Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Hike in One Day

After a wonderful four day backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon with three couples, I wanted to challenge myself to hike the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in one day. So in October of 2022, I made the trip happen. Watch here!

The Backstory

It's advantageous to hike the Grand Canyon from North rim to South rim due to the elevation profile. The logistics of the shuttle and lodging are a little better also. Unfortunately, all the North rim (indoor) lodging was booked up. The campground had availability and I learned how to pack light. The hike would be in October and at 8100 feet, I was expecting it to be chilly, so I couldn't simply pack summer gear. After much planning, I got my total pack weight down to 15 pounds.

On the evening before the hike, I shuttled from the South rim to the North Rim and setup my tent and bought some microwave food from the General Store. It was end-of-season so they had limited options. I went to bed around 9pm and woke up at 4am to about 37 degrees F. For efficiency I slept in the clothes I was going to start hiking in. I just had to pack my tent and setup my headlamp and quickly eat a snack bar on my way to the trailhead.

I walked about 3/4 mile and made it to the North Kaibab trailhead at 5am. A Rim 2 Rim hike is "a thing", so it was incredible to see about a dozen headlamps ahead dotting the trail in the darkness. As the sun rose, it was just incredible to see the canyon in the changing light of the morning. The difference between the narrow sections and wider open sections was also very interesting.

I shed some layers at the Manzanita Rest stop - a few miles in. The trail cruises slightly downhill after that until Phantom Ranch - where I had a lemonade. Bright Angel campground is just before reaching the Colorado trail and is where I had lunch. After that it was actually over 85 degrees F throughout the afternoon. I was somewhat tired around the Indian Garden campground and had a 15 minute break. Then I was faced with the mile high "wall" that I had to climb out of.

The climb was progressively more difficult past the 3 mile rest stop then the 1 mile rest stop. My Wife and Daughter hiked down about a mile and encouraged me the rest of the way. It was so great to reach Bright Angel trailhead at 7pm and accomplish an absolute epic adventure in the Grand Canyon. What a day!