Arizona Grand Canyon Hiking Guide

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Planning Your Grand Canyon Hiking Trip

If you plan to hike and camp anywhere in the park (other than in developed campgrounds) you must obtain a permit from the Backcountry Information Center. The earlier you plan your hike and apply for permits, the more likely you will be to get the dates and destinations you want. You can apply for a permit on the first of the month, four months prior to your start month.

Hiking in the Grand Canyon can be an ordeal. Hiking the Grand Canyon is very different from most other backpacking experiences, even for avid hikers. Properly prepared, a hike in the Grand Canyon can be an experience you will want to repeat over and over again. But if you are not properly prepared, it will be something you would prefer to forget.

The Grand CAnyon is a desert climate. Keep this in mind when you hike. Water and protection from the elements make the difference between life and death. Your trip begins at altitude (7000-8000 feet). You start your trip with a bone-rattling descent to the bottom of the canyon. Your trip will be long and tiring and end with a long, exhausting climb out.

Grand Canyon National Park is comprised of 1.2 million acres that is mostly inaccessible due to steep cliffs, and rough terrain. The Colorado River divides the canyon. Phantom Ranch is the only crossing point for hikers in the Grand Canyon. If you hike from one rim to the other, you will descend and ascend more than 10,000 feet from start to finish.

Guided hiking or camping trips are available through private hiking guide services.

The most popular hiking seasons are spring, summer, and fall. Summer temperatures can be extreme, so you might want to try to avoid the heat of summer and take a spring or autumn hike.

You do not need a permit for day hiking. Day hiking the Grand Canyon can be safer and is less demanding than an overnight trip into a rugged area. But, you must still prepare for a day hike, and make sure that you do not try to hike too far.