Grand Day Loop

The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, a World Heritage Site, and geological heaven. It is hard to overpraise the canyon’s raw, outlandish shapes and formations: they are justly famous. The sheer size of the Grand Canyon is astounding. Up to 1,830m (over a mile) deep, 450km long and up to 25km wide, it is the one against which all other canyons are measured.

Is this the best day walk in the Grand Canyon? Walkopedia thinks so. 13-16km of visual rapture.

Descend the South Kaibab Trail to the Tip-off. This is the better descent, as the trail follows a ridge most of the way down, so has superb and wide views, whereas the Bright Angel’s views are narrower, canyon-framed ones.

Traverse from the Tip-off to Indian Garden on the brilliant Tonto Trail, which is beyond delightful, a generally level meander around the slopes, and above the side canyons, of the Tonto platform, above the sheer inner Colorado canyon. This was probably the best bit for us – you feel at times like you are on a massive plain between huge escarpments, rather than in a canyon, such is the vast scale of the Canyon, and the size of the Tonto platform, and its northern equivalent.

If you think you have the legs, do make the level, 3 mile round trip to Plateau Point, for dramatic and magnificent views of the Colorado river.

Then it is the long ascent of the Bright Angel Trail back to the Canyon Village. This is good for an afternoon climb, as, being deep in a side canyon, it gets shady relatively early. It is a long climb, on an endless series of switchbacks, but well constructed and straightforward for what it is.

This is an upside-down walk: most of the time, one climbs first, with fresh legs, and comes back down with grumbling ones; this is vice versa. We have to say, these beautifully constructed and maintained trails are, in ours experience, some of the least painful ways anywhere to gain/drop significant height. We barely noticed our limbs after descending some 3,500ft in 2.5 hrs on the South Kaibab to the Tip-off, and climbed the Bright Angel from Indian Garden pretty easily (considering) in 3hrs with tired legs.

Walkopedia walked this route in 2.5 hrs to the Tip-off; 2 hrs to Indian Garden; 1 3/4 hrs, including lunch, to/from Plateau Point; and 3 hrs + a bit back to the rim. 10 hrs in total including breaks at junctions.

The South Kaibab and Bright Angel are the most famous of all Grand Canyon trails and commensurately crowded, especially near their tops, so, if you are an experienced walker and like (relative) solitude, you will need to prepare mentally. The Tonto is refreshingly underused.

This is tough walking in hot, dry conditions. Come fully prepared, including carrying plenty of water. Remember that you have to get back to the rim: “Descending is optional; ascending is compulsory”, as the signs say, approximately. Dropping on to the Colorado river is not recommended as a day walk.

The Cicerone guide has good information on these walks. Find these and other books on Amazon.

See our Grand Canyon page for much more on the canyon, and detailed practical information.