing. It is still strenuous because of the climb out, but it needs no shuttle since you finish where you started. Camping below the rim still requires a backcountry permit.

Yes, if you camp below the rim. A backcountry permit from recreation.gov is required to camp at Bright Angel Campground or Cottonwood, and popular dates go the moment they release, so apply months ahead. Phantom Ranch dorms and cabins are a separate lottery and are very hard to win.

May and September into October are the sweet spots, when the rims are cool but the inner canyon is not yet deadly. The North Rim is only open mid-May to mid-October, so the season is short. Avoid midsummer, when inner-canyon highs well over 100°F kill hikers most years.

Most hikers go north to south, starting on the higher, cooler North Rim and finishing on the more accessible South Rim. Going this way you descend the North Kaibab Trail and climb out on Bright Angel or South Kaibab. Either direction is one-way, so you will need a shuttle or two cars to get back.

Because the hike is one-way, you finish about 215 miles by road from where you started, roughly a 4.5 hour drive between the rims. The Trans-Canyon Shuttle runs between the North and South Rims in season, or you can stage two cars in advance. Many hikers fly into Las Vegas or Flagstaff and drive in.

Seasonal water is available at Manzanita, Cottonwood, and Phantom Ranch on the North Kaibab side, and at Havasupai Gardens on the Bright Angel side. These depend on an aging pipeline that is sometimes shut off for repairs, so check current water status with the park before you go. The South Kaibab Trail has no water at all.

Some very fit, experienced hikers cross in a single day, but the park strongly discourages it, and rim to rim to rim in a day is only for the extremely fit. The inner canyon is a mile deep with brutal heat and big elevation change, so most people are far better off taking 2 to 3 days with a night below the rim.

On the Bright Angel Trail you can usually refill at Havasupai Gardens when the seasonal water is running, so a couple of liters between fills is often enough. The South Kaibab Trail is different: it has no water anywhere along its length, so if you climb out that way carry at least 4 liters per person, and more in warm weather. Always confirm which stations are on before you drop below the rim, because a pipeline break can turn a watered trail into a dry one.

Yes, and for mixed-fitness groups it is the kinder plan. With a Recreation.gov backcountry permit you can spread the roughly 24 miles over three days, camping Night 1 at Cottonwood Campground on the North Kaibab side and Night 2 at Bright Angel Campground near the river before the climb out. Splitting the mileage lowers fatigue, spreads the descent and ascent, and spares your knees.

Yes, the Grand Canyon Backcountry is required. Backcountry overnight permits for the corridor (Bright Angel / North & South Kaibab).

Application window: the 16th of every month at 8:00 a.m. MT, five months before your trip month.

Moderate if flexible on dates.

Join the walk-in waitlist at the Backcountry Office, or day-hike rim-to-river (no permit).

Grand Canyon Village, AZ is the gateway town, flying into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX).

Yes. Tell us your dates and we check what is still open for the plan on this page, then send it back with a booking link for each night and the total. Nothing is charged and nothing is held, and you pay the normal rate.