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Grand Canyon rim to rim: a still from my film

Grand Canyon, Arizona · October 2019 · Solo

Grand Canyon rim to rim

35.3 KM · 2 DAYS · 1,890 M

South Kaibab to North Kaibab in 2 days.

Watch the film 17:09 · 517K views

At a glance

Where
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Distance
35.3 km (21.9 miles)
Days
2: 7.0 miles on Day 1, 14.9 on Day 2, then 0.7 to the North Rim Campground
Climbing
About 6,190 ft (1,890 m) up and 5,160 ft (1,570 m) down
Season
I went October 30 and 31, 2019
Difficulty
A steep 4,800 ft descent with no water, then a 15-mile climb. Heat is the big danger from May to September
Route
The South Kaibab Trailhead on the South Rim to The North Kaibab Trailhead on the North Rim
When I went
October 2019
Relief map of the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled South Kaibab Trailhead, North Kaibab Trailhead and Bright Angel Campground.
Day 1Day 2Highest 8,340 ft (2,542 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 8,340 ft (2,542 m), lowest 2,420 ft (738 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Looking back across the Black Bridge to the tunnel on the south side of the Colorado River, Day 1.
    Looking back across the Black Bridge to the tunnel on the south side of the Colorado River, Day 1.
  • Me on the North Kaibab Trail just below Cottonwood Campground, Day 2, from my camera on its tripod.
    Me on the North Kaibab Trail just below Cottonwood Campground, Day 2, from my camera on its tripod.
The view from the Coconino Overlook near the top of the North Kaibab Trail, late on Day 2.
The view from the Coconino Overlook near the top of the North Kaibab Trail, late on Day 2.

The guide · 49-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

South Kaibab to North Kaibab in 2 days.

  • Where things stand
  • Both days
  • My GPX files
  • Permits and rules
  • Getting there and back

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Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 1 free

The whole Day 1, South Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Campground page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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What I carried in 2019

Filming kit

What I'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

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Short answers

Is the Grand Canyon rim to rim open?
Not in October 2026. After the August 29, 2026 flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon, the park closed the whole North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch with Bright Angel Campground, both bridges over the Colorado River and the South Kaibab Trail below the Tipoff, with no estimated reopening. Check the park's Key Hiking Messages page before you plan.
How long is the Grand Canyon rim to rim?
My South Kaibab to North Kaibab hike was 21.9 miles from trailhead to trailhead, with the side trip to Ribbon Falls: 7.0 miles down to Bright Angel Campground on Day 1 and 14.9 miles up to the North Rim on Day 2. That's about 4,780 ft down and 6,120 ft up. I called it about 20 miles in my film.
Do you need a permit to hike rim to rim?
You need a backcountry permit for every night you camp below the rim, by lottery on Recreation.gov about four months ahead; in 2026 it was $10 plus $15 per person per night. Day hikers don't need one. Since the August 2026 flood, no permits are issued for Bright Angel or Cottonwood campgrounds.
Is there water on the rim to rim trail?
None on the South Kaibab Trail. In a normal year there's water all year at Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch, and from about mid-May to mid-October at Cottonwood, Manzanita, Supai Tunnel and the North Kaibab Trailhead. In October 2026 every tap in the inner canyon is off. Always carry a way to treat creek water.
How do you get back after hiking rim to rim?
The rims are about 212 miles apart by road, about 4.5 hours. I took a shuttle from the North Rim back to my car on the South Rim in 2019: about $80 and four hours. In October 2026 the Trans-Canyon Shuttle is suspended until the park reopens.
When is the best time to hike rim to rim?
I went at the end of October and would suggest the autumn, when it's not as hot: the inner canyon averages over 100°F from June to August. The North Rim's services normally run from May 15 to October 15, and its road closes from December 1 to May 14.

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