Rim-to-Rim itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Rim-to-Rim route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Rim-to-Rim. One reservation is an ordered sequence of nights at named sites, issued by lottery.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. North Kaibab Trailhead and Bright Angel Trailhead are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 13
- Across the markers
- 23.5 mi
- Published route length
- 23.5 mi
- Published ascent
- 4,380 ft
How long it takes: 2-3 days. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
Adding up only the climbs between markers gives 4,380 ft, which is a floor rather than the total: anything that rises and falls between two markers is invisible to it.
The Rim-to-Rim route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
8,241 ft
North Kaibab Trailhead
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
North Rim start. The North Rim's roads and services are closed December 1 - May 15.
1.7 miles · 1,441 ft down to Supai Tunnel
Mile 1.7
6,800 ft
Supai Tunnel
Blasted rock tunnel 1.7 miles down the North Kaibab.
3.0 miles · 1,580 ft down to Roaring Springs
Mile 4.7
5,220 ft
Roaring Springs
Spring bursting from the canyon wall; the source of drinking water for both rims.
0.7 miles · 620 ft down to Manzanita Rest Area
Mile 5.4
4,600 ft
Manzanita Rest Area
Rest area and emergency phone 5.4 miles below the North Rim.
1.4 miles · 520 ft down to Cottonwood Campground
Mile 6.8
4,080 ft
Cottonwood Campground
First-night campground with an emergency phone and toilets. NPS publishes its tap as seasonal, mid-May to mid-October, and says that outside those months you should be prepared to filter or treat creek water - and the tap is off whenever the waterline breaks.
1.6 miles · 360 ft down to Ribbon Falls
Mile 8.4
3,720 ft
Ribbon Falls
Travertine waterfall a short walk off the North Kaibab.
5.2 miles · 1,174 ft down to Phantom Ranch
Mile 13.6
2,546 ft
Phantom Ranch
Lodge and canteen at the bottom. Lodge stays are booked separately and do not need a backcountry permit.
0.4 miles · 66 ft down to Bright Angel Campground
Mile 14.0
2,480 ft
Bright Angel Campground
Ranger station, emergency phone, toilets and a piped water tap, half a mile north of the Colorado River. The tap runs off the Transcanyon Waterline and NPS shuts it off when the line breaks.
1.5 miles · no net change to River Resthouse
Mile 15.5
2,480 ft
River Resthouse
3.5 miles · 1,320 ft up to Havasupai Gardens Campground
Mile 19.0
3,800 ft
Havasupai Gardens Campground
5 miles up the Bright Angel Trail from the river. Ranger station, toilets and a waterline-fed tap. Home to the Havasupai People until the park was established.
1.4 miles · 948 ft up to Three-Mile Resthouse
Mile 20.4
4,748 ft
Three-Mile Resthouse
Rest shelter, emergency phone and the last shade before the switchbacks. The tap here is seasonal and waterline-dependent; NPS publishes whether it is on.
1.5 miles · 981 ft up to Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse
Mile 21.9
5,729 ft
Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse
Rest shelter and emergency phone, with a seasonal, waterline-dependent tap. From here the rim is 1.6 miles and 1,131 feet up.
1.6 miles · 1,131 ft up to Bright Angel Trailhead
Mile 23.5
6,860 ft
Bright Angel Trailhead
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
South Rim finish, in Grand Canyon Village.
Getting a Rim-to-Rim for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Rim-to-Rim dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Rim-to-Rim around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.