Which of these hikes would you reccommend?

Hello all, I am wondering which hike would be more suitable for us for a one day hike. We are a couple, 30-ish, healthy, fairly fit from daily dog walking but would not be used to hiking (however I hope to work on that between now and then). We are staying in the Bright Angel Lodge in August. I鈥檝e narrowed it down to:

Bright Angel as far as Indian Garden (round trip 9 miles)

or

South Kaibab as far as Skeleton Point (round trip 6 miles)

We would like to the one that would offer the most stunning vistas as we only have one full day in the GC, we plan to do a small bit of the rim walk the following morning before leaving for Las Vegas.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Which of these hikes would you reccommend?

The Bright Angel trail follows the bottom of a valley into the canyon. The South Kaibab, once you reach the ooh-ahh point (where you can see up and down the canyon) follows the top of a ridge so your views are longer. There are places to get more water on Bright Angel, but none on South Kaibab. If you wanted a slightly shorter hike, Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab has wonderful views, toilets, and a place to sit down. The upper part of the South Kaibab is steeper. My wife and I walked down to the ooh-ahh point eaarly one morning and back. We are in our mid-50%26#39;s and not in terribly good shape but we walk pretty often (on flat ground mostly).

Which of these hikes would you reccommend?

The difficulty with these hikes is not so much the distance but the elevation, the heat, and the climb back up.

On the Bright Angel Trail, you start at near 6800 feet and descend to 3800 feet at Indian Gardens. That means you have to climb back up 3,000 feet and deal with the high altitude (much higher than anything in Ireland, I beleive). Also, the farther you go into the canyon, the hotter it gets.

On the South Kaibab Trail, you start at 7200 feet, and drop to 5200 feet if you to to Skeleton Point. So this would be a lesser climb back up of 2,000 feet, but still substantial.

Of the two trail, I prefer the South Kaibab, both for views, and because it drops you into the canyon more quickly. Even going as far as Cedar Ridge is highly rewarding. One disadvantage of this trail is that you must take the shuttle bus to the trailhead, whereas for the Bright Angel you start right at Bright Angel Lodge.

It sounds like you have 2 nights and a full day at the canyon? You could walk a wee bit (15-20 minutes or so) down the Bright Angel trail after you arrive your first day, just to get a feel for it. Then do the South Kaibab walk the next day for your full day.

If you do that, I suggest you get an early start to avoid the heat as much as possible. There are direct shuttles to the trailhead from Bright Angel Lodge, but you must depart very early---5:00 or 6:00 am in the summer. After that, you take the regular shuttle, which involves a transfer and takes a bit longer.

Whatever you choose, be sure and carry lots of water--I mean 3 litres per person for summer hiking. (We carry 2 litres each when we hike in April but it is not as hot). If you still have extra on the way back up, you can use some to wet down your face and neck to help cool off.

Wearing a hat of some type to shade your face and keep your head cool is a good practice.

Also carry snacks, like a piece of fresh fruit and something salty (your body needs to replenish the salt when you are drinking lots of water). Potato chips or salted nuts are good. You can buy food (and sandwiches if you like) at the grocery store in the ';village';, which is on the shuttle route (or you can walk there and shuttle back).

Take it slow on the way back up. I know you are young, but my 24-year-old son, very fit and an experienced hiker, had trouble coming up that trail in August---he tried to go too fast and didn%26#39;t drink enough water. He made it, but felt very sick.

Hopefully you will be fine and have a great time. It is indeed one of the most beautiful places on earth. Enjoy an ice cream at the Bright Angel Lodge outdoor food kiosk when you return. And consider making dinner reservations at El Tovar to celebrate your Grand Canyon trip.

CanyonMari is giving you good advice. I would also recommend South Kaibab to Cedar Ridge. The trip down Bright Angel is exhausting and would take all day if you are not used to hiking, not good in the August heat. So start early and go to Cedar Ridge.

If you wanted to go down Bright Angel, you don%26#39;t have to go all the way down to Indian Gardens. There are rest areas at 1 1/2 and 3 miles down one way that might be a good turn around spot for you. It is very hot that time of year as was mentioned so be smart and carry plenty of water.

IMO you will get the better view from the South Kaibab, but there are no water sources on this trail other then the trailhead itself, so really be smart here.

Enjoy

SJG

It was my understanding that the S Kabib trail was quite abit steeper then Bright Angel. Is that correct?

Thanks for the great information, I had been leaning toward the Bright Angel Trail for convenience, but think I will try the South Kaibab instead; want to try and minimise the risk of heatstroke so an easier climb up is a big plus!

I don%26#39;t know if it%26#39;s any easier coming up the South Kaibab then the Bright Angel. South Kaibab is much steeper climb plus the sun is on your face most of the time.

Make sure you have a hat and sun screen and I can%26#39;t stess enough about the importance of carrying plenty of water, no less then two liters each possibly three!! Yes, it%26#39;s that hot!!!

SJG

Correct. The South Kaibab trail is quite a bit steeper right at the top. So it is only easier if you are comparing the hikes all the way to Skeleton Point versus Indian Gardens. Both of those are serious hikes in the heat.

But from your other posts it looks like you are also going to Yosemite. If you go there first, and do some hiking, it will help you prepare for the altitude and climbs at the Grand Canyon.

Unfortunately we have already everything booked so Yosemite is after GC, no chance to climatise. Have been looking up some other websites including hitthetrail.com and after researching the shuttles etc, think we will do Bright Angel for convenience, but maybe not go down as far as Indian Gardens. May have possibly under-estimated the heat and the steepness of the accent. Thanks for all the replies! Any other tips also appreciated!

You could do a short hike on each. My favorite parts of the South kaibab trail are the first part, as far as Cedar Ridge, and the very last, where you drop down to the river. That last part is not possible on a day hike. but you could go as faar as Cedar Ridge and enjoy the views from there. This would be a 3-mile hike (total) with a drop (and climb) of 1140 feet; very manageable.

The park service website actual says in bold print, ';DO NOT go past this point [Cedar Ridge] as a SUMMER day hike';.

Then you could return to the Bright Angel area and, assuming you still feel like more hiking, you could do another 3-mile hike there, down to the first resthouse (called 1.5 Mile Resthouse).

Whatever you choose, take the walk back up slowly so you don%26#39;t overheat.

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