Hiking,  Travel,  Trip Report

Our Honeymoon to Arizona: Hiking the Grand Canyon

Last week Jordan and I went on our honeymoon to Arizona! We got engaged in Antelope Canyon in 2018, so we had to go back to one of our favorite spots. This time, we went to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Sedona!

We flew to Phoneix and then drove the ~4 hours to the Grand Canyon. We got there just in time for sunset!

We were lucky enough to be staying right in the park, in a lodge right on the South Rim, so we had a fantastic view from our window. It was incredible! The next morning, we got up and had breakfast at El Tovar restaurant, next to our lodge. We had a big hike planned for the day: hiking down to the Colorado via the South Kaibab Trail.

Our planned route (map via earthtrekkers) – check out their post for a more in-depth description of this hike

I had been planning this hike for MONTHS! It’s been on my bucket list FOREVER! Back in May, we applied for a backcountry camping permit so we could score a campsite at the Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. About a month later it arrived via email. We were going to be backpacking in the Grand Canyon! I was a little nervous because as the signs at the park say, “hiking down is optional, but hiking back up is mandatory”. I have plenty of huge hikes under my belt, so I knew I could do it. And Jordan is in good shape so I wasn’t concerned about him.

We took a national park shuttle from Grand Canyon Village to the South Kaibab trailhead (there is an early morning express shuttle, but we missed it since we got a late start). We took the blue shuttle to the visitor center and then connected to the orange shuttle and took that to the trailhead.

Jordan’s full pack
Pack mules transporting gear UP the South Kaibab trail

Finally, we can see the Colorado

After 4 hours and 7 miles of hiking, we finally reached the bottom! It was surreal. And HOT! It was about 20 degrees hotter than at the rim and it was definitely over 100 degrees F.

South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground
Distance 7.44 Miles
Descent 4,780′
Total Time (including stops) 4 hours

We stopped at the campground and picked out our campsite (I was pretty delirious from the heat by that point) but we managed to find a fantastic site right on the Bright Angel Creek!

NO rainfly needed down here
The Bright Angel Creek runs right along the campground

After cooling off in the Creek, we walked over to Phantom Ranch, about a half-mile from the Campground.

We both got some beer which we thoroughly enjoyed. Also: Lemonade with refills for $1. Lemonade never tasted so good!

After enjoying our beverages, we went back to our campsite to set up camp and cool down at the Creek again.

Jordan and I didn’t want to have to pack all of our meals for this one-night camping trip, so about a month ago, I booked our meals at the Phantom Ranch.  Hikers have the option to pay for meals at the Phantom Ranch Canteen–you don’t have to be a guest there to eat there. We purchased dinner that night, breakfast the following morning, and the sack lunch for our hike the next day. It was expensive (they have to bring all the food down to the ranch via mules!) but totally worth the splurge.

 

I still can’t believe we spent the night in the Grand Canyon. Of the 6 million visitors to the National Park each year, only 1% make it below the rim. Crazy to think we’re part of that 1%! We went to bed pretty early. It was HOT and we were tired from the hike and travel. Jordan stayed up taking some photos of the stars, which were brilliant that night.

The next morning, we had breakfast at Phantom Ranch (pancakes, eggs and sausage!) at 6:30 am and at about 7 am we hit the trail.

Crossing the Colorado via the Silver Bridge on the way to Bright Angel Trail

Bright Angel Trail is a lot more gradual than South Kaibab. It is also very well maintained. Once we reached Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail, we had access to drinkable water and were able to refill our hydration packs. Indian Gardens also has bathrooms and a campground. What a plush trail–water and bathrooms available! We also stopped here for a few minutes to sit and have a snack. I was concerned that it was going to be unbearably hot, but the weather was perfect!

We stopped again at the three-mile resthouse for some fresh water, and again at the 1.5-mile rest house. Soon, after many switchbacks, we arrived back at the South Rim, at the start of the Bright Angel Trail!

Bright Angel Campground to South Rim via Bright Angel Trail
Distance 9.5 miles
Ascent 4380′
Total Time 6 hrs, 13 minutes (including stops)

Overall, the hike back up was a lot easier than we were expecting! I’ve done a lot harder hikes in the Adirondacks–BUT it’s still NO JOKE! You have to be prepared! The South Kaibab Trail has no water sources, so you have to bring enough for the hike down. I had about 3.5 liters, which was just enough! It is also very exposed with very little shade, so if you do hike this trail, hike in the early morning or later afternoon. The Bright Angel trail is a little bit easier, even though it’s longer. It has more shade, it’s less steep, has bathrooms and water stops. I’m so glad we can say we hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It was an incredible experience and a great start to our honeymoon!

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