Backpacking the Grand Canyon: South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel in 3 Days

Want to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon?

There is seeing the Grand Canyon from the rim, and then there is hiking all the way to the Colorado River, sleeping at the bottom, and climbing your way back out.

They are two VERY different experiences.

We backpacked the classic South Kaibab, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel route over three days and two nights, camping at Bright Angel Campground our first night and Indian Garden our second. We also managed to fit in dinner and breakfast at Phantom Ranch and sunset at Plateau Point.

If you have the time and can get the permits, I would absolutely recommend doing this as a three-day trip instead of a day hike through the canyon. There is so much beauty in the canyon it’s hard to believe doing it in a day would have allowed us to actually stop and admire it.

We stopped at every major stop along the way, some not major spots too, and took a ridiculous number of photos (close to 2,000).

We were able to watch the sunrise, sunset, and view the night sky all from the perspective of inside the Grand Canyon.

The Route

Our itinerary was this:

Night Before: Stay at Waswik Lodge
Day 1: South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch to Bright Angel Campground
Night 1: Bright Angel Campground
Day 2: Bright Angel Campground to Indian Garden
Night 2: Indian Garden + sunset at Plateau Point
Day 3: Indian Garden to Bright Angel Trailhead

The South Kaibab Trail drops roughly 4,860 feet over 6.3 miles from the rim to the Colorado River. The Bright Angel route back to the South Rim is longer, but it makes a much better route for climbing out.

And trust me… by Day 3, you will appreciate that decision.

The Night Before: Stay at the Grand Canyon

Do yourself a favor and stay near the rim the night before.

We stayed at the Maswik Lodge nearby so we could get up early and start hiking without adding a long drive to an already big day.

Our alarms went off painfully early, we gathered our backpacks, and headed toward the canyon.

The goal: 6:00 AM start. We wanted to be at Ooh Aah Point for sunrise.

You cannot drive directly to the South Kaibab Trailhead, so we took a taxi to the trailhead. We called the taxi at 5:00AM thinking it would take 30+ minutes to get to us, the taxi arrived about 10 minutes after the call.

To be fair, this was November so probably not a lot of folks headed into the canyon this time of year. Keep this in mind and arrange transportation earlier if you can.

Also, don’t forget to carb load! You’re gonna need the calories!

Day 1: South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch

There is something slightly intimidating about standing at the South Kaibab Trailhead with everything you need for the next three days strapped to your back.

Especially when you know your destination is somewhere WAY down there that’s not visible from the trailhead.

Then you start walking. And almost immediately, the canyon swallows you.

We started walking at 6:00AM and it was still pitch black outside, so we had to use our headlamps.

Ooh Aah Point

Your first major stop is Ooh Aah Point. We wanted to be here as for sunrise.

The trail quickly drops below the rim, and suddenly you aren’t looking at the Grand Canyon anymore. You’re inside it.

This is one of the things I love about South Kaibab. The trail follows ridgelines rather than hiding inside a canyon, so the views are almost constant.

Cedar Ridge

Next up: Cedar Ridge.

By this point, you’ve descended far enough that the South Rim already looks surprisingly high above you.

Cedar Ridge is a good place to remind yourself that every single foot you are currently hiking downhill will eventually have to be regained.

Thankfully, that is a problem for future you.

Skeleton Point

Skeleton Point is around three miles from the trailhead.

This is where the scale of the Grand Canyon really starts messing with your perception. Things that look close aren’t. Things that look small aren’t. Everything is beautiful.

The Tipoff

The next major landmark is the Tipoff.

At this point, you have dropped thousands of feet from the South Rim and are approaching the inner canyon.

The landscape changes dramatically as you descend. The huge open views from the upper trail transition into the darker rock of the inner canyon, and eventually you finally get a proper look at the Colorado River.

Which means you’re getting close. Kind of.

There is a small rest area with an emergency phone, if you need it.

For us, we took rest on the benches and had the first snack of the day. While we were sitting there, Jordan noticed something about her shoes… Her toes had blown through the seams! We did countless miles in our boots to wear them in for the long hike and Jordan had read on the internet to bring duct tape in case this happened. We thought it was overkill. Turns out, we needed some. Thankfully other hikes were more prepared than us.

Crossing the Colorado River

The trail makes its final descent toward the Colorado River and reaches the Black Bridge.

Walking across the Colorado River after spending hours staring down at it is one of those moments that makes the entire hike feel real.

You started the morning more than a vertical mile above this spot. Now you’re standing over the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

The Black Suspension bridge is 440-feet long and 70 feet from the water. It was built in 1928.

Night 1: Bright Angel Campground

Bright Angel Campground sits along Bright Angel Creek near Phantom Ranch.

We set up camp and wandered to the Phantom Ranch Canteen for a snack and a cup of lemonade.

More importantly, it was time to get dinner. The Phantom Ranch Steak dinner.

After hiking down South Kaibab with a backpack all day, that steak might as well have come from a Michelin-star restaurant.

We reserved the steak dinner at Phantom Ranch ahead of time, which meant we didn’t have to carry dinner for our first night. That alone was a worth the cost. But there is also something about eating an actual hot meal knowing the only ways anyone got there was by mule.

After dinner, we headed back to Bright Angel Campground and waited for it to get dark. Once the sunset, it was time for astrophotography. We didn’t see any stars (it was a full moon), but we did enjoy being able to walk around the bottom of the canyon without a headlamp.

Day 2: Phantom Ranch to Indian Garden

The next morning started with another backpacking luxury: Breakfast at Phantom Ranch.

Absolutely worth it. Not only do you get a real breakfast before hiking, but that’s another meal you don’t have to carry into the canyon.

Once we were sufficiently caffeinated and fed, it was time to start climbing. Because everything we descended yesterday? Time to start earning it back.

Leaving Phantom Ranch

From Bright Angel Campground, we made our way back toward the Colorado River and crossed to the south side of the canyon.

From here, the Bright Angel Trail begins the journey toward the South Rim.

Our destination for Day 2 was Havasupai Gardens. This makes the three-day itinerary work well. Instead of hiking from the river all the way to the rim in one day, you break the climb into two sections.

But don’t mistake “shorter day” for “easy day.” You’re still hiking out of the Grand Canyon.

River Resthouse

We stopped at River Resthouse to enjoy the river one last time.

From here, the trail starts working its way into the canyon through Pipe Creek.

Devil’s Corkscrew

The Devil’s Corkscrew. Whoever named this section wasn’t exaggerating.

The trail switchbacks steeply upward through the inner canyon, and depending on the temperature, this section can be brutal. When we hiked in November, it was a nice 70 degree day. However, if you attempt this hike in summer, canyon walls can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit!

This is another reason we liked having the shorter Day 2 itinerary.

We weren’t racing all the way to the South Rim. We could stop, drink water, eat snacks, complain about the switchbacks, continue hiking, repeat.

The landscape starts changing again. The canyon becomes greener. Cottonwoods appear and then you reach Havasupai Garden.

Night 2: Havasupai Garden

Havasupai Gardens sits about halfway up the Bright Angel Trail and feels like an oasis in the middle of the canyon.

There are trees, water, shade, restrooms, and camping. Most importantly, you get to take your backpack off.

We set up camp quickly because our hiking wasn’t finished for the day. Because one of the best views of the entire trip was still ahead of us.

Sunset at Plateau Point

If you camp at Havasupai Garden, DO NOT skip Plateau Point. Plateau Point is about a 3-mile round trip from camp.

After backpacking all day, adding another three miles may not sound particularly appealing. Do it anyway.

The trail is relatively flat compared to everything else you’ve been hiking, and it takes you out across the Tonto Plateau toward the edge of the inner canyon.

We timed our hike for sunset. This was easily one of the highlights of the entire trip (and not just because Eric proposed here).

Plateau Point overlooks the Colorado River from roughly 1,300 feet above it. From the edge, you can look straight down into the inner canyon while the walls around you start changing colors as the sun drops.

We sat and watched the sunset before Eric proposed. Thankfully, some hikers were nearby and had a camera to capture the moment.

Just remember one very important thing:

Bring a headlamp.

Because if you watch sunset at Plateau Point, you’re hiking back in the dark.

Back at camp, we celebrated and then crawled into our tent for our second and final night below the rim.

Tomorrow, there was only one direction to go. Up.

Day 3: Indian Garden to the South Rim

Time to climb out.

The Bright Angel Trail has roughly 3,000 feet of elevation left to gain before reaching the South Rim.

This is where breaking the trip into three days really pays off. You aren’t waking up at the Colorado River with 4,000+ feet of climbing ahead of you. You have about 4.5 miles between you and the rim.

Granted, those 4.5 miles are basically all uphill.

3-Mile Resthouse

The first major goal is 3-Mile Resthouse.

This is where the switchbacks really start becoming your life. Every time you look up, the rim seems impossibly far away.

Then you look back down and realize Havasupai Garden is already tiny.

Progress! We stopped at the resthouse, ate some snacks, and continued upward.

The final section is a steady series of switchbacks toward the rim. You start seeing more day hikers. Then people wearing suspiciously clean clothes.

That’s when you know you’re almost there.

Finally, the trail passes through the upper tunnel and climbs toward Bright Angel Trailhead.

And then suddenly…

You’re back on the rim.

Three Days Later

There is something incredibly satisfying about standing on the South Rim after this hike.

Three days earlier, we stood at the top looking down at the canyon. Then we walked all the way to the Colorado River.

Camped beside Bright Angel Creek. Ate steak at Phantom Ranch. Climbed back through the inner canyon. Watched sunset from Plateau Point. Got engaged. Slept at Havasupai Garden. And finally climbed more than 3,000 feet back to where we started.

You don’t really understand how massive the Grand Canyon is until you walk into it.

What I Would Do Again

Honestly? Exactly the same itinerary.

Three days and two nights was a great amount of time for this route.

Could you do it faster? Absolutely. People hike rim-to-river-to-rim in a single day.

But that wasn’t what we wanted. We wanted to actually experience the canyon.

We watched sunrise at Ooh Aah Point. We stopped at Cedar Ridge. We stopped at Skeleton Point. We stopped at the Tipoff. We stopped at the river. We took our time at Phantom Ranch. We watched sunset at Plateau Point. We took photos. We ate snacks. We camped two nights inside one of the most incredible landscapes in the country.

That’s the point.

Slow miles. Big views. Real adventures. And this one had plenty of all three.

Things to Know Before You Go

You need a backcountry permit to camp overnight inside the Grand Canyon.
Book Phantom Ranch meals ahead of time. If steak dinner and breakfast are available during your trip, they’re worth it — and mean less food in your backpack.
Start early. We started at 6 AM, and I wouldn’t want to start much later.
There is no water on the South Kaibab Trail. Carry what you need for the descent.
Use South Kaibab for the descent and Bright Angel for the climb out. Bright Angel is longer, but having water, shade, and rest stops makes it much better suited for the ascent.
Bring trekking poles. Your knees will appreciate them on South Kaibab, and you’ll appreciate them even more climbing Bright Angel.
Camp at Havasupai Gardens if you can. Breaking the climb out into two days makes the trip much more enjoyable.
Do Plateau Point at sunset. Seriously.
Bring a headlamp to Plateau Point. Sunset means hiking back to camp after dark.
Take your time. This is not the hike to rush.

Final Thoughts

I’ve seen the Grand Canyon from the rim plenty of times. It’s beautiful.

But backpacking into it is completely different. From the rim, the canyon almost looks like a painting. It’s so enormous that your brain has trouble understanding the scale.

Walking into it fixes that. You feel every thousand feet of elevation. You watch the rock layers change. You walk past the dinosaur fossils. You watch the Colorado River slowly grow from a tiny line in the distance into a massive river directly beneath your feet. You stand next to rocks that were there when the Earth was forming. And then you turn around and climb through all of it again.

If you’re considering backpacking the Grand Canyon, this three-day South Kaibab to Bright Angel itinerary would be my choice.