Grand Canyon: South Rim-to-Phantom Ranch

Hello dear reader. Welcome to my first Trip report of 2024. As you may know from the previous Grand Canyon hike, water pipeline repairs caused my Phantom Ranch reservations in September 2023 were rescheduled to May 2024. Since then, Nick Ethan, and Ryan dropped out of the return trip. With it being too late for refunds and finding replacements, I was going to have to go this one solo.

Not all was lost, on a whim I applied for a Havasupai Native American Reservation Campground Permit in February 2024, and surprisingly won the lottery on the exact dates I wanted. That meant, as soon as I finished my Phantom Ranch hike, I would immediately head two hours west to check-in for a 4 day, 3 night adventure through some incredible waterfalls. That post should be up soon.

Part 1: Fun Facts

Hike Name: Grand Canyon: South Rim-to-Phantom Ranch

Location: Arizona (Grand Canyon National park)

Permits Required: Yes

Hike Type: Loop

Direction Hiked: South Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, Phantom Ranch to Bright Angel Trailhead

Month and Year Hiked: Late May 2024 (Memorial Day Weekend)

Distance Recorded: 24 miles

Time Completed In: 2 Days, 1 Night

Elevation Gain Recorded: 4,822 feet

Link to Activity: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/15607952064

GPX File:

Part 2: Trip Report

Day 1: May 26th, 2024 (Bright Angel Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, 13.3 miles)

At 0400, I parked my vehicle in the free overnight parking lot at the Grand Canyon Backcountry Information Center. I then made the short walk to the Bright Angel Trailhead. My hike would begin in earnest, by walking east along the paved 4+ miles of the Rim Trail to South Kaibab trailhead. I could have waited a few hours for the free shuttles to take me, but what’s the fun in that? Plus, with how early it was, this was my only chance to get the 2nd most visited national park in the United States mostly to myself.

Most of the vistas, usually crowded with visitors were now empty and silent. Only a few individuals were along the rim when golden hour arrived. The colors and details of the canyon materialized as the night gave way to day. The views made the 4 extra miles of walking worth every step. At 0600, I arrived at the South Kaibab Trailhead, in less than two hours, the trail had become crowded with hikers and onlookers.

Despite the weather being sweltering, the crowds being abundant, and the daytime sun not offering as dramatic views as twilight, the 7+ miles of the South Kaibab trail were just as enjoyable as when I last hiked it. I had a great time switchbacking my way down past the panoramic views and incredible landscapes. For my money, it still is the most magnificent trail at the Grand Canyon.

Nearing the canyon floor, I could see The Colorado River was running dark green. A much different color than the murky brown it was last time I saw it.

When I finally arrived at the Phantom Ranch at 1100 it was packed with countless hikers. Most were either in line at the canteen or finding any piece of shade near the water spigot they could. I wasn’t sure where I had to go to check-in, the canteen seemed the best place to start.

When it was my turn at the window, I checked-in to my cabin, confirmed my 4 steak dinner reservations (more on that later) and bought a famous phantom ranch lemonade. Dear reader, I don’t even like lemonade, and that lemonade was as good as advertised (author’s tip: keep the lemonade cup for $1.00 refills). I also got a souvenir t-shirt, stamp and postcard to mail a letter to my family. The mail is carried by mule with a stamp that commemorates it. Pretty cool!!! The Canteen also sells other beverages, snacks, souvenirs, and emergency supplies (Band-Aids, blister moleskin, etc.). You don’t need a reservation there to buy something.

After checking in, A hiker waiting in the canteen line suddenly passed out. She was initially unresponsive and was helped by the Phantom Ranch staff and her hiking partner. They cooled her down and within a few minutes she was back on her feet. Two rangers from the nearby NPS station were also able to quickly respond. When they arrived, she was already doing a lot better, but as a precaution she went with them to be evaluated further. I’m glad she ended up being okay, because the Grand Canyon is the deadliest National park in the United States, and by noon it was extremely hot with no cloud cover to speak of. Her situation could have turned out much worse.

My cabin was a short walk from the canteen. Upon entering, I was greeted by a cold blast from the A/C unit, which was lovely. It had 4 bunk beds, a sink, bathroom, AC unit, bedding, sheets, blankets, pillows, hand towels and shower towels (1 per guest), hand soap, and an ammo can to store and protect food from rodents. No one would confuse it with the Ritz Carlton, but for being in one of the most remote, inhospitable places on earth, it was a veritable oasis. There were two centralized shower houses nearby, one for women and one for men. Keys for them were waiting in the room when I arrived.

With a few hours until dinner, I took a short nap in a very comfortable bed, and then explored the creek in the area. My original plan was to try and visit Ribbon Falls, but I would have been cutting it close to dinner and that was not an something I wanted to chance.

At 1630, I went to the courtyard to wait for dinner. Since my friends couldn’t make it, I had four steak dinners for one person. My plan was to quickly go to to random people nearby and ask if they wanted to join me. I’ve had so many other hikers and trail angels assist me out in the past, I wanted to pass it forward. As luck would have it, I saw four individuals coming from the campground. I explained my situation and invited them to join me. They graciously accepted and and offered to buy me a beer, which I graciously accepted. At 1700 hours, the staff called us in dining area. In addition to the steak, we ate a baked potato, salad, cornbread, and a fantastic brownie for dessert.

While we ate, I got to the know the group who had joined me, they were all friends of many years. They get together every so often to hike, and this year they were hiking from the south rim and staying two nights at the nearby Bright Angel Campground. During dinner I learned how they all used to be archeologists, that is how they met. They told me of the discoveries they had made, including dinosaur fossils among other things. It was a great dinner with good conversation.

After dinner, we left the canteen and thanked them for the good company. They offered to buy me another beer, but as tempting as it was I respectfully declined. I had to get up early and hike the next day. We said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways each with a good story to tell.

Once I was back in my cabin, I was ready for bed. It was only 1900, but I planned to get up early and finish quickly because I had another hike to check-in to. Seeing as it was also 2+ hours away, I did not want to take any chances. Within a half an hour, I was sound asleep.

Day 2: May 27th, 2024 (Phantom Ranch to Bright Angel Trailhead, 10.7 miles)

It was 0330 hours when I departed the cabin. I really wished I was able to stay an extra night, but I did have another hike to check in for in 14 hours,

It was pitch black as I left the ranch, the only sources of light were my headlamp, the various red lamp posts around the ranch, and the twinkling stars overhead. I crossed the suspension bridge over the Colorado River and could see a few headlamps in the distance. Looks like I was not the first hiker out after all.

The hike up Bright Angel was similar to what I remember. Pretty easy up until the 3 mile resthouse where the hellish switchbacks take over. Because I started so early, I had shade almost the whole way up which was nice. I was making very good time, only stopping to take photos with my fancy new camera I brought with me. The water was on at Havasu Gardens Campground, 3 mile resthouse and 1.5 mile resthouse allowing me to carry maybe a liter of water at most the entire way up.

I reached the south rim up and finished by 0900. After a quick break, I called my wife and headed to the car to drive a few hours west to the Grand Canyon Caverns Inn to check in for my Havasu Falls adventure.

Part 3: Miscellaneous Details

Logistics:

This hike might be one of the few that is harder to plan for than it is to hike. It requires careful planning in advance to succeed.

• Day 0: I flew into Phoenix, pickup a rental car and drove to the south rim, and stayed at Yavapai Lodge.
• Day 1: Checkout of Yavapai, and parked my vehicle at the Backcountry Information Center (allows overnight parking), walked to Bright Angel Trailhead and began hike. I walked to the South Kaibab Trail, descended into the canyon and checked into the Phantom Ranch.
• Day 2: I checked out of the Phantom Ranch, hiked up Bright Angel Trail, and completed the loop where it began on the south rim,

Both rims of Grand canyon are pretty remote, so getting to them isn’t a piece of cake either. I have listed below the closest airports you could potentially use to visit the national park.

-Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): Most Grand Canyon visitors fly into this one because it is the closest major international airport to the South Rim. It is approximately 231 miles to the South Rim.

-Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Nevada (LAS): This is probably the second best option for flying into the South Rim. It is approximately 275 miles; a 4 hour 30 minute drive.

-Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG): This is the closest small commercial airport to the South Rim. If you can afford it, this would be the ideal airport to fly into due to its proximity to the canyon. It is approximately 91 miles; a 1 hour 30 minute drive to the South Rim.

Water:

With the Canyon being so hot, water is extremely important while hiking. Luckily, aside from the South Kaibab Trail, water sources are all along the route. The Bright Angel creek flows alongside the entire North Kaibab Trail from Manzanita Rest House to Phantom Ranch. In addition, there is potable water at designated stops along the trail. In the heat of the summer, it is recommended to soak your clothing in the water to help cool off. We did that a few times on our hike. Be sure to check this page for water updates.

Navigation:

This hike is very easy to navigate. There are signs along the way, the trail gets an immense amount of traffic, and there are not a whole lot of intersecting trails.

Difficulty:

While the trail itself isn’t technical, and they are all well-maintained, this hike is up there for the most difficult I have done. The trails on the canyon floor are pretty flat and make for an easy walk, but the climb at Bright Angel is BRUTAL! Luckily, I had done these trails before and I was physically and mentally prepared for them. A night of sleeping in a nice bed in an air conditioned cabin didn’t hurt either. The trickiest thing about this hike is the “reverse” nature of the climbing. Most hikes have you climb up then descend. Whereas in the Grand Canyon, you descend, and then the toughest part of the hike, the steep climb out, is at the end.

Hazards/Environmental Concern:

During the summer, temps at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon can easily reach well over 110F. Pay attention for excessive heat warnings, as it It can be extremely dangerous to attempt the Rim-to-Rim hike when it is that hot. You generally want to avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day (generally 10am-4pm).

Camping/Lodging options:

This is going to be a bit more extensive than usual just because of the unique nature of this hike. I am going to try and be as descriptive as possible, as reservations for this trip are hard to get, and can ruin your hike if you aren’t careful enough.

South Rim Campground: There is one main camping option at the south rim, the Mather Campground. Reservations are required, and can be made 6 months in advance. It is much easier to secure than the canyon corridor campgrounds. It is close to the Rim trails leading into the canyon, and inexpensive ($18 as of May 2024). These are solid options for before or after your hike. We stayed at the North Rim Campground the night before our trek. They have showers, laundry, potable water, and are close to stores. On the south rim, a free shuttle will also stop there that can take you to the trailheads.

South Rim Hotels: If money isn’t a concern, I would absolutely recommend staying at one of the many hotels at the South Rim. The south has the Bright Angel Lodge, Yavapai lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, Maswick Lodge, Kachina Lodge, and the famous El Tovar Hotel. All of these lodges are near enough to the previously mentioned free shuttle and walking distance to trailheads. Most have restaurant options as well. I stayed at the Yavapai Lodge the day before my hike. The room was nice and clean, and the restaurant had good food.

-In-Corridor Campgrounds: There are three campgrounds (Cottonwood, Bright Angel, and Havasu Gardens) that you will need backcountry permits for to stay in. You can also show up at the Backcountry Office (in person) and request a last-minute permit. If you don’t get a spot, you get put on a waitlist with better odds every day you are on it.

Grand Canyon National Park has moved its overnight backcountry reservation system to Recreation.gov for all calendar year 2024 and later backcountry permits. For Grand Canyon backcountry permits and Recreation.gov FAQs visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit-questions.htm

-Phantom Ranch: Here is where I am going to talk about the elusive Phantom Ranch. It is one of the hardest hotel reservations to secure in America. You have to go on a lottery system over 15 months in advance, or get lucky and quickly snag an open day if someone cancels their reservation. Some go decades without getting one. If you are able to secure a reservation, then your hike can be more manageable, broken up into multiple days, without having to carry camping gear. I had my previous reservation rescheduled for this May. I stayed in a four person cabin for this hike, and it was absolutely worth it.

Wildlife/Insect Pressure:

The Grand Canyon a desert environment that has thousands of species of creatures. Elk, bison, bighorn sheep, bats, and rock squirrels, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas, tarantula hawks, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and more make their home here.

Last Word

When my Phantom Ranch reservations were cancelled due to water pipeline issues in September 2023, I was pretty disheartened. Though we still had a great hike, going to the ranch was part of the adventure. That is why I was determined to make this trip work. It was not as intense or rewarding as the R-R-R hike , but I still had a great time. I cannot recommend enough hiking into the Grand Canyon if you get the chance. This was my second time , and I would come back every year if I could.

As always, Thank you for reading. If you have a great story about your Grand Canyon hike or if you have any questions, please comment or reach out. You can check out all of my other reports here.