Best trails in Grand Canyon National Park
Top trails
Visitor info
Admits one single, private, non-commercial motorcycle and its passenger(s).
Individual ($20 valid for 7 days): for bicyclists, hikers, and pedestrians.
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers, up to a 15 person passenger van. Organized non-commercial groups over 16 passengers require different charges. Commercial groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit.
Available to the general public for purchase for unlimited visits to Grand Canyon National Park only. This is an annual pass, valid one year from month of purchase; it is non-transferable.
It admits the pass holder and any accompanying persons in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or the pass holder and accompanying immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when entry is by other means (train, shuttle, bicycle, or foot).
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
The North Rim Visitor Center, Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Yavapai Geology Museum, and Tusayan Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. All the bookstores and gift shops are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers, except for South Rim’s Kolb Studio and Desert View Watchtower. Orientation films include open captioning.
Loaner wheelchairs are available at Bright Angel Bicycles and the North Rim Visitor Center. Tandem bicycles are available for rent at Bright Angel Bicycles.
Many ranger-led programs are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices and ASL interpreters are available by reservation. Please call 928-638-7888 or email grca_information@nps.gov at least 3 weeks in advance to make a reservation for interpretation services.
Additional information about accessibility at Grand Canyon National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
All park shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible and can accommodate manual or motorized chairs under 48 inches long and 30 inches wide (122 by 76 cm). However, most motorized scooters cannot be accommodated on the shuttle buses.
A Scenic Drive Accessibility Permit is available at the entrance gates and service centers for visitors with mobility disabilities. It allows access to some areas not open to public traffic, but a state-issued parking placard is still required for parking in wheelchair accessible parking spaces.
The North Rim Visitor Center, Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Yavapai Geology Museum, and Tusayan Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. All the bookstores and gift shops are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers, except for South Rim’s Kolb Studio and Desert View Watchtower. Orientation films include open captioning.
All hotels have wheelchair accessible rooms.
There are accessible restrooms at the following trailheads: Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Hermits Rest, Hopi Point, Grandview Point, and Buggein.
Mather and North Rim Campgrounds have individual wheelchair accessible camping sites.
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Visitors must check in at the Backcountry Information Center to take service animals into the canyon.
Trail reviews for Grand Canyon National Park
Completed on 6/21. The South Kaibab Trail was my favorite part of my 2022 rim-to-river trip, and it was great to revisit and confirm that. If you had to pick one hike to do in the Grand Canyon, this would be it. Unlike Bright Angel, there are many more unique views here, with the staircase between Ooh Aah Point and Cedar Ridge being one of the most beautiful sections of trail I've ever hiked. Ascending the switchbacks on the way back in direct sunlight is still brutal, but it's well worth it for those insane views. One final note is that you must park at the Visitor Center and take the Kaibab/Orange shuttle over, as there is no direct access to the trailhead.
Completed on 6/21. Nearly three years after completing a rim-to-river trip, it was awesome to revisit the Grand Canyon. I originally planned to go down to the 3-mile house, but due to the unrelenting sun and 95+ degree weather at the top of the South Rim, I settled for the 1.5-mile house today. While it wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected, parking can still be tough, as I had to park by Maswik Lodge at 3:30 on a Saturday. Just as I remembered, the Bright Angel Trail is easy to move quickly on since it's all switchbacks, but ascending it in direct sunlight is still brutal. The main view on this section of trail is insane, but since it's the same the whole time, I'd actually recommend South Kaibab over Bright Angel every time.
Nice short hike to first see the vastness of The Grand Canyon.
I have received a number of inquiries about my Grand Canyon hike. Every adventure has a bit of a story and some of you have already heard pieces this so I apologize for any repetition. June 7th, 2025 I hiked the Grand Canyon North Rim to the Colorado River and back along on the N. Kaibab Trail. The hike was 30.09 miles and took 14 hr., 1 min. You might wonder why? While I’m still working most of that out but the chance to hike through geologic time in the crown jewel of American national Parks is a true blessing. Last year I hiked the S Rim Bright Angel Trail rim to River and back it turned out not to be the challenge I was looking for - though a beautiful hike that I highly recommend. I heard the N. Rim was more challenging and slightly more remote and 14.2 miles rim to Phantom Ranch with 14,000’ of elevation change. Turns out it’s only 13,106’ of elevation down and back but if you want to visit the river that adds another mile plus round trip hence the 30 miler. Am I glad I did it?- yes. Would I do it again? - negative. Would I recommend it? Double negative. Why was I planning this in June one of the hottest and driest times of the year? That was the only time I could get a reservation at the N. Rim Lodge - the crown jewel of national park lodges; a beautiful historic rustic log cabin construction perched on the edge of the canyon with stunning views. If you haven’t been it is a well worth it; unlike some of the national park accommodations that are a bit long in the tooth. Thursday as I was pulling in to Durango to overnight on the way to GC I got a call informing me there was a serious storm on Sunday that took out the power grid for the whole N Rim and my reservation was cancelled. I scrambled and found a 1 star 55 miles from the park - a 1923 cabin last updated cir. 1930 with a mattress purchased at a garage sale during the depression - just guessing. Anyway a tent camped at the rim would have not only saved a long early morning drive to the trailhead but would have provided a bit more comfort. Groggy at 3:00am on the way to the park I managed to take the wrong fork in the road (hope that’s not some life metaphor) costing a precious hour of cool weather hiking. I arrived at the trailhead at 5:40AM a full two hours behind schedule. Temperature was 37 degrees perfect hiking weather. By 7:30 it was 90 on the way to well over 100. The late start had me rethinking the wisdom of such a hike and I had resigned to the idea of round tripping Ribbon Falls a modest 16 miler. Starting off I was feeling good and before I knew it I was at Ribbon Falls so I decided to proceed onto the river knowing I could get there by 11:00 with plenty of time for the return hike. I heard it said this type of hike can be a spiritual journey of sorts though I wasn’t certain if I were headed toward the light or down, down, down to the burning ring of fire. At mile 20.5 on the return it had warmed to 110 degrees and I had one of those tune sticking moments with the most popular song of Johnny Cash playing on a continuous reel in my head. About that time I met a couple headed back to Phantom Ranch. They asked how far it was and I told the 4.6 miles (Garmin GPS watch told me that). They admitted they were out of water so I gave them my last 1 liter bottle recognizing they needed it more than I did. The hardest park of my trek was the 2.5 miles to Cottonwood camp ground with no water (110 degrees in what little shade was available). I might have been experiencing borderline hyperthermia because up ahead on the trail I saw a concession stand with ice cold drinks of your choice and I thought man an ice cold coke would be awesome about now- well it kept moving further away teasing me. On reflection I believe the mirage was just another large boulder of Red Wall limestone that tumbled from above. I finally made it to Cottonwood where I recuperated for one hour getting rehydrated, filling my camel back, replenishing electrolytes. Those of you who have hiked with me know I never stop to rest. I’ll stop to get some food out of my pack but a hike is meant to be just that and stopping only lengthens the process. Well this time I had to rest because I was tapped out. I still had 7.5 miles and 4,000’ of elevation gain to the N. Rim parking lot. After an hour I recovered and felt as strong going up as I had on the way down. I am now a fan of taking rest stops - I know I’m a stubborn slow learner. The remaining hike was pleasant during the waning hours of daylight as temperatures dropped along with elevation gain. There really wasn’t a point where I thought I might not make it because my choice was to bed down on the trail rolled up in a space blanket. The first couple miles of the trail were covered in an almost continuous mass of fresh mule dung shrouded by swarms of flies and oddly enough large bumble bees. I thought this is going to be a really unpleasant hike but it turns out the mule trains peel off on a different trail...
Make this a top priority trail at the Grand Canyon. The trail itself through the forest is pleasant, flat and easy...but it's the end that is majestic. We encountered very few people on a Tuesday mid-AM and enjoyed an early picnic at one of the many tables. Here you will avoid the crowds and quite frankly all of the guardrails so you have to be careful (we had kids with us) but it allows more of a natural and unimpeded view of the canyon. Go all the way out to the end of the point and sit and listen to the wind, the birds, and the silence while gazing out at the canyon. Just incredible.
An incredibly brutal trail. Stunning views and some of the best miles I have ever walked on trail. Did it over 1 night by descending on Saturday and ascending Sunday Morning. Note that for the exposure, it is not for people with a fear of heights as you are constantly seeing large cliffs; however, there are really only 5-10 sections of trail (3-5ft long at max) where you really need to watch your footing. Hiked down from the trailhead to the Colorado and back up to Nankoweap creek to camp on Saturday. The bottom of the canyon is brutal in the day so being on the Colorado was a necessity. Hammock camped to limit pack sizes due to heat and found plenty of trees along the creek. Hike out was steep; started at 3:45am from the creek and made it to the top around 11am. Around 1pm, a majority of the trail is in sun and it is a long way to water. Avoid the sun as much as you can, the exposure is completely shaded if you hike it during the morning. Note, the bottom section (Nankoweap creek to the start of the exposure section) is brutally steep and no shade. Caching water is a necessity in summer and highly encouraged any other time of year. We hid ours at the top of the exposure about 2 miles down from the trailhead. Having backcountry experience in the Grand Canyon prior to this was essential. Do multiple trails outside of the main corridor before remotely considering this hike. If you do attempt it, be smart and calculated; make good choices regarding your safety. Know your limits and the environment you are in. You will be in the most remote section of this national park; a mistake could be fatal.