Backpack the Grand Canyon's South Rim

If you want to see the real Grand Canyon, this is it. The 3 day backpacking will take you down into the canyon to where few people visit. Although the South Kaibab trail is steep, has no shade cover and water and the views are gorgeous. It is best to start from the South Kaibab, hike down to the Bright Angel campground, and back up the Bright Angel trail. This way you get a change of scenery and can hike up where there is more available water.

The first day we started our journey by taking NPS shuttle to the South Kaibab trail. It is about 6.5 miles down to the Colorado River and typically takes 4-6 hours. The trail has few switchbacks in the beginning where we encountered ice. After these initial switch backs we reached OoH Ahh Point, the first panoramic view of the canyon. We were lucky enough to see the clouds covering the Grand Canyon as this will happens few times a year. As we were hiking down we came across several vista points (Cedar Ridge, Skeleton Point and Tipoff) and finally we reached Bright Angel Campground. In order to camp here you need a backcountry permit which you have to apply in advance. The campground is along the Bright Angel creek and it has tap water, bathrooms with sinks and even a restaurant in the nearby Phantom Ranch, where you can stay in individual cabins.

The second day we hiked to Ribbon waterfalls and it is about 6.5 miles from the campground towards north rim. The trail north on Bright Angel Creek was so much different than the South Kaibab. There are no great gains of elevation and we crossed creek 3 or 4 times, but again, the trail was not difficult. There is a difference when you are at the bottom compared to when you are higher. At the bottom, you cannot see the outer walls, so you do not get a sense of the depth and size of the Canyon. Finally after about 6+ miles on the North Kaibab, and gaining about 1400 feet in elevation, we could see the falls. The pool of water at the bottom is shallow and cool and feels good. We relaxed here little bit and also you can recover your body by jumping into the water fall.

The third day we spend a night at Indian Garden on the way back up to the Rim via Bright Angle trail. The campground is 4.7 miles from Bright Angel, and 4.9 miles from the Rim, this campground is a great place to stop if you don’t want to hike up to the Rim with your heavy backpack. From Indian Garden, you can take a hike to Plateau point. It will give you yet another perspective of the amazing canyon and the sunset was spectacular with vistas, with the view and sound of the river below.

The final day we hike up to the South Rim from Indian Garden (3000 ft elevation). On our way up there are two Resthouses at 1.5 and 3 miles from the Rim and it has restrooms as well as stations to refill your water.

It's probably one of the most stunningly beautiful and breathtaking places in the world.