South Kaibab to Bright Angel Loop

This route begins at the South Kaibab Trailhead on the South Rim at approximately 7,260 feet. The descent quickly leads to Ooh Ahh Point at 0.9 miles, offering panoramic views of the eastern canyon. Continuing down, hikers reach Cedar Ridge at 1.5 miles, which features a rest area and vault toilets. From there, the trail winds down to Skeleton Point at 3.0 miles, where the Colorado River first comes into view. The final major shelf before the inner gorge is The Tipoff at 4.4 miles, which intersects with the Tonto Trail and provides a shade shelter and emergency phone. The trail then descends through the inner gorge, crossing the Colorado River via the Black Suspension Bridge to reach Bright Angel Campground. The return journey begins by crossing back over the Colorado River via the Silver Suspension Bridge. The route follows the River Trail for approximately 1.5 miles along the water before joining the Bright Angel Trail at the River Resthouse. From there, the ascent climbs through Pipe Creek Canyon before tackling the steep switchbacks of the Devil's Corkscrew. The trail opens up at Havasupai Gardens 4.5 miles below the rim. This key resting point offers shade, year-round drinking water, a ranger station, and restrooms. From Havasupai Gardens, the final 4.5-mile ascent climbs through towering sandstone and limestone cliffs. Hikers pass the Three-Mile Resthouse and One-and-a-Half-Mile Resthouse, both of which provide seasonal drinking water and emergency phones, before completing the climb at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim.

The South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails follow routes with deep historical significance, beginning with the indigenous Havasupai people who utilized the natural corridor of the Bright Angel Trail for centuries to access seasonal agricultural sites near Garden Creek. After they were forced out in the early 20th century, the area around Garden Creek served as a rest stop, which was officially renamed Havasupai Gardens in 2022 to honor the land's original inhabitants. In 1891, prospector Ralph Cameron registered mining claims along the Bright Angel Trail to control access, eventually constructing a toll gate and charging visitors one dollar to use the trail, along with extra fees for drinking water and outhouses. The ensuing legal and political battle over trail ownership between Cameron, Coconino County, and the federal government lasted for decades. To bypass Cameron's toll and establish a free, state-controlled route to the Colorado River, the National Park Service constructed the South Kaibab Trail between 1924 and 1925. Unlike the Bright Angel Trail, which descends through a protected side canyon, engineers routed the South Kaibab Trail along an open ridgeline to maximize panoramic views and ensure sun exposure to melt winter snow. The construction required extensive dynamite blasting to maintain a consistent grade suitable for mule trains. Control of the Bright Angel Trail was finally transferred to the National Park Service in 1928. That same year, the Black Suspension Bridge was constructed over the Colorado River to connect the South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground, replacing a dangerous cable tramway. The Silver Suspension Bridge was added in the late 1960s to support the trans-canyon water pipeline, which supplies the South Rim with water from Roaring Springs.