A hiker with a backpack walks the North Kaibab Trail along a rock ledge above a green canyon bottom, with rim cliffs beyond

Rim to Rim Hike: 3-Day Itinerary and Permits

23.5 miles (37.8 km) across the canyon, 14 of them down from the North Rim, and none of it easy.

23.5 mi · 3 days · Hard
By

Photo: Grand Canyon NPS, Public domain

Status on October 31, 2026: rim to rim is not possible right now. A flash flood on August 29, 2026 destroyed most of the footbridges over Bright Angel Creek and damaged the Transcanyon Waterline. The park has closed the whole North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch with Bright Angel Campground, Cottonwood Campground, and the Black and Silver bridges over the Colorado River. NPS says there is no estimated reopening date (Key Hiking Messages). Recreation.gov is not offering permits for Cottonwood and Bright Angel while they are closed (Recreation.gov). The North Rim is open only through November 30, 2026 (or the first major snowstorm), with no lodge, campground, store or fuel. The Trans-Canyon Shuttle is suspended. The rest of this page describes the route in a normal season, for the day the corridor reopens.

Rim to rim means walking from the North Rim down the North Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River and up the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim. Using the park's own trail table it is 14 miles (22.5 km) down to Bright Angel Campground and another 9.5 miles (15.3 km) up, 23.5 miles (37.8 km) in all. Most hikers split it into 2 or 3 days with a night at Cottonwood Campground, at Bright Angel Campground, or in a Phantom Ranch bed. The park tells day hikers not to try the full rim-to-river-to-rim in one day.

The one decision that matters is the date. The North Rim is open only from mid-May to the first big snow, the inner canyon is dangerously hot from May to September, and the campground permits go through a lottery that opens five months before the start month. For a May or June start, that puts your application in December or January.

The Route on the Map

Each day in its own color, with the start and every night's stop numbered along the way.

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Elevation Profile

Highest 8,240 ft (2,513 m) · lowest 2,420 ft (739 m)

8,240 ft2,420 ft12
0 mi23.5 mi (37.8 km)

Route line: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), simplified. Elevations: USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain).

Day by Day

3 legs and 2 nights on the way, each in a different place.

  1. A hiker with a daypack walks the red dirt North Kaibab Trail along a ledge below layered red sandstone cliffs
    Day 1

    Day 1: North Kaibab Trailhead down to Cottonwood Campground

    North Kaibab TrailheadtoCottonwood Campground

    Distance
    6.8 mi 10.9 km
    Up
    120 ft 37 m
    Down
    4,320 ft 1,318 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    This is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) from 8,241 feet (2,512 m) at the trailhead down to 4,080 feet (1,244 m) at the campground. The trail passes Supai Tunnel at 1.7 miles (2.7 km), turns down Roaring Springs Canyon, and reaches Manzanita Rest Area at 5.4 miles (8.7 km). Roaring Springs is a 20-minute detour off the main trail with no water.

    The top of the trail runs through the Dragon Bravo burn scar. In storms, rock fall and debris flows are more likely there, so check the forecast before you start and turn back if it is bad. Start early: the day is mostly downhill, but the lower trail warms up fast in summer.

    Sleep
    Cottonwood Campground · Campground · How to book
    Water
    Supai Tunnel and Cottonwood: tap mid-May to mid-October, off in winter. Roaring Springs detour has none.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Probably none in the canyon.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0

  2. Two hikers with red backpacks on the narrow North Kaibab Trail in the inner canyon, with the path cut into the cliff ahead and a creek bed below
    Day 2

    Day 2: Cottonwood Campground to Bright Angel Campground

    Cottonwood CampgroundtoBright Angel Campground

    Distance
    7.2 mi 11.6 km
    Up
    150 ft 46 m
    Down
    1,680 ft 511 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The second day follows Bright Angel Creek for 7.2 miles (11.6 km) and drops to 2,480 feet (756 m), the lowest point of the trip. Ribbon Falls is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) past Cottonwood; the official trail table says the Ribbon Falls bridge has been removed, so stay on the main trail. Phantom Ranch sits less than a half mile from Bright Angel Campground.

    This is the hottest stretch of the route. In summer the park says to rest in the shade of the creek in the afternoon rather than walk on. The creek runs next to the trail, and it is also the water that floods in a storm.

    Sleep
    Bright Angel Campground · Campground · How to book
    Water
    Bright Angel Campground and Phantom Ranch: tap all year. Cottonwood mid-May to mid-October.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Probably none in the canyon.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0

  3. The Bright Angel Trail zigzagging down a canyon wall below the South Rim, seen from First Trailview Overlook
    Day 3

    Day 3: Bright Angel Campground up to the South Rim

    Bright Angel CampgroundtoBright Angel Trailhead

    Distance
    9.5 mi 15.3 km
    Up
    4,700 ft 1,434 m
    Down
    430 ft 132 m

    Climb computed from USGS 3D Elevation Program (public domain), not an official figure.

    The last day is the climb: 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from the river up to the rim, and the park puts the elevation change from rim to river on this trail at 4,460 feet (1,360 m). You cross the Colorado River on the Silver Bridge, pass the River Resthouse at 8 miles (12.9 km) from the rim, and reach Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Garden) at 4.5 miles (7.3 km) with water, shade, a ranger station and toilets. Above it come the Three-Mile and Mile-and-a-Half resthouses. The park advises a predawn start and a finish before the heat of the day.

    The park recommends the Bright Angel Trail for the climb out rather than the South Kaibab Trail, which has no water and very little shade.

    Water
    Havasupai Gardens: tap all year. Two resthouses: May to September or mid-May to mid-October, NPS says both. Bright Angel: all year.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go
    Signal
    Probably none in the canyon.Reported Oct 2026, verify before you go

    Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, Public domain

Permits

A permit is required

Day hikers need no permit. Anyone sleeping below the rim needs a backcountry permit, and Cottonwood and Bright Angel are permit campgrounds (backcountry permit rules). It costs $10 per permit or lottery application, plus $15 per person per night below the rim; the $10 is not refundable, the nightly part is refundable until 30 days before the start date. Park entrance fees are paid on arrival. You can stay at most two nights at each of these campgrounds per hike. If you sleep at Phantom Ranch instead, you need no NPS permit, but you book the dormitory or cabin and meals through Xanterra's Phantom Ranch lottery about 15 months ahead (Phantom Ranch). An organized non-commercial group of 12 to 30 people doing a rim-to-rim needs a Special Use Permit, and groups larger than 11 cannot camp in the same campground.

The lottery

Overnight reservations go through Recreation.gov. An early access lottery for each start month is open from the 16th of the month, five months ahead, until 5 p.m. Arizona time on the 1st, four months ahead (for May starts: December 16 to January 1). Up to 750 winners get a time slot to book first; everyone else can book what is left from the 1st of the next month, and cancellations appear up to five days out.

The official permit page

Getting There and Back

How to reach the start of the Rim to Rim Hike, and how to get home from the end.

The start

The North Kaibab Trailhead is on the North Rim, 1.2 miles (2 km) from the former Grand Canyon Lodge site by the Bridle Path. It sits at 8,241 feet (2,512 m). The North Rim is a limited-services place since the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the lodge: the park says services will return gradually in 2027, 2028 and beyond, and there is no fuel on the North Rim. The nearest is at the North Rim Country Store and Jacob Lake (North Rim status).

The end

The Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim, just west of Bright Angel Lodge in Grand Canyon Village, at 6,860 feet (2,093 m). Hikers can park at the Backcountry Information Center (parking lot D), a short walk from the trailhead (hiking FAQ). The free Village (Blue) Route shuttle links the Visitor Center, the lodges, the Backcountry Information Center and the Bright Angel Trail stop; its hours change by season (shuttle routes). Hikers who start on the South Rim reverse the route; the climb out of the canyon is then the North Kaibab Trail.

Shuttle

The Trans-Canyon Shuttle runs scheduled trips between the two rims; the ride takes 4 to 5 1/2 hours and reservations are required. While the park closures last its website says the service is suspended until further notice and that affected bookings are credited. In a normal season the runs are scheduled so hikers can get back to the rim they started from the same day, morning trailhead shuttles run from Jacob Lake Inn and Kaibab Lodge to the North Kaibab Trailhead, and unaccompanied bags can be moved between Kaibab Lodge and Bright Angel Lodge. Check trans-canyonshuttle.com before you plan around it.

Parking

Parking at the North Kaibab Trailhead is limited and restricted to vehicles under 22 feet (6.7 m) long; overflow parking is next to the site of the former lodge (North Rim status).

Safety

  • Heat. From May through September the inner canyon passes 110 F (43 C) in the sun, and the park says most heat rescues happen between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Plan to be out of the sun in that window: start before dawn, rest in the shade at a creek or campground, finish in the late afternoon. Sip water regularly and eat salty snacks, but do not force fluids beyond thirst, because over-drinking can cause a serious salt imbalance (hyponatremia).

  • Going down is the easy half. The park advises allowing a third of your time for the descent and two thirds for the climb, and says the climb out takes about twice as long as the way down. This route goes down 14 miles (22.5 km) and then up 9.5 miles (15.3 km), so the Bright Angel Trail climb of 4,460 feet (1,360 m) comes on day 3 with tired legs. Eat and drink from the first mile up, and if the sun is up, wait out the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. window in the shade at Havasupai Gardens instead of climbing through it.

  • Water can be off without notice. The pipelines in the canyon can break in any month. Treat water from the creek or river if the taps are off, and ask at the Backcountry Information Center or check the park's water list before you start.

  • Flash floods. Rain on the rim reaches the creek in hours, and near a burn scar in minutes. The upper North Kaibab Trail crosses the Dragon Bravo burn scar, where rock fall, debris flows and falling trees are more likely in storms. Do not camp or rest in a creek bed when storms are forecast, and move to higher ground at once if you hear a roar.

  • You are on your own. Phone service is probably absent in the canyon and the park says rescue can be delayed by heat or weather, so tell someone your itinerary and your exit date, and carry what you need to get yourself out. Do not try to hike from the rim to the river and back in one day.

  • Mules have the right of way on the trail. Step to the uphill side, stay quiet and follow the wrangler's directions.

Rim to Rim Hike: FAQ

Is the rim to rim hike open right now?

Not at the moment: see the status note at the top of the page. The park's Key Hiking Messages page lists which trails, campgrounds and bridges are open and is where a reopening is announced.

Do you need a permit to hike rim to rim?

Not for a day hike, but the park warns against doing the rim to river to rim in one day. For a trip with a night at Cottonwood or Bright Angel you need a backcountry permit through the Recreation.gov lottery, at $10 per permit plus $15 per person per night. A night at Phantom Ranch needs a Xanterra reservation instead, not an NPS permit.

How long does the rim to rim take?

The route is 23.5 miles (37.8 km) by the official trail table. The park gives 4 to 5 hours from the South Rim to Bright Angel Campground and about twice that for the climb back, and says to plan a third of your time for going down and two thirds for going up. Most plans use 2 or 3 days.

When is the best time to hike rim to rim?

Late May, September and October, when the North Rim is open and the inner canyon is cooler than in summer. The park urges caution from May through September because of heat, and the North Rim closes with the first big snow or on December 1.

Is there a shuttle between the North Rim and the South Rim?

The Trans-Canyon Shuttle normally runs between the rims in about 4 to 5 1/2 hours and needs a reservation. Its website says it is suspended while the park closures last, so check it before you plan around it.

Where can I get water on the rim to rim?

Normally at the Supai Tunnel and Cottonwood from mid-May to mid-October, at Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground all year, at Havasupai Gardens all year, and at the Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile resthouses in summer (NPS gives May to September in its hiking FAQ and mid-May to mid-October in its trail table). The pipelines can break at any time, so carry a way to treat creek water.

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