Grand Canyon National Park: North and South Rims in One Day

Most people pick a rim and stick with it, but we wanted to see both sides of the Grand Canyon in the same day - Bright Angel Point on the North Rim in the morning, Mather Point on the South Rim by sunset, and a hike partway down into the canyon in between. It's a long day, but it's a great way to see how differently the canyon looks depending on where you're standing and what time the light hits it. Watch the video below, then read on for the details.

Starting at Bright Angel Point

We started the day on the North Rim at Bright Angel Point, which gives you close to a 270 degree view of the canyon. The actual point is a short walk further out than most people go, but the viewpoint just before it is already excellent, and it's a much quieter side of the park than the South Rim.

Crossing to the South Rim

From there, we made the drive around to the South Rim, passing through the area of an active forest fire along the way. By the time we arrived at Mather Point near the visitor center, we could actually see further into the canyon than we could from the North Rim earlier that morning - and we timed it to catch sunset, when the light really lights up the canyon walls. We walked up the rim a bit further from Mather Point to catch a second view as the light kept changing. It's the kind of place that's hard to describe - you really do just have to experience it.

A Taste of the Bright Angel Trail

The next morning we hiked partway down the Bright Angel Trail to get a feel for being inside the canyon rather than just looking down into it. About 10 to 15 minutes in, you're already getting a great look back up at the rim, and it's worth keeping an eye out for wildlife - we spotted a bighorn sheep along the route, and further down, a ram sent a rock tumbling down the canyon wall above us. The trail is also a mule route, so you have to watch where you step.

The Climb Back Out

We turned around with a good view of Indian Garden below us and started the climb back up, which was easily double the effort of the way down. The canyon looks completely different depending on the light and the time of day, so even retracing the same trail felt like seeing it twice. We took breaks on the way up - by late morning the temperature was pushing past 70 degrees in the sections that had lost their shade.

Know Before You Go

If you only have one day, doing both rims is doable but ambitious - budget real drive time between the North and South Rims, since the route goes around rather than across the canyon. Time your South Rim visit for sunset if you can; the changing light is worth the wait. And if you want a taste of hiking into the canyon without committing to a full rim-to-rim effort, a short out-and-back on the Bright Angel Trail is a great way to feel the scale of the place from the inside. Just remember that the climb back out takes far more out of you than the walk down.