kale73

The obvious choice for a diversion on the return route to Phoenix is Sedona and vicinity. Just search for 'Sedona Hikes' for plenty of suggestions and options.

At the South Rim, the Hermit's Rest rim trail provides fantastic canyon views and for most of the year has the added safety advantage of regular shuttle bus service back to the Village at set points along the route. If someone gets in trouble down the Bright Angel Trail, the available recovery options are more complex.

uanj

Thanks for chiming in. I have not been since before the pandemic, I agree if they are charging $8 for the Little Colorado overlooks don't go. If free, they don't require much time.

I'll share my opinion not living anywhere near either place. The Grand Canyon is a must-see at least once, but after more than a dozen trips I don't enjoy it nearly as much as 20 years ago. Peak times are very crowded, traffic on the rim can crawl adding unexpected delays and it is not much of a "nature" experience unless you have the time to get off the beaten track. However, if I am anywhere near MV I'll always make the time to see that. I don't know anyone who has been to MV and considered it anti-climatic. Just offering another view.

Time management and realistic plans at GC are key, especially during peak times.

theroz

from Flagstaff take the 17 South and take the exit 89A "Oak Creek Canyon: theres a look out on the left before you start the desent that is well pulling over for

Lost_Luggage_in_SEA

Basically, I agree with kale73, but since I've hiked the Bright Angel, South Kaibab and rim trails several times, although never in the summer, I'll add a few thoughts. In the nature of things, some people who've also hiked these trails will have different opinions to mine.

My opinion is that the South Kaibab is significantly more scenic but also harder (both in terms of how steep it is and now slippery it is with loose rock etc.) than the Bright Angel trail and the South Kaibab has very little shade and no water. The Bright Angel has water and rest houses every 1.5 miles (or did when I was last there). The South Kaibab is more scenic because it was built along a ridge, as opposed to going down a side canyon like the Bright Angel. IMO, the Bright Angel trail isn't worth the effort unless you are going out to Plateau Point (roughly 1.5 miles beyond Havasupai Gardens) because the walls of the side canyon block much of the view. FWIW, I'd give myself six hours to hike from the rim to Havasupai Gardens and back (2 hours down and 4 hours back up) if it wasn't the summer and longer if it was.

Having said that, I'd be wary of doing either the Bright Angel or South Kaibab in the summer. The NPS has to rescue (iirc) about 150 people a year in the Grand Canyon who think they are fit enough to hike down it and back up and are wrong. There used to be (and perhaps still are) notices at the trailheads describing a med student who ran the Boston Marathon in 3.5 hours but died in the Grand Canyon because she took too little food, too little water and a low resolution map.

If I were OP, I might consider hiking down the South Kaibab as far as Cedar Ridge. This section of the South Kaibab trail has some good views and is 1.5 miles one way with a drop of 1140 ft. If that doesn't sound like much, remember that hiking back up it is almost the same as climbing the Empire State Building using the stairs the whole way. Otherwise, in the summer, I'd stick to hiking along the rim. Although there isn't an official trail for the entire way, I have walked from Hermit's Rest all the way to Yaki Point over the course of 2-3 days and there's a bus service at both ends. Personally, I'd take the bus very early in the morning and walk back: the earlier you start the hike, the less hot it is.

IMO, the views from the rim are just as good as the views from the interior of the canyon. The views from the interior of the canyon are different, but they are not better.

kale73

My main objection to the Bright Angel (and the North Kaibab) Trails is that they are both “used” (in more ways than one) by mules.

bryanwallace

wow-thanks for all this advice... does it make sense to start very early in the morning then? also people have kindly stressed the importance of food and water .. where is the place to stock up for this> tusayan? or does it not have good shops..perhaps we should consider a shorter trail as people have kindly suggested..

Lost_Luggage_in_SEA

Personally, I always aim to start my hikes at the Grand Canyon very early: it's cooler, there's fewer people and (on the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails) less chance of fresh mule "additions" to the trail. Since most Grand Canyon buses start running at 4am, you can start your hike at dawn. It's more important to start very early for hikes down into the canyon compared to hikes along the rim. However, even along the rim, I'd still get an early start because I prefer hiking in temperatures of 60-70F (early morning on the rim) as opposed to 80-90F (early afternoon on the rim).

There's a small grocery store in Tusayan and (iirc) a larger grocery store in the Market Plaza inside the park. If you want a full-sized grocery store, you'll need to visit one on your way in (eg. Flagstaff or Williams). Also, the NPS frowns on selling bottled water and it may not be available inside the park. The NPS wants people to buy (or bring with them) re-usable bottles (these will be for sale inside the park) and then re-fill them from a tap or water fountain or whatever. For myself, I find trail snacks are very helpful (especially for going uphill) but making sure I don't run out of water is key.

djp98374

flagstaff has large stores. Near the park thr prices will be higher.

kale73

Nearly all of the “tap” water at Grand Canyon National Park is sourced at Roaring Springs on the North Rim and piped to facilities on both rims. There are a number of water bottle filling stations in the Village and also at Desert View as well as inside the hotels. When we visited the South Rim in July, there were signs noting that the water taps at Hermit’s Rest were out of service. I forget how many tons of ‘waste’ the NPS claimed they no longer had to haul to landfills or recycling centers after they restricted the sale of bottled water at locations within the park. It was substantial.

bryanwallace

great-thanks! i see you canhave a bbq in the grand canyon NP but need a permit...sounds a great idea-but thinking may be more hassle than its worth..dont know if anyone has tried it?

starting very early souinds great...regarding the buses do these go from tusayan as well or is it best just to drive in if early?

just going by the comments,is there no real benefit to hiking down into the canyon? should we go for a rim walk instead?

also,many thanks for everyone in patiently answering my questions-please let me know if it becomes annoying..

Lost_Luggage_in_SEA

Most of the buses start at 4am but the Tusayan route doesn't start running until 8am. If you want an early start to your hike, you need to drive.

The NPS has a good page on the Grand Canyon shuttle buses:
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvis...ttle-buses.htm

kale73

The only sort of grilling I’ve done at GCNP has been on the fire rings provided in the campgrounds. You would need a campsite reservation but no permit beyond that. I don’t know (have never even wondered) of any sort of “BBQ permit”.

As far as into the canyon vs rim hike, you really need to take the ages & physical condition of your party into account. My last visit - two weeks ago - was with a group of boys and their teacher-chaperones from a high school in upstate NY. All the kids and one of the chaperones were physically capable of a partial descent along the North Kaibab Trail (we were camping on the North Rim). We didn’t do that because of time constraints.

When I’ve taken similar groups to the South Rim, we usually start near the Bright Angel Trailhead and I give them three options: west towards Hermit’s Rest (rim trail with bus service), east towards Mather Point (basically a sidewalk along the rim through the most developed part of the South Rim) or down the BAT, with a set time to turn around and start back up.

Remember that hiking into the Canyon is like hiking up a mountain in reverse order - you do the downhill portion first, then have to climb back up. When you reach the top of a mountain you may be bolstered by the knowledge that the upcoming portion of your hike is “downhill” even though the hikex down may be more technically challenging than the hike up. On a canyon hike, when you reach the turnaround point it’s abundantly clear that it’s all going to be “uphill” till you reach the rim.

If you plan to take any of these trails my advice is to park near Maswick Lodge or Bright Angel Lodge in the vicinity of the train depot. It’s an easy walk from there to the Bright Angel Trailhead.

bryanwallace

thanks-you have all been wonderful kind sharing your knowledge... is going down into the canyon not that necessary then if the best views are at the top and trails also available aorud the top?
would we not be missing out on anything?

also ,could people advise what to do on the way back (we have extra day as not doing MV) presume the sedona-flagstaff area..? oak creek canyon? is slide rock the same place?
i hear a lot about this-but is it worth trying -seems easy to get injured there!!

DELee

Short of having more time, you'll just need to go back again if you're afraid of missing something. The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and everything else across the southwestern United States all differ in how one gets to experience it every time because of seasonality, time of day. wet year/dry year. too many tourists. how old you are, how many people you travel with, having or not having a guide, stopping or not stopping to take pictures, etc.

David

kale73

There is indeed a lot to see and do in The Grand Circle.