Grand Canyon Rim2Rim 2025

1. South Rim to North Rim (South Kaibab Trail down, North Kaibab Trail up)
2. 21 miles (roughly 7 miles down, 7 miles across, and 7 miles up)
3. 18 hours, due to extenuating circumstances, but 12 hours would have sufficed
4. 6400’ total ascent.
5. Elevation at the North Rim is 8000 feet. Elevation of the South Rim is about 7000 feet.
6. Hiked on June 6. High at the bottom was a bit over 100. Temperature at the South Rim to start was in the upper 40s.

I have hiked in the Grand Canyon twice before when I was a kid, but it’s been over 40 years. A few months ago while on a run, I mentioned to my friend Holly Edwards that I wanted to hike the canyon rim to rim in a day. Ever the adventurer, she said, “Let’s do it!” A few days later we managed to inspire our friend Mary Wood to join the fun, as well. The adventure was underway!

Holly, Juliana, Mary

We arrived at Grand Canyon Village near the South Rim on Thursday evening (June 5). After a few hours of predictably unsatisfactory sleep, we drove to the South Kaibab trailhead, put on our headlamps and hit the trail at 4:40am.

Near the South Kaibab trailhead, around 5am

The seven miles down to the Colorado River are beautiful. Stunning vistas, flowers, cactus, agave utahensis (century plant), fascinating rocks. We saw a mule team carrying supplies up. Plenty of hikers on the trail, but it didn’t feel crowded.

Colorado River

We crossed the Colorado River at 8:30am and reached Phantom Ranch (8 miles in) at 9:15 after filling up our water. Stopped for a drink and snack at the canteen there before heading through the “box” (the hottest section of the trip that runs about 6 miles between Phantom and Cottonwood).

Just before Cottonwood, we found a lovely pool in the creek off the trail and sat in the water to get cool. We filled our water in Cottonwood and then started the last 7 miles up to the North Rim.

About a mile past Cottonwood we came across a hiker in the middle of the trail. She was dressed in warm clothes with a coat around her shoulders and carrying a heavy pack. As we talked with her, we could tell she wasn’t doing well. She had started that morning from the North Rim, intending to hike to the South Rim, but she got past Cottonwood and realized she needed to turn around. She was very fatigued, a little disoriented, and frightened that she wouldn’t be able to make it to safety at the rim. We carried her pack and got her cooled down, made sure she had water and food. Long story short, we walked with her for the next 8-9 hours out of the canyon. She was a really wonderful woman having a tough day.

agave utahensis (also known as the century plant)

desert prickly pear

Because we were walking slowly and stopping often on the way up the North Kaibab, we had ample opportunity to soak in the beauty of the canyon. We passed a few hikers heading south but often had the trail to ourselves.

By 8pm the sun had set, and we walked the last few miles under starlight. We reached the trailhead around 11pm. There were no shuttles available at that time of night. Fortunately, our new hiker friend had her car at the trailhead and offered to drive us to our cabin at Kaibab Lodge, one of many tender mercies of the day.

Logistics:

1. Red Feather Lodge in Grand Canyon Village the night before the hike
2. Oreganos in Flagstaff is yummy for carb loading
3. Parked along the road near the South Kaibab trailhead. (There’s a parking lot, but it fills up fast.)
4. Stayed at Kaibab Lodge near the North Rim after the hike. (Note that it’s a 25 minute drive from the trailhead. There is a shuttle for about $25, but the last shuttle departs close to 6:30pm.)
5. Shuttle from North Rim to South Rim picked us up at the Kaibab Lodge in the morning and took 4 hours. Cost in 2025 was $127/person. The shuttle dropped us at Bright Angel lodge, where we caught the free South Rim shuttle bus back to the trailhead and our car.
6. Temps near 50 when we started, high around 100 at the bottom. There is typically a 20ish degree difference between Phantom Ranch and the rims.
7. Drank 3 liters of water on the way down, probably 6-7 liters total. Water in my water bladder and IQ Mix electrolytes in my 1-liter collapsible Platypus bottle.
8. We refilled water as we neared Phantom Ranch. (No potable water for the first 7 miles.) Also filled at Cottonwood and Manzanita on the way up North Kaibab. The lodge at Phantom Ranch has a deli with food and drinks available to purchase.
9. If you have a water filter or purification tablets, there was one place partway down South Kaibab with water. Between Phantom Ranch and the North Rim, there are also several places to get water from the creek.
10. For heat and sun control: Mountain Hardware hooded sunshirt, cooling cloth, sunglasses and sunblock. And lots of water and electrolytes, of course. We soaked our shirts, cooling cloths and hats frequently. None of us had problems related to heat or sun.
11. Clothes: CRZ Lycra running shorts, sunshirt, running bra, visor (open top hat), Injinji toe socks as a liner with Darn Tough hiking socks, Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes. I had a tank top but ended up removing it and just wearing my sunshirt. I also brought a warmer long-sleeve shirt, a light puffy, gloves and a light hat to be safe. Ended up wearing the puffy after dark at the end.