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Grand Canyon rim to rim, North Kaibab to Bright Angel in three days

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona3 days27.6 miBest Sep – Oct

North Rim to South Rim the way the water runs: down North Kaibab to Cottonwood, a shaded morning through the Box to Bright Angel Campground, and up Bright Angel with a spring at every rest house. 24 miles, 5,800 ft down and 4,400 ft up, at inner-canyon temperatures that decide the timetable. Includes the South Kaibab exit as a proven fallback.

MMMalcolm McSwainPublished Sep 2, 2026 · version 1
DAYS
3, dateless
PERMITS
2
DIVISIONS
1
KIT SPEC
3 lines

The route

D1D2D3estimateddivision

ROUTE MAP · CACHED LEGS ONLY, NO PROVIDER CALL

WHY THIS ISN’T A PDF
Day 3 · Bright Angel Trail closed below Havasupai Gardens for waterline work
Kit diverges — 8.1 oz

Both branches pack 2 requirements the same; the rest belongs to one side only. Adopt the plan and this diff re-prices against your party and your forecast.

Both branches
the kit that holds
  • Sleep system2 nights out
  • Rain shelltaped seams, hooded
Bright Angel, the water route
Plan A — the main line
  • Nothing only on this side.
South Kaibab, dry and exposed
Plan B — the alternate · 8.1 oz
  • Extra 2 L Platypus bladder1.3 oz
  • Silver Shadow sun umbrella6.8 oz

Permits & bookings

Grand Canyon entrance fee
Day 1 · North Rim, Trans-Canyon Shuttle drop · National Park Service · $35 · book
DATES SET ON ADOPTION
Grand Canyon backcountry permit
Day 1 · North Kaibab trailhead · Grand Canyon National Park (NPS) · $10 · book
DATES SET ON ADOPTION

Agencies, costs and booking links carry across seasons; the application windows don’t, so they arrive blank and fill in the moment you give the plan dates.

The derived kit spec

3 lines, derived from the route rather than typed by hand. 3 read unknown until the plan has your dates — that is honest, not missing.

Sleep system
2 nights out
Unknown
Rain shell
taped seams, hooded
Unknown
Footwear class
27.6 mi
Unknown
SAFETY

Divide is a planning platform, not a guide service — even when guides publish here. Conditions change, and the decision on the day is yours. Read the safety disclaimer.

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Grand Canyon rim to rim, North Kaibab to Bright Angel in three days
Free · 3 days · dateless until you adopt
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