Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim Hike

Grand Canyon - Rim to Rim Hike

Discovery Treks offers outstanding guided backpacking and outdoor adventure tours throughout the Grand Canyon, Sedona AZ and Yosemite National Park. Our guides are avid outdoorsmen and women who want nothing more than to share their experiences and the great outdoor with their guests. Discovery Treks tours are also all-inclusive and have the necessary backpacking equipment, food, meal preparation, permits & fees all built into the cost of the tour.

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1

Pass By: Grand Canyon North Rim, Highway 67, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Your adventure begins with an early morning pick-up at your Phoenix hotel. We then transport you to the North Rim via a five and a half hour drive to the North Kaibab trailhead, passing over the Marble Canyon Gorge and through the Arizona Strip below the Vermilion Cliffs and up through the Kaibab National Forest. We begin our descent starting at about 8000 feet elevation. The Phantom Ranch at the Colorado River is over a mile down in elevation and fourteen miles in distance. You will be carrying a backpack weighing approximately 35 to 37 pounds. It will contain your personal belongings along with the food and camping gear we provide. This is the only trail on the North Rim that has pack horses and mules allowed on it and it is considered the main route to the river below. On this first day, we hike down seven miles to our first campsite at Cottonwood Camp. At this point we have already left the dense forest of the North Rim far behind and descended into the semi-arid desert of the lower canyon environment.

Meals included:
• Lunch: Lunch and dinner are provided on day 1
• Dinner
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 2: Day 2

Pass By: Grand Canyon South Rim, Highway 64, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ 86023
On the second day we leave after an early breakfast and hike another seven miles down to the Bright Angel Campground adjacent to Phantom Ranch. There is so much to see here. The historic Phantom Ranch was built by the well-known architect Mary Colter back in the 1930s and is nestled into a canyon facing the river. Side canyons beg to be explored if you have the energy after a day of hiking, or you can sit by the river waiting for a raft to go by. This is a popular, well-traveled trail, so you will see many visitors from all around the world during our time here.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner provided on day 2
• Lunch
• Dinner
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 3: Day 3

Pass By: Grand Canyon South Rim, Highway 64, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ 86023
On the third day of our adventure, we cross the Colorado River on an extension bridge and hike four miles up the Bright Angel trail to our next camp at Indian Garden. A large artesian spring gushes from a cliff at this verdant campsite. In the afternoon, we offer the option to hike out to a viewpoint above the Colorado River.

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided on day 3
• Lunch
• Dinner
No accommodation included on this day.

Day 4: Day 4

Pass By: Grand Canyon South Rim, Highway 64, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ 86023
On our fourth and final day, we finish up our trip with a four and a half mile hike up the trail to the South Rim. By midday we arrive at the South Rim at an elevation of 7000 feet. A great time to stop for an ice cream cone to celebrate!

Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast and lunch provided on day 4
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.