Hiking South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch - Grand Canyon National Park

Hiking South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch - Grand Canyon National Park

Every time I try to talk Tina into hiking the Grand Canyon, I assume it’s going to be a tough sell. Because climbing out of the Grand Canyon is not one of her favorite things to do. Can’t really blame her because it’s not and easy thing to do.

I was surprised that she said yes this time around. But she did so I wasn’t gonna ask too many questions.

I was pretty excited to show her the South Kaibab Trail. Bright Angel gets more buzz, probably because it goes by the campground on the way down to the river. But the thing is, Bright Angel follows a side canyon into the Grand Canyon. That means the canyon walls limit your views of the surrounding Grand Canyon. South Kaibab, however, spends most of its time on a Ridgeline going down to the Colorado River. As you can see in the video, this means unbelievable views for most of the hike. It’s also about 2 miles shorter than Bright Angel, which made for an easier exit.

Throw in an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch and you’ve got the recipe for a fun weekend. Actually, this is my new favorite way to get into and out of the canyon.

Which is great, because they’re doing a lot of construction down there. Bright Angel was closed past Indian Gardens campground. So there wasn’t really another option. There was also a lot of work going on at Phantom Ranch, including a large new building by the river. Not sure what exactly they’re doing, but hopefully they’re some good improvements without taking away the historic charm of Phantom Ranch.

Music by Artlist
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Buzz - Janes Party