The South Rim is by far more commercialized compared to the North Rim but in many ways, the well kept Rim Trail offers a hiker a relaxed and enjoyable environment to try and take in the over-the-top grandeur of the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
The Rim Trail starts near Kolb Studio in the village area (above) and continues for nearly 12 miles to its final stop at Hermits Rest.
Don’t let the distance dissuade you from thinking about this particular hike. The beauty of this hike is that it follows the rim along some of the most spectacular viewpoints to be had anywhere in the Canyon—AND there are shuttle stops at various points along the route. So this means that you can hike between viewpoints and simply catch the shuttle at any of the stops you wish. The longest stretch between stops is almost three miles, but the majority of shuttle stops are spaced to around one-half to one mile long. You can view the precise mileage between shuttle stops on the NPS page for the Rim Trail.
There are many other trails but after 16 days of hiking, we took it easy at The South Rim and relaxed a bit.
It is impossible to capture the scale and the changing weather provides a new photo every few minutes, even along the Rim Trail.
General Things You Should Know
Some sections of the Rim Trail take you VERY close to the edge of sheer cliffs with no guardrails. Watch your children.
The rim trail between Hermits Rest and Bright Angel Trailhead has some of the best views and fewest people. Take the red route to access these viewpoints.
The red bus makes 9 stops on the way out to Hermits rest, but only three on the way back (Pima Point, Mojave Point, and Powell Point). Plan your hike accordingly.
There is no water along the trail. Water is available at Hermits Rest, Bright Angel Trailhead, within Grand Canyon Village, and the South Kaibab Trailhead.
Shuttle buses start running one hour before sunrise and continue one hour past sunset and come about every 15 minutes. Check park information for the current schedule.
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