Picture this: You’re standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, beholding a chasm so vast it could easily be a colossal misunderstanding between the earth’s tectonic plates. This is where your journey on the South Kaibab Trail begins. Not just any old walk in the park – oh no – this is a 7-mile jaunt into the very bowels of the earth.
The trailhead, accessible only by shuttle bus (a delightful throwback to your school field trip days), marks the start of an adventure that’s as demanding as trying to assemble furniture with instructions in hieroglyphics. The path is devoid of water sources – a rather cunning ploy by nature to test your survival instincts or perhaps just a gross oversight.
As you embark, you’ll reach Ooh Aah Point – named, presumably, because that’s the sound you make when you see the view, or perhaps when you realize just how far you have to walk back up. It’s a mere 1.8 miles round trip, but don’t let the distance fool you. It’s akin to walking the plank, only with better scenery and less piracy.
Further along, Cedar Ridge and Skeleton Point await, offering stunning views and a subtle reminder of your mortality, respectively. The latter, at a 6-mile round trip, is where the Park Service gently suggests you turn back if you’re merely a day hiker. It’s a bit like reaching the last-but-one level of a video game and having the console politely suggest you’ve had enough fun for one day.
For the brave (or foolhardy), the journey continues to The Tipoff. Here, you’re on the Tonto Plateau, a place so exposed and barren, it’s like walking on the surface of Mars, albeit with more gravity and fewer rovers.
The pièce de résistance is the Phantom Ranch, a 15-mile round trip. It’s the sort of distance that makes your legs quiver just thinking about it. This is where you cross the Colorado River, a body of water so significant it’s as if Mother Nature decided to leave her signature on the landscape.
Completing this trail is like finishing a marathon with extra bragging rights – you didn’t just run; you descended into and ascended from one of the planet’s greatest geological features
The trail offers no amenities, save for the occasional restrooms (a luxury in this barren landscape). And mules – yes, mules – share this path, serving as a humble reminder that sometimes four legs are better than two.
It’s essential to remember that this hike isn’t just a physical journey; it’s a narrative of nature, a story told in rocks and dust and sweat. It’s about enduring the unendurable, finding humor in discomfort, and coming back with stories that sound like tall tales but are as real as the blisters on your feet.
So, there you have it – the South Kaibab Trail in all its rugged, thirsty, breathtaking glory. It’s more than a hike; it’s an act of lunacy that you’ll remember for a lifetime.
South Kaibab Trail Information
The South Kaibab Trail is a well-defined, well-maintained dirt trail offering wonderful expansive views. This can be a great trail for short trips into the canyon of half a day or less, but the openness of this trail lends itself to extreme heat during the summer months and little to no protection from passing storms. There is little shade, and what is there comes mostly from the canyon walls at the very beginning of the trail in the early part of day.
Depending on how prepared you are, your trip can be a vacation or a challenge, a revelation or an ordeal. Over 250 people are rescued from the canyon each year. The difference between a great adventure in Grand Canyon and a trip to the hospital (or worse) is up to YOU.
There is no water along the trail.
Getting There
Park at the Visitor Center and take the ORANGE ROUTE SHUTTLE BUS to Yaki Point. There is NO PARKING AVAILABLE at the South Kaibab Trail.
