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South Kaibab - Tonto - Bright Angel (Grand Canyon)
From Yaki Point, the route commits at once to the exposed descent of the South Kaibab Trail, a dramatic ridgeline path known for wide, open views and very little shade or water. It first reaches Ooh Aah Point, where the canyon opens suddenly in every direction, then continues through the sculpted upper formations to Cedar Ridge, before dropping farther along the narrowing ridge toward Skeleton Point, where the inner canyon and the Colorado River begin to come into view; from there, the trail descends toward The Tipoff, the important junction with the Tonto Trail on the broad mid-canyon platform.
Beyond The Tipoff, the hike continues down the South Kaibab Trail into the deeper, harsher world of the inner canyon, where pale upper cliffs give way to darker rock, dry slopes and the river corridor. The trail reaches the Kaibab Suspension Bridge, crosses the Colorado River, and briefly enters the Bright Angel area near the canyon floor; after this river-level detour, the route turns back the same way, climbs again toward The Tipoff, then leaves the South Kaibab line to follow the East Tonto Trail westward across the exposed Tonto Platform, a long natural balcony between the river depths and the South Rim walls.
The traverse then approaches Havasupai Gardens, an oasis-like place on the Bright Angel Trail and a culturally significant area associated with the Havasupai people, where cottonwoods, water and shade contrast sharply with the surrounding desert slopes. From there, the route begins its final ascent through the Bright Angel corridor, following shaded side-canyon walls, rest areas, long switchbacks and increasingly close views of the South Rim before emerging at Bright Angel Trailhead in Grand Canyon Village, completing a demanding journey from airy ridges to the Colorado River and back across the canyon’s layered terraces.
#Hiking #Canyon #Nature #Rock #River #Mountain #Park #Cliff
- Distance: 30.1 Km
- Elevation gain: 2,293 m
- Maximum elevation: 2,217 m
- Elevation loss: 2,426 m
- Minimum elevation: 749 m
- Moving time: 8 h 29 m
- Moving speed: 3.5 Km/h
- Maximum speed: 14.3 Km/h
- Total time: 1 d 1 h
- Global speed: 1.2 Km/h
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Trail profile
- Distance: 30.1 Km
- Elevation gain: 2,293 m
- Maximum elevation: 2,217 m
- Elevation loss: 2,426 m
- Minimum elevation: 749 m
- Moving time: 8 h 29 m
- Moving speed: 3.5 Km/h
- Maximum speed: 14.3 Km/h
- Total time: 1 d 1 h
- Global speed: 1.2 Km/h
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About this trail
Name: South Kaibab - Tonto - Bright Angel (Grand Canyon) trail, distance, elevation, map, profile, GPS track
Start: Yaki Point Road, Coconino County, Arizona, United States (36.05786 -112.08322)
Coordinates: 36.05019 -112.14663 36.10156 -112.08067
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