Books, Bites, and Sights

March 25th – 27th, 2026

Books, Bites, Insights: How to Hike Rim to River and Back in One Day

Hello friends and readers!

For this week’s post I wanted to focus on an epic endeavor that Amory and I recently undertook: Hiking down into the Grand Canyon and back in one day. This trek is commonly coined as going “rim to river.” We did the trek via the South Kaibab trail (using South Kaibab to both descend and ascend) because of the closure with the Silver Bridge’s construction (making using the Bright Angel trail to do a “loop” impossible).

I would be lying if I didn’t mentioned that taking on this trek was nerve racking. Heat. Water. Mileage. Elevation. Sun. All the things ran through my mind. I had a lot of self-doubt. Would I be able to physically do the 15 miles? Was I capable of gaining 5,000 feet elevation in day? But as you could’ve guessed – yes and yes. Granted Amory and I have done nothing but hike and walk daily for the last four months. So let me highlight that in no way is this trek easy, and it should not be undertaken lightly. But it can be done. Especially with the right planning and steps (literally). So, here are my books, bites, insights and, if you’ve done this trek, I would love if you added your tips in the comments below.

My Tips and Tricks (In Chronological Order)

1. Eat a big dinner the night before. I always opt for a fat, juicy hamburger with all the things. Your body will need fuel.
2. Go to bed early and get a goodnight’s sleep. Duh.
3. Set an alarm for 4:30 am, don’t hit snooze, and call the Xanterra Taxi Service immediately. We stayed at Mather Campground In GCNP. If you aren’t staying in the park, adjust your time to include drive time. There is no public parking at the South Kaibab trailhead, so you have to either wait for the shuttle (which doesn’t start until 6) or take the taxi service.
4. Get dressed, pack your bag, put on sunscreen, and start drinking water. I wore shorts, a light button up shirt, and a tank-top. I was a bit cold when we first started, but as the day warmed up, my attire choices were perf. As far as your bag goes, don’t bring unnecessary junk. More stuff = more weight. No thanks. I had my snacks (pictured in my photo dump), sunglasses, a bandana, a hat, my headlamp, trekking poles, sunscreen, water, and toilet paper. That’s it. Did I mention to start drinking water? Additionally, be sure you know where water stations are along your chosen route and if they are operating before starting your descent. On South Kaibab, there is no water stations along the way. Only at the bottom at the Phantom Ranch canteen. So, what does this mean for you? Be sure you have enough canisters to hold your water. I trekked down with 3 liters (using a 1.5 liter water bladder and a 1.5 liter plastic bottle) and filled up all three before ascending.
5. Taxi to trailhead. The taxi service (via Xanterra, phone #928-638-2631) was $15 plus a tip (tip optional). The Grand Canyon’s public shuttle doesn’t start running until 6, and Amory and I wanted to get a head start and beat the heat (and the crowds). Also, seeing the sunrise while in the Grand Canyon was a yes, please for us. Anyway, the taxi service was perfect. Professional. Prompt. Easy. Highly reccomend. They do not do reservations, so you simply call about 30 minutes before you want to be picked up, give them your pickup location (which can be anywhere in the park), and boom. They come get you. The taxi service is 24/7, but is also first come, first serve, so be sure to call them 30 minutes or more in advance.
6. Begin the descent. Don’t overthink it. Just go! If you start early, don’t forget your headlamp. It’s dark. And use trekking poles for your entire descent. Trust me. Your knees will thank me later.
7. Eat a light breakfast and start drinking electrolytes. I ate a banana (fast carbs = fast energy, light = easy to digest, you won’t feel bogged down later) and poured a liquid IV (screw the sugar-free, get the all sugar included ones seriously) into my water bladder at Skeleton Point, roughly 3 miles into the descent.
8. Stop and rest when needed. Take in the views. Pee when you get to restrooms. Continually sip on your electrolyte water on the way down – even if you feel like you don’t need to. Refer to my time table in my photo dump if you’re curious about how I paced my trek, but keep in mind, I don’t typically lallygag when hiking, and, after hiking every day for four months, I am in pretty good hiking shape. So, don’t be scared to take it slow or rest. Listen to your body.
9. Arrive at Phantom Ranch and check out the canteen. Go inside. Buy a $6 lemonade (its a rite of passage), eat all the sugar snacks (I had a Boba Bar smothered in honey, a whole bag of beef jerky, rice puffs, Siete Cookies, and Bolt Energy Chews. All quick carbs, light, and easy on my stomach. Some say the sugar will give you a crash, but that hasn’t been my experience. In fact, I’ve had the opposite experience.), go to the bathroom, rinse off your face, make conversation with other hikers, and send a postcard (postcards will get a “mailed by mule” stamp if left in the PO Box inside the canteen). And duh, drink plenty of water and fill up right before you leave.
10. Go down to the river and soak your shirt. By far this is my #1 tip. Not only was it refreshing in the moment, but I tied my shirt around my neck on the ascent and it kept me cool the entire time.
11. Start the ascent. 5,000 feet elevation gain, here you come. One foot in front of the other. Because there isn’t a lot of shade on the trail, you want to start your ascent by 10 am (or earlier if you hike at a slower pace) or wait until 3 pm. This will help to avoid the peak heat times. Keep in mind we did this trek in late March when temperatures are more, for a lack of better words, meek and mild; however, it was still nearly 95 degrees inside the canyon during our trek.
12. At The Tip-off, there is a shade tent. Rest. Re-up your electrolytes. Snack if you want – I had a Honey Stinger Energy Waffle while watching Amory do magic for other resting, snacking hikers. We stayed here for roughly 45 minutes before continuing out ascent.
13. As you ascend, set goals but break when needed. I told myself to keep on ascending until each check point (ie The Tip-off, Skeleton Point, Cedar Ridge). This helped me stay on track and knock down the milage, even when all I wanted to do was stop. At each check point I snacked lightly. Eating my beloved Aloha Protein Bar underneath the shade of a juniper tree at Cedar Ridge.
14. Before you know it, you’ll see those steep switchbacks to the top commonly called “the chimney” and that is your victory lap my friend. Go, go, go. Once back at the trailhead, wait for the shuttle, refill your waters, and pat yourself on the back. You’re a badass.

If you’re thinking of doing the R2River hike, but doubting yourself: don’t. All it takes is good research (which you’re doing if you’re reading this), planning, and determination. It is daunting, but doable. REPEAT but louder for those in the back. Daunting, but DOABLE. I was nervous. And look, here I am, enthusiastic and now longing to go back and do the Rim to Rim hike. Especially now that the North Rim has reopened. March 2027? Whose with me?

Reader, I believe in you, and I would love to hear from you. Did you attempt this hike? Or any down to the river hike at the Grand Canyon? What was it like? Any tips, tricks, insights? Did you take the Bright Angel Trail? If so, don’t gatekeep. Tell all below – no-one has ever commented on my posts, and I would be HONORED if you were the first! Until next week, loves. Xoxo.