The towering walls of The Box loom over Bright Angel Creek as the North Kaibab Trail weaves its way south in Grand Canyon National Park, AZ. Click the icon in the lower righthand corner of the player to expand the video.
The North Kaibab Trail is the most well-known hiking route at Grand Canyon’s secluded North Rim. Including a map and a video, these are my tips for trekking it.
Plunging thousands of feet off the North Rim, the North Kaibab Trail is one of the most challenging hiking routes at Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park. It leads to Phantom Ranch, a lodge at the bottom of the iconic canyon near where the South Rim’s Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail converge.
I trekked the entirety of the North Kaibab Trail during the opening leg of my rim-to-rim crossing. These are my recommendations for safely making it out and back:
1. Plan your trip between May-October
Unlike the busy South Rim, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is relatively uncrowded during the peak season. Its remoteness (Las Vegas, NV, the closest population center, is over four hours away via automobile) attracts a proven class of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, filtering out the throngs of casual tourist types that make their way to the South Rim from nearby Sedona and Phoenix.
The North Rim’s seclusion comes with a tradeoff: Due to its lack of infrastructure and staffing, it’s only fully open between May 15 – October 15. You could visit during the shoulder season that ends December 1, but services (including emergency response) aren’t available and the trails are limited to day use.
Beating the partial closure date by less than a week, I arrived at the North Rim in mid-October by taking the Trans-Canyon Shuttle from the South Rim. I reserved my shuttle ticket ($120 USD for a one-way fare) and my tent site ($18 USD per night) at the North Rim Campground around three weeks before my trip; if you aren’t hiking across the canyon, you can catch a shuttle back to the South Rim after you are done with your stay.*
Along with the campground, the Grand Canyon Lodge and the adjacent guest cabins are the only places you can stay overnight at the North Rim. I recommend pitching a tent; the North Rim Campground is within easy walking distance of the North Kaibab Trailhead.
Another pretrip consideration: You must have a backcountry permit to camp below the rim, and it should be applied for well in advance of your departure date. The cost is a non-refundable $10 USD per permit or application fee plus a $15 USD nightly charge per person.
Although I made it from the North Rim to the South Rim in one day, I would have budgeted an overnight stay at either Cottonwood or Phantom Ranch if I were hiking the North Kaibab as an out-and-back. As I detail in the next few sections, the trail is a beast.
* If you decide to take the shuttle from the South Rim, you can leave your rental vehicle at Parking Lot D next to the South Rim Backcountry Information Center. The free parking area is for both day visits and overnight hikers; you don’t need a permit.
2. Arrive early at the trailhead
Following the beam from my flashlight, I arrived at the North Kaibab Trailhead (8,241 ft, 2,510 m) at 3 a.m. The walk from the North Rim campground took me around 20 minutes via Campground Rd. and Bridle Path.
My early arrival time may seem extreme, but anyone who has walked through The Box would understand my sense of urgency. The narrow, high-walled gorge is the final stretch of the North Kaibab before Phantom Ranch. The Box is shady and somewhat cool in the morning, but its topography turns it into an oven during the midday hours.
Before stepping onto the trail, I checked my pack one last time and reviewed the signage on the information board. Like other trailheads at the Grand Canyon, the park service posts the status of water sources at key checkpoints. I arrived with a full reservoir and electolyte drinks, but I planned on topping off my supply regularly.
Unless they are inoperable, you can expect to find restrooms and water stations on the North Kaibab Trail at Supai Tunnel, Manzanita Rest Area, Cottonwood, and Phantom Ranch. Camping is allowed with a permit at Cottonwood and Phantom Ranch; ranger stations can be found at Manzanita Rest Area and Phantom Ranch, the former of which is open seasonally.
3. Make the precipitous descent to Cottonwood
To characterize the first half of the North Kaibab Trail as steep is an understatement; precipitous is more accurate. Over approximately 6.5 miles (10.5 kms), the trail plunges just under 4,000 feet (1,219 m) before leveling off at Cottonwood.
Half-jogging at times to prevent strain on my legs, I relied heavily on my trekking poles for speed brakes as I began my rapid descent. I blew through the Supai Tunnel (6,840 ft, 2,085 m) and past the Redwall Bridge (6,040 ft, 1,840 m), arriving at Manzanita Rest Area (4,400 ft, 1,341 m) well before daybreak.
Feeling in good rhythm, I elected to press on. I walked into Cottonwood (4,040 ft, 1,231 m) at around 6:30 a.m., just as the first hints of sunlight began to illuminate the inner canyon. I heard some folks breaking camp as a refilled my water reservoir and rested for a few minutes.
4. Maintain a good pace to Phantom Ranch
After enduring hours of the North Kaibab’s arduous opening decline, my legs welcomed the gentler slope from Cottonwood to The Box. Keeping a wary eye on my watch, I made sure I kept a good pace; I wanted to make it to Phantom Ranch (around 7 miles/11.3 kms from Cottonwood) at or before 10 a.m.
The inner canyon is beautiful, especially in the early morning. Passing a several hikers who were trekking toward the North Rim, I arrived at the turn to Ribbon Falls around 30 minutes after leaving Cottonwood. Hiking to the waterfall adds an extra kilometer (and valuable time) to the trek, so I elected to keep going.
An hour or so later, the walls around me began to tighten. Stepping around a dozing rattlesnake, I was soon enveloped by The Box. Bright Angel Creek traces the lush gorge, and a series of footbridges weave you along the east and west sides of its floor. Enjoying the shade, I maintained my speed, emerging into the sunlight and the rising heat of the day at around 9:30 a.m.
A few minutes later, I strode into Phantom Ranch (2,460 ft, 750 m).
5. Camp before returning to the North Rim
As I mentioned in the introduction, I continued south from Phantom Ranch, reaching the iconic Bright Angel Trailhead around an hour before sundown. Crossing the Grand Canyon in one day required monumental effort; returning to the North Rim in the same timeframe would have been even more difficult.
The Bright Angel Trail has multiple features that make it easier than the North Kaibab, including a shorter length, less elevation gain, afternoon shade during the steep climb to the South Rim, and better infrastructure. If I was planning an out-and-back hike, I would have applied for a backcountry permit and camped at either Phantom Ranch or Cottonwood.
I encountered a few hikers who were making their ascents in the predawn hours between Manzanita Rest Area and the North Kaibab Trailhead. Looking over their gear and considering their wise decisions to camp and rise early, I judged them to be seasoned trekkers. All were panting and sweating profusely, leaning heavily on their trekking poles as they labored upward.
The temperature was under 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) with cool westerly breezes. Imagine arriving at Cottonwood around noon in the middle of summer, staring up at 4,000 feet of elevation gain in sweltering near-100 degree weather.
Please take the advice of both me and the park service: Make the North Kaibab a two-day trek.
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Related Content
– Click to read “How to Hike Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail” for a step-by-step guide for trekking the most famous trail at Grand Canyon National Park.
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from Grand Canyon National Park.
– Click to watch my high-definition video of the rattlesnake I encountered on the North Kaibab Trail.