With over 6 millions visitors a year, less than 1% make it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The challenge of hiking to the bottom had always been an adventure I wanted to conquer. This hike is no simple task though and requires planning ahead. Even with months of planning ahead, I was not able to make the trip to the bottom during my first visit to the canyon. Hiking to the river and back in a day is strongly discouraged so overnight plans are a must and often the limiting factor. On my second trip out, Walter and I were able to get a back country permit and had the most amazing trip. So how did we prepare and what did we bring? The very first step is securing a place to stay for the night because these fill up months in advance.

Overnight Plans:

The National Park Service advises against hiking to the river and back in a day for a reason, so plan on spending the night. Here are a few options on lodging at the bottom:

• Bright Angel Campgrounds
• Indian Gardens Campgrounds
• Phantom Ranch

Planning ahead to get a spot at any one of these locations is critical as they fill up quickly. Both campgrounds require that you are issued a back country permit from the National Park service. The permit can be found here and you can start applying for the permit more than FIVE MONTHS IN ADVANCE. Phantom Ranch does not require a back country permit; however, they do require reservations which can be found here.

We submitted our back country permit application four months in advance for Bright Angel and we received a spot. However, I have tried in the past, well in advance, with no luck so the earlier you can apply the better. One lady we ran into applied for the back country permit and when she was denied the permit, she booked a room at the ranch so you may find availability there if you get denied. It is more expensive however but also nicer.

You may also want to go straight to booking a room at the ranch. There are some major benefits to booking a room at the ranch, the biggest one being a LIGHTER PACK. Staying at the ranch means you can ditch most of your camping gear and just plan for food and water. If you book a meal at the ranch, then your pack could be quite light.

Preparing for the hike:

Both Walter and I were in decent physical shape; however, neither of us had attempted such a great vertical change in one day hike. To top that off with dessert conditions, we decided we should work on conditioning and leg strength. There are a few sites out there with suggestions on getting in shape, but what we focused on and felt we used the most, were our leg muscles and cardio. You will be literally be hiking uphill for 6+ hrs, so if you do not feel you are in peak performance shape, a little preparation goes a long way. Some suggestions:

• Bike, attack those hills if you can find them
• Run
• Take your pup for a hike and WEAR A PACK with roughly 15% of your body weight
• Leg Strength exercises (squats, box jumps, step ups, lunges with weight, etc.)
• Stairs, take them at work, at home, or anywhere else

It is key to be realistic about your fitness level and the level of those in your group. We passed and got passed by people of all ages and conditions. Don’t discount yourself out entirely if you are not the local high school track star; but be realistic, prepare, and allow yourself to take breaks or stop for a nap during the heat of the day. 

Trails to hike:

There are two main paths to the bottom of the canyon from the South Rim,

the South Kaibab and the Bright Angel trail. From the North Rim you can take North Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch and the campgrounds. We choose to hike South Kaibab down and Bright Angel up for a couple of reasons. South Kaibab has some very steep sections and does not have the possibility of water along the way. South Kaibab also follows a ridge line which offers spectacular views but very little shade from the sun. Perfect for a cooler morning hike down. Less ideal to climb during the heat of the day.

Bright Angel does have steep sections as well, but overall it is more gradual and there are potential stops for water along the way. The trail also offered shaded spots along the way to rest and snack. Check with the back country office or at the notice board in the campground to find out which water stations will be turned on as they are seasonal.

Packing

If you pay attention to only one tip PACK LIGHT, whatever you carry down you will be carrying back up. Suggestions for packing are:

• Tent
• Sleeping bag
  • If it is late spring through early fall consider a light bag liner or blanket. Temperatures are warmer at the bottom and you may end up sleeping on top of your bag like we did.
• Toiletries
  • You don’t need everything but I did regret not bringing face wash after a day of sweating and dust. There is running water in the bathroom at Bright Angel.
• Cotton clothes
  • I know this sounds ridiculous. I myself completely ignored this tip and packed my technical moisture wicking running gear, some of us have to learn the hard way. The dry air sucked up all my sweat before I could benefit from evaporative cooling however your cotton tee will stay wet and help you stay cooler longer. Soak that shirt in water at creeks and refill stations along the way to keep cool.
• Sunscreen
• Food
  • Pack your meals (if you haven’t prearranged a meal at the canteen) and bring lots of salty snacks. When we are hiking and hot we often do not feel as hungry, forgetting to eat as we are drinking can lead to a serious life threatening problem called hyponatremia.
• Head Lamp
  • To avoid the heat you will want to begin hiking before the sun comes up. We started  at 5:30 am on our way down and 5 am on our hike up.
• Water
  • A personal hydration system is awesome because you do not have to stop every time you want a drink. You will want to plan a minimum of 3L of water however if you normally drink quite a bit of water during a regular day plan on packing even more.
• First Aid kit
  • Things we packed included, band aids, blister pads, ace bandage, tape, tweezers, small scissors, antiseptic wipes, ibuprofen, Excedrin, and neosporin. This is not all inclusive but it did cover the blisters we got and the sore knee.

Some of the other items we packed and my thoughts on them:

• Micro camp chair: nice for a few minutes, LEAVE IT AT THE TOP
• Sleeping mats: The site was all sand and I can sleep anywhere so for me, LEAVE IT AT THE TOP
• Battery packs: we used them twice to recharge cell phones (cameras), LEAVE MOST AT TOP
• Water Filtration kit: We were lucky and the water was turned on during our hike so we didn’t need it but you cannot rely on the water, BRING IT
• Hiking Poles: Walter loved them and my knees appreciated them, BRING IT
• Swimsuits: Water isn’t deep in Bright Angel, the guys wore theirs but I didn’t touch mine, LEAVE IT AT THE TOP
• Plastic Bags: We used zip lock bags to pack our garbage out in, and to cook our dinner, BRING IT
• Cell Phones: Brought these as our cameras, make sure to keep in airplane mode to save the battery, BRING IT
• Kindles: We arrived at camp mid morning and spent the day relaxing and reading, BRING IT
• Wallet: one word, LEMONADE. Phantom ranch has your basic fountain lemonade but when the temperature starts climbing nothing beats an ice cold lemonade. BRING IT
• Rain Jacket: There was no rain in the forecast but I heard the summer rains sneak up on you. A full rain jacket might be a bit much but I would definitely bring at least one of compact disposable ponchos BRING IT

Last Minute Preparations

The hikers shuttle starts early in the morning so plan on leaving the top before sunrise. We aimed to be on the shuttle by 5 am however we didn’t get on the trail until 5:30 am. I was worried about the facilities at the bottom so I waited in line before we hiked. There are plenty of restroom facilities along the way so there was no need to worry or wait in line. Because we were a little late starting the trail we missed our goal of hitting OOH AAH point before sunrise however it was still beautiful when we got there. We parked and took the shuttle from the visitors point to the top of South Kaibab. When we finished hiking out the next day we just hopped on the shuttle back to the visitors center.