Grand Canyon Rim to River Trip Report: October 25, 2025 – South Kaibab, Tonto, and Bright Angel Trails
This was a fundraising hike through The Cairn Project, a nonprofit program dedicated to closing the gender gap through outdoor adventure and uplifting women’s stories. I host the See Her Outside Podcast where you can hear more about Get Out, Give Back adventures. Join our email list to join a future trip, and follow us on Instagram!
Arrival + Camping at the South Rim:
I rented a car in Phoenix and took about 3.5 hours to arrive at the South Rim. The government shutdown in October 2025 made it so that nobody was collecting park fees at the entrance booth when you drive into the park.
I parked in a lot near Mather Point with no problem at about 5pm. I’m not sure how it compared to normal crowd levels, but I didn’t find it to be particularly crowded around there. I had a group reservation at the Arizona Steakhouse next to the Bright Angel Trailhead at 6pm and got to see a beautiful sunset on the walk from my next parking spot at Maswik. (Nearer parking lots were full.)
I had a reservation at a tent site in Mather Campground for two nights. Also due to the government shutdown, campground staffing was minimal, and I never saw a ranger or host (though somebody is definitely coming around at some point in the day, since a little check-out note was left on my car window). Soap was out in a restroom at one point, and without staff on site, I couldn’t buy or access a shower. Unfortunately, nearby campers were very loud; children screaming after 10pm and an RV generator starting at 6am. I wouldn’t expect a quiet, restful sleep here. I used a 20 degree rated sleeping bag which was helpful since it got near freezing overnight. Take a look at campfire regulations before planning a fire.
View from the start
Descent Route via South Kaibab and Tonto Trails:
We caught the shuttle bus at 6am from the backcountry lot, where there were plenty of parking spots at 5:45am. The bus was quite full, but we managed to fit everyone in line, and they drove us straight to the South Kaibab Trail, skipping the visitor center stop (since it’s closed during the shutdown too).
There are two vault toilets at the South Kaibab trailhead, so we waited in line as the sun came up. After we finished adjusting our layers and shoes, we didn't have any need for headlamps, and we started off at a slow-for-us pace to be gentle on everyone's knees. We had 5-10 minute stops at the marked lookouts on the way down the South Kaibab trail. There’s no water access along this trail and it warms up very quickly. I started hiking in my puffy and stripped it off by a mile and a half down in exchange for just my sun hoodie, which I kept on by itself for the rest of the day.
Towards the start of South Kaibab
The South Kaibab Trail is closed at the Tipoff, so those looking to get to the river (still ~7-8 miles away) need to take the Tonto Trail west from there, which is in great condition and relatively flat, nothing steep to note. These were our speediest miles, although in very direct sunlight. I splashed myself down when we crossed little creeks. We took the Tonto Trail all the way to its connection with the Bright Angel Trail; about 4 miles. Once there, we opted to head uphill about a half mile to refill water at Havasupai Gardens before backtracking and heading towards the river.
All smiles, all day!
On the Tonto
At Havasupai Gardens, beware of very well-fed and comfortable squirrels. They’ll get extremely close to humans and attempt to take food from you or your pack. Watch your pack closely! And please do not feed any wildlife or leave scraps of food or trash around. It’s easy to accidentally drop small bits of trash, and a great act of kindness to pick up and pack out bits of trash you find even if you didn’t leave them yourself.
“Booping” the North Rim
After we refilled water from the spigot and used the vault toilets, we turned back downhill for the 3.5 miles to the Colorado. These were our hottest miles, both because we were lower in elevation and due to time of day. The thermometer at Havasupai Gardens claimed 90 degrees F, and we relished the bits of shade along the way. There are a lot more shade pockets available along the Bright Angel Trail compared to South Kaibab and Tonto.
Me, enjoying the pockets of shade
We made it to the Colorado River! There were only a couple other people at the beach, but a lot of construction equipment and fencing. It was a stark contrast to the steep canyon walls and muddy water. We tried to tune out the construction as we stuck our feet in the chocolate milk colored water, cooled off, and had a relaxing lunch before heading back up the Bright Angel Trail.
We knew we hit $10k in scholarship fundraising by here!
Ascent Route via Bright Angel Trail:
I was thrilled that we were in shade for nearly the entire walk back up. We all had more energy without the extra heat (plus occasional light breeze), and people were happy to be done with the downhill for the sake of their knees. I had a bit of caffeine which made the start of the uphill feel pretty good too, even though my calves were a bit tight from the downhill. We slowly made our way uphill at our “all day pace” before stopping again at Havasupai Gardens for a water refill. At this point, we knew that we’d have potable water and resthouses every 1.5 miles back up to the rim, so we didn’t have to carry as much water. There’s a bulletin board that shows the status of running water, so make sure to check it before making any assumptions.
Looking up Bright Angel
Headed up the Bright Angel.
The remainder of the ascent was pretty mellow, going slow in the cooling air with way fewer people on trail that time of day. We stopped for a few minutes at 3 mile Resthouse and 1.5 mile Resthouse (as in 3 miles and 1.5 miles down from the rim), taking in more snacks to propel us uphill as we enjoyed a stunning pink sunset (nothing like it!). We ended up hiking with our headlamps on for about 45 minutes at the end, and when we popped out at Bright Angel Trailhead, it was completely dark. The Maswik cafeteria was still open and cheaper than any sit down restaurant, so we went there to refuel and debrief before the short walk back to the car at the Backcountry Lot. Then, sleep!
Impact of our Grand Canyon Women’s Fundraising Team:
We raised $11,600+ across our fundraising team of 5 participants and 2 guides (myself and Sunny Stroeer, Executive Director of the GEA Alliance). The funds will go directly towards wilderness scholarships for girls and women through our nonprofit, the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure. (Some funds over our fundraising goal were also donated to the Grand Canyon Conservancy North Rim Recovery Fund for wildfire relief.)
My favorite part is that each of these women will share their experience and stories with others in their lives, showing the strength and impact that women have when they spend time in nature. The ripple effect of women’s outdoor storytelling is incredible. When I was 15 years old, standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon for the very first time, I would’ve never known that it was possible for me to hike across it and back, raft 300 miles of river through it, or lead a fundraising hike for other women. We are all showing other girls and women that it’s not only possible, but an option for them to explore. Our oldest hiker was 67 years old, so it’s not too late to get out there!
The team!
Tips for a River to Rim Hike:
Nothing beats doing extensive research, even if you’re experienced in hiking and trail running. We ran into multiple parties who weren’t sure where they were or where they were headed – even 4,000’ below the rim! Even in mid-autumn, dehydration and beyond is a major risk. One party had minimal water and were partway through the Tonto Trail, miles from a water source.
Look up trail closures. A pair of trail runners were perplexed to find that the South Kaibab Trail was closed below Tip-Off Point, even though signage at the rim (and all over the internet) warned about that. They had to change their route, which was easily preventable by doing research before starting.
In October 2025, there’s actually a lot of construction equipment by the Bright Angel Trail! They’re replacing the water pipeline. It was fascinating to see all the heavy equipment in hard-to-reach places. There was also frequent helicopter noise as they brought in supplies. We saw workers actively at the river and at Plateau Point (but not along other places).
If you’re a trail runner, you’re in good company – I trail run, too (and even direct a race)! Please make your presence known and call out if you’re trying to pass. It was frustrating to have people on our heels, hoping that we’d move out of the way automatically without them alerting us. A simple “on your left” is super helpful, and I was disappointed that a handful of trail runners weren’t as courteous as I know we can be.
Wild to see the construction!
Get Out, Give Back adventures are life-changing for both those hiking and those who receive scholarships because of them. You can support gender equity and transformative outdoor experiences for girls and women by getting involved with The Cairn Project:
Become a Trailblazer! Turn any human-powered adventure of your own into a grassroots fundraiser to create scholarships through the Summit Scholarship Foundation. Your adventure can create opportunities for others to experience growth through time in nature.
Listen to the See Her Outside Podcast! We share stories of women who adventure so we can shift media to be more inclusive of all adventurers.
Join Grit Lit, our adventure book club! Get a quarterly box with goodies from women-owned businesses and an adventure-themed book.
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