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South Kaibab - Bright Angel Loop Hike |
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| Day 1 | South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground or Phantom Ranch (7 miles, -4500 feet) |
| Day 2 | Day hike up North Kaibab Trail to Ribbon Falls and return (12 miles, very little elevation change) |
| Day 3 | Back to rim on Bright Angel Trail ( 9 miles, +4500 feet) |
| Day 1 | South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground or Phantom Ranch (7 miles, -4500 feet) |
| Day 2 | Bright Angel Trail to Indian Gardens Campground (4.5 miles, +1500 feet) |
| Day 3 | Back to rim on Bright Angel Trail ( 4.5 miles, +3000 feet) |
Four days would be the optimal trip: one day in, one day lay over and two days out.
The trailheads for the Bright Angel and South Kaibab are connected by shuttle buses. The Park Service shuttle is free but only runs from mid-March through mid-October. There is also a private shuttle (Fred Harvey / Xanterra) that runs 4 trips per day, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. This is $3 per person. I suggest leaving your car at the Bright Angel Lodge (B.A. trailhead) so that it will be there when you get out and taking the shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead.
To camp anywhere in the Canyon you need a Backcountry Permit. These are available up to 5 months in advance. Bright Angel Campground and Indian Gardens Campground are THE most popular destinations and they fill up quick. To stand any chance of getting a permit you pretty much need to get your request in on the first day of the permit period. For more info visit the Backcountry page.
You do not need a Backcountry Permit to stay at Phantom Ranch but it also fills up quickly. There are cabins which sleep 4 or 5 people but these are very difficult to get since the mule trips have priority over them. There are also dorms which are segregated by sex. Phantom Ranch is another 1/2 mile from Bright Angel Campground, up the North Kaibab Trail. You can also get meals there, so you don't need to pack in any food, but they also need to be reserved in advance. You don't have to be a guest at the ranch to have your meals there. They also have beer, if that is any incentive. The cantina is open to the public from about 8 am to 4 pm during the day and again from 8pm to 10pm at night. You can also reserve sack lunches for day hikes or the hike out.
Many people do this loop hike and trip reports can be found on the Happy Campers page.
The most recent trip report (April, 1998) can be found here.
Getting a room on the rim also takes a great deal of advance planning. See the Lodging page for more info.
Planning a Grand Canyon backcountry trip can sometimes be a nightmare but I guarantee that the memory of the trip will stick with you for the rest of your life!
 Cedar Ridge and O'Neill Butte from the South Kaibab Trail |
 South Kaibab Trail beyond Cedar Ridge, switchbacks descending to Tonto Platform |
 Colorado River, Silver suspension bridge and Bright Angel Campground from South Kaibab Trail just beyond the Tipoff |
 Bright Angel Campground |
 Phantom ranch |
 The Devil's Corkscrew, Bright Angel Trail |
 Approaching Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail |
 Indian Gardens from Three-Mile resthouse, Bright Angel Trail |
 Bright Angel Canyon from just above Mile-and-a-Half resthouse, Bright Angel Trail |
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