The trail is characterized by hundreds of uneven steps of various height and width, tight corners, fall-to-your-death ledges, but astounding beauty. Roughly halfway down, stop for water at Indian Gardens campground. It will be hard to miss, as you’ll likely be greeted by other campers, lush foliage, and the sound of flowing water.

As soon as you cross the bridge, you’ll feel the air get a bit more humid and see the scenery get a bit more green. Within a mile you’ll arrive at Phantom Ranch. There is a well here to fill up on water, and you can pay cash for basic trail food and hiking accessories inside if needed.

Shortly after leaving Phantom Ranch you will run in to the Box. The box is a relatively narrow area of the canyon with high walls. In the heat of the day, this can easily be the hottest couple of miles of R2R2R. A river may be flowing through this area, but access points are very limited due to the cliffside nature of this part of the trail. It is best to get through here before late morning to avoid the heat-up.

You’ll be gently climbing at this point. There may be a flowing river near mile 16. Near mile 17, the trail splits left to detour to Ribbon Falls, a bonus mile, or continues along North Kaibab to the right.

The North Rim lies at 8,300ft, equalling 5,860ft of climbing from the Colorado River. There is water available at the North Kaibab trailhead. Keep in mind that the North Rim is at a higher elevation and therefore can be colder than the South Rim. Carrying layers is important in dealing with the wide range of temperatures you’ll experience. If you didn’t feel the altitude on the way down from the South Rim, you’ll feel it climbing the North Rim! There are many narrow cliffside areas of the trail on that offer zero margin of error should you step off the 3-4ft wide trail. Take your time.



