South Rim Lodge-Based Hiking

Depart Flagstaff early for your scenic drive through northern Arizona to the South Rim of Grand Canyon for our first hike. We begin with one of the most well-known trails in the park: the Bright Angel Trail. Our route follows a geologic fault line that has been used to access the inner canyon for thousands of years, as evidenced by the subtle traces left by prehistoric peoples that once called this area home. Along the way, your guide will introduce you to the fascinating geologic story of the canyon’s formation, the human history of the region, and the local flora and fauna. The Bright Angel Trail offers and excellent introduction to hiking in the Grand Canyon and will warm us up for the next few days. After the hike, we head to the Yavapai Geology Museum for more incredible canyon views and fascinating displays before checking into our hotel. You’ll have a chance to relax and get cleaned up before dinner at a nearby restaurant.
Drive Time: 1.5 hours to South Rim
Distance & Elevation: up to 6 miles, 2000-foot descent/ascent
Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, we are off for another full day of exploring. Our trail descends into the depths of the canyon via switchbacks and longer traverses along a rocky ridgeline offering panoramic views that are hard to beat and offer a significant contrast to yesterday’s hike. Our goal is a promontory of limestone offering glimpses of the Colorado River as it meanders along the canyon bottom, still a few thousand feet below us. We return the way we came, all the while learning more about the canyon’s geologic history and tales of early explorers. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the trail before returning to the rim. We then head east to the spectacular Desert View Watchtower, where the canyon views are dramatically different than we’ve seen so far. After soaking in the beauty, we return to the lodge to clean up before dinner.
Drive Time: up to 1.5 hours
Distance & Elevation: 6 miles, 2000-foot descent/ascent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

For our final hike, we’ll head for a quiet trail to the west of Grand Canyon Village and descend into a peaceful basin of pinyon pine and juniper. Here the trail levels out and winds its way along the head of a deep gorge towards an idyllic spring tucked away in a sandstone alcove. You’ll learn the history of the prospectors and early guides that built these trails and welcomed tourists in the late 19th century. We’ll enjoy a final canyon lunch together below the rim. After another great day of hiking, we’ll head back to Flagstaff for fond farewells.
Distance & Elevation: up to 6 miles, 1800-foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch
Drive Time: 1.5 hours

• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• All necessary gear: day pack, trekking poles, traction devices (for icy conditions)
• Two nights lodge accommodations at Grand Canyon’s South Rim
• All meals from a light breakfast on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
• Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, AZ
• Park entrance fees

• Transportation to/from Flagstaff, AZ
• Lodging the night before/after the trip
• Clothing, raingear, and footwear
• Personal toiletries, sunscreen
• Water bottles/hydration bladder
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Guide gratuity (suggested 10-20% of trip cost)

*Upon Booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

Most backpacking trips in Grand Canyon will accommodate 5 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 9 people plus 2 guides.

Children under the age of 12 are generally not permitted on scheduled trips. This restriction is negotiable on private tours. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial non-refundable deposit of $250 per person, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the trip’s departure. If you book a trip within 90 days of the trip’s scheduled departure, then full payment is due at the time of booking.

Your deposit is payable over the phone by Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, or Discover. You can also request a PayPal invoice (incurs a 1.5% surcharge). Call our office Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Arizona time. 1-877-272-5032

This trip will begin/end in Flagstaff, AZ and you will need to spend the night prior to your trip’s scheduled departure in Flagstaff. You will want to fly into either Phoenix (2 hour drive) or Flagstaff.

Your guide will pick you up at your Flagstaff hotel the morning of your trip’s scheduled departure, at a pre-determined time. Most trips depart between 6am and 8am. We strongly recommend staying at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff the night prior to departure, where we have arranged discounted rates for our guests.

You will receive an orientation email approximately 5 days prior to your trip’s departure with last-minute details and helpful information.

We will provide all transportation to/from trailheads for the duration of the trip. We will pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and return you there at the trip’s conclusion. Guests staying at the Little America Hotel (recommended) can leave their cars at the hotel. The hotel will often store your luggage for you, as well. If not, we are happy to store extra luggage at our warehouse for the duration of the trip. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will need to check with them as to whether you can leave your car there.

Expect to be back in Flagstaff by 5pm at the latest on the last day of the trip. Many trips will return earlier but we cannot make any guarantees. In general, it is recommended that you do not plan to fly home on the same day your trip finishes. Since each trip has slightly different logistics, feel free to contact us with specific questions related to the expected return time for your trip.