north kaibab trail

We went up North Kaibab after starting on South Kaibab from the South Rim at 5:30 am. Whole trip took 11 hours. This was a difficult hike and we were both in excellent shape. Don't forget to eat enough and get salt in your system. I ended up with slight altitude sickness and think that not eating enough after lunch is what ultimately led to it. There was no water from Phantom Ranch up to Supai, a loooong stretch. We were fine as we refilled at Cottonwood with a filtration system. The stretch from Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor to Cottonwood was hot with little shade. Now for the great parts - walking up from the canyon floor is amazing, seeing the changes in the landscape, walking on narrow paths along rock faces, seeing waterfalls. It was spectacular and well worth the effort.

Started this hike at 4 am from the campground. This was August and we tried to move as quickly as possible before the sun came up. Total distance was 15 miles to Phantom Ranch. At Cottonwood Campground we found a rattlesnake. Past that we found the sun then the heat. By the time we entered Bright Angel Canyon we were exhausted and overheated. When we reach Phantom Ranch our calfs were in horrid shape from the long downhill trek. Took days to be able to walk without assistance. The experience is something we will never forget and we are so happy we did it.

caution! You must be trail fit to complete the North to South rim trek, but a definite bucket list thing. The trail is well maintained, yes there is mule dung on the route. So what! The views more than make up for it. A totally different perspective to be had from the North compared to the South. Zig zagging across the different bridges. Following the different creeks. The views are second to none.Before you go ensure you check if your planned water stops are available.

The whole trail is 25 miles with over 6000 ft in elevation! This is only the review to SUPAI TUNNEL, which is about 4 miles round trip, with about 1500 ft in elevation difference.This is the only trail that goes into the canyon from the north rim, as well as the only trail to hike to the south rim. So you drive towards the entrance of the park (if you're driving from the visitor center/campground) for about 5 miles and you should start seeing cars parked on the side of the road and later a parking lot on your right. If you're lucky, park in the parking lot. That's the trailhead for the North Kaibab Trail.It's sand, downhill, and STINKY.the trail is shared with mulesdid i mention it REEKS?man, 5 minutes into the trail, i was already regretting. Unless i was planning to hike to the river/south rim, i would probably skip this. It's dusty, and smelly, and infested with flies. There were perhaps 2-3 rewarding views, and Supai Tunnel was a great view. But most of the trail was repetitive and boring, and nauseating. Half the time i was spent worrying about the poop, flies, and the other half the hike back which would take nearly twice as long. Also bushes and trees were so high that a lot of view was restricted.If you do just hike to Supai tunnel, i would recommend paying for the mule ride. Don't get me wrong, there were good views of the canyon. However, I just thought it wasn't worth the stinkiness as there are other trails that offered better or similar beauty, like cape royal or point imperial.I started around 3.30, took about 1 hour to get to Supai tunnel, and 2 hours to get up, so got back around 6.30pm. Pretty good timing because it wasn't too hot, although the photos didn't look too good cause shadows casted over the canyon closer to us and the canyons farther were too light.***Tip: I would recommend not hiking so fast since you need to leave some room for walking back up. Plus there are so many people that tried to pass but i end up seeing them taking breaks. It's better to keep a momentum. If you take a mule, you'll get better views since you'll see over all the bushes/trees.Favourites: nice view at the Supai tunnel. But not really of the traditional grand canyon view. Do not want: stinks! omg stinks! flies! rather steep.Last words: if you don't mind stinkiness/flies, go for it.

Altitude is a killer if you are going up but it is the best way down. 14 miles to phaeton ranch. Suppia tunnel Ribbon falls the pump house then cotton all have water enjoy and take your time to see

Started our Rim to Rim hike from the North Rim, this trail head was about 2 miles from the North Rim Canyon Lodge which is a great place to stay! The trail is steep at the top but well maintained and water is available. Mule riders pass occasionally. The views are awesome of the Grand Canyon!

Great trail with spectacular views. I only went to a mile past the tunnel. The trail isn't smooth which makes it a more difficult trail to hike. They were fixing it when I was there filling in holes. Fantastic views. If you're here on N Rim and are physically able, DO IT!

A very nice hike. Remember to carry water. We saw a lot of people without any. Also remember that the trip back up is much more strenuous than the trip down particularly for those who don't live at high altitude. Some folks went too far down before turning back.

Start early in the morning and make sure you have well broken in footwear that is laced tight. The down hill hiking will kill your toes if you don't. Bring along mole skin, tape and vaseline just in case for any hot spots. The bottom hike is the most challenging....because even though it is relatively flat, it's very hot and dusty. Pack plenty of water and energy food.

You are sharing the trail with the mule rides, so that makes for sensory overload at times and you are asked to wait while mule tour groups go by. We were hiking with a 13 year old so when to the Supai Tunnel (2 miles down) and then hiked 2 miles back. It's on your mind the whole time that as you hike down you need to get back up so not as enjoyable :) Afterwards, we walked the Bright Angel Point trail, a quick 1/2 mile each way from the Lodge. The vistas were incredible, that's when we really appreciated the vastness and grandeur of the canyon.

This is a perfect trail that can be made into a perfect day hike. Although it is the main trail for mule riders and rim-to-rim hikers - if you start mid morning, the mule riders will be finishing up. A great turn around is either at the Cottonwood bridge or the Supai tunnel. The tunnel area offers a water station for refilling water bottles. A perfect way to get more intimate with the canyon walls while not having to do an all day, or overnight trip.

We did the rim to rim hike starting July 22 down the North Kaibab, spent 2 nights at Phantom Ranch, then hiked the Bright Angel to the south rim on July 24th. There were 6 of us hiking with my wife & I being the retired ones. We planned very well for this adventure but with the summer heat and sun it was probably as difficult as it could be. Having said that, I enjoyed the hike immensely. There are many good websites instructing you how to prepare for this hike. Use them! We started the hike down from the North Kaibab at 5 in the morning slightly before sunrise. I was surprised how few hikers we saw on the North Kaibab. All recommendations are to get through the "Box" before the heat of the day. Unless you are rushing the hike it is difficult to do that. Our group wanted to enjoy the canyon and our pace was such we went through the box in the heat of the day. We utilized shady spots to rest and snack. These were mostly rock overhangs. Also soaked our shirts in the cool Roaring Springs creek which kept us cool. I also carried a spray bottle to cool my face and neck. Worked well. It was slightly frustrating hiking along the cool creek but it was not always accessable. So take advantage when you do have access to the creek to cool off. It also would have been nice if there were a few mile markers indicating how far the Phantom Ranch was away. Mile markers could be very beneficial to hikers. But overall it was a great experience.

This is a strenuous trail in that you start at the top and descend steeply and then have to walk back up what you just went down. The good thing is that you can turn around wherever it makes sense. During the summer you have to pay careful attention to the temperature and your departure time and you have to carry a lot of water. The best reasons to do this trail are to get away from the crowd (although there isn't so much of a crowd on the North Rim) and to see a little more of the canyon, a little closer up. If you are in really good shape and with no creaky knees or other health problems, you could go past the Roaring Springs turn-around point that my family used, even though the rangers will try to dissuade you (but you HAVE to accurately assess your condition and the heat). Roaring Springs is 4.7 miles one way and it was at the limit for my 15 year old daughter. That took us about 7 hours, including stops. There is water, shade, and a bathroom at Roaring Springs. If you really want an adventure, plan to camp in the canyon, but you may need reservations at Phantom Ranch a year in advance or you may need to obtain a backcountry permit somewhat in advance.

We took the short portion of the hike to the Suppai Tunnel or 4 miles round trip. As you would expect the views were amazing. Also, Its great to get the see the canyon from a more granular level of being inside it. My review is on the short hike, but if going longer see the map distances and make sure you're geared up and research the adequate amount of water and supplies needed. It took us about 2.5 hour to do the 4 miles. This is a hike of never ending switch backs. Interesting the first two miles are in the Alpine forest and is very green. This was good as it gave some shade in the 100 degree temps. This is really a strenous trail and is tough on the knees going down. They had water and bathrooms at the Suppai tunnel. Coming back was the hard part. Im not in bad shape, but do to the steep grade, high temperature and 8K above sea level altitude, this hike was tough. Be careful and don't over estimate your fitness on this hike. This is no cake walk. But glad I did it. Im amazed at the guys that go all the way on this. They're in good shape. Be careful for dusty rocks which I slipped on a couple of times. Also, its better to do early in the morning. The annoying thing is the mule dung and pee on the trail as this is also a mule trail. Not necessarily the cleanest or best smelling trail as a result. But, if you're a hiker you cant walk away from this challenge.

My June 26, 2014 hike of the Kaibab Trail to the Silver Suspension bridge and back gave me a memorable experience. Blessed with an overcast and relatively cool day (90F at the Ranch), I was able to enjoy the trail, the views, and the people I met. Maps and trail info are plentiful. Water supplies are spaced well, allowing for a long day if you carry 2-3 liters of water. The trail is coated with a fine powdery dust at the top, but that is gone after the Supai Tunnel. The climbing is tough at the end, so plan to eat and save enough energy for that!