PAINANI
PAINANI

PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

23 · Arizona, USA

Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim

Run the Grand Canyon Corridor twice in a day: South Kaibab down to the Colorado, North Kaibab up to the far rim at 2,512 m, and back.

Trail runningOut and back
70.8 kmDistance3,200 mElevation gainEpicSite gradeGrand Canyon Village, South RimNearest base

Site grade

EpicFeatured

3,200 m of gain over 70.8 km with the low point at 776 m and the turnaround at 2,512 m, a desert floor that averages 29 C in October and 41 C in July, no shade on the South Kaibab, and a final 1,480 m climb out at the end of the day.

The experience

Seventy kilometres and 3,200 metres of climbing, split into two descents and two ascents with the low point at 776 metres by the Colorado. The desert floor averages 29 C in October and 41 C in July. The last climb is the South Kaibab's 1,480 metres with no water on the trail.

Jim Walmsley ran the double crossing in 5 hours 55 minutes and 20 seconds on 5 October 2016. Every men's and women's record on the route has been set in October, November or spring, when the floor is cool enough to move fast.

The South Kaibab, Bright Angel and North Kaibab trails are the park's Corridor, the only maintained cross-canyon route and the only bridges over the Colorado inside the park. Mule trains still use it; when one comes, step to the uphill side, stand still, and wait until the last mule is 15 metres past.

Where the sources disagreeAs this record was written, the run cannot be done. Flash flooding in Bright Angel Canyon on 29 August 2026 closed the whole North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch, both bridges and the South Kaibab below the Tipoff, with no reopening date. The Dragon Bravo Fire took the Grand Canyon Lodge, so the North Rim has no lodging and every inner-canyon water tap is off. The park does not recommend rim-to-river-to-rim in one day at all, and groups of 12 or more need a Special Use Permit.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartSouth Kaibab Trailhead, South RimFinishSouth Kaibab Trailhead, South RimDirectionSouth Kaibab to the river, North Kaibab to the North Rim, reverse
  1. 01South Kaibab Trailhead
  2. 02Cedar Ridge
  3. 03Skeleton Point
  4. 04The Tipoff
  5. 05Black Bridge
  6. 06Phantom Ranch
  7. 07Cottonwood Campground
  8. 08Manzanita Rest Area
  9. 09Roaring Springs
  10. 10Supai Tunnel
  11. 11North Kaibab Trailhead

Route sections

01 · The Ridge DropSouth Kaibab Trailhead to Black Bridge
Seven miles of switchbacks on an exposed ridge with no water and little shade, past Cedar Ridge and Skeleton Point to the Tipoff and the tunnel onto the bridge. Rangers say the steepness is misleading on the way down; you will meet it again at the end.02 · The BoxPhantom Ranch to Cottonwood Campground
The North Kaibab follows Bright Angel Creek up a narrow granite gorge. Runnable and gently uphill, at the elevation where the park says the air is warmest.03 · The Far WallCottonwood Campground to North Kaibab Trailhead
Past Manzanita and the Roaring Springs turn-off the trail climbs the Redwall to Supai Tunnel and the forested rim at 2,512 m. Turn around at the trailhead. There is no lodge, and in 2026 no water.04 · The Second CanyonNorth Kaibab Trailhead to South Kaibab Trailhead
Everything again in reverse: 22.5 km down to the river, then the South Kaibab's 1,480 m in 11 km with the sun on the west-facing switchbacks. On 15 October the sun sets at 5:53 pm; carry the headtorch from the start.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Two climates in one run. Inner-canyon averages: October high 29 C, low 14 C; November high 20 C, low 8 C; July high 41 C. Temperature rises 5.5 F for every 1,000 ft of descent, so the floor runs about 17 C warmer than the rims in summer. Upper switchbacks can be iced in winter and early spring.

Season & timing

Managed seasonThe North Rim opens 15 May to 15 October 2026. South Rim open all year. Inner-canyon water is seasonal, mid-May to mid-October when the pipeline holds.Best windowOctober to mid-November, starting on the first Hikers' Express at 6 am, when the floor drops below 30 C and the North Kaibab trailhead is still reachable by road.SurfaceMaintained dirt trail with rock steps and water bars, two suspension bridges, sand along Bright Angel Creek, mule traffic throughoutDirectionSouth Kaibab to the river, North Kaibab to the North Rim, reverse

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

First light on the Cedar Ridge switchbacks

02

The tunnel onto Black Bridge above the Colorado

03

Running the gorge of The Box beside Bright Angel Creek

04

Supai Tunnel and the switchbacks above it

05

The Tipoff at dusk, 1,200 m still to climb

FASTEST KNOWN TIME

5:55:20

Jim Walmsley's double crossing, 5 October 2016

The Fastest Known Time route page lists the supported men's record at 5 h 55 m 20 s. The park's own rule of thumb says a hiker should plan on 7 to 8 hours just to climb out once.

Access & logistics

AccessFly to Phoenix or Las Vegas; Grand Canyon Village is on the South Rim. The road to the South Kaibab Trailhead is closed to private cars. Take the Hikers' Express from Bright Angel Lodge at 6, 7 or 8 am, or the Kaibab (Orange) shuttle from the Visitor Center. Park entry is 20 to 35 USD, plus 100 USD per non-US resident.PermitsNone for an individual or a group under 12. Organized non-commercial groups of 12 to 30 doing rim-to-rim-to-rim need a Special Use Permit. Overnight camping below the rim needs a backcountry permit.BookingsNothing to book to run it. Phantom Ranch meals and cabins are by lottery and are closed as of September 2026.WaterCheck the Key Hiking Messages page the morning you go. Taps at Phantom Ranch, Cottonwood, Manzanita and Supai Tunnel are seasonal and off in 2026. Carry a filter and chemical treatment; avoid visible algal mats in Bright Angel Creek.FoodCarry everything. The Phantom Ranch Canteen sells food when open. Nothing on the North Rim except the General Store by the campground, 9 am to 4 pm.DurationNone. The park's rule of thumb for the Corridor is that climbing out takes twice as long as going down.

Key hazards

  • ▲Heat on the canyon floor
  • ▲Flash floods, most likely July to mid-September
  • ▲Mules on the trail
  • ▲Ice on the upper switchbacks in winter and early spring
  • ▲Burn scar above Supai Tunnel: debris flows, rockfall and falling trees
  • ▲No water on the South Kaibab Trail
  • ▲Cyanobacteria mats in Bright Angel Creek; filters do not remove the toxins
  • ▲Sunset at 5:53 pm on 15 October

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. The park does not recommend rim to river and back in one day. Carry a headtorch and treatment for creek water, and turn around at the river if the day is not going to plan.

Check today's closures and water →Request this run →

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-023 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Grand Canyon National Park / M. Quinn (NPS) · CC BY 2.0