Rim to Rim to Rim

Course Overview

This is a self-supported R2R2R starting and finishing at Parking Lot C in Grand Canyon Village. The route is not a symmetric out-and-back: the descent uses South Kaibab Trail, the climb to the North Rim and back down uses North Kaibab Trail (with the turnaround extended ~2 mi past the North Kaibab Trailhead to the North Rim Visitor Center / Grand Canyon Lodge), and the final ascent back to the South Rim uses Bright Angel Trail. The two river crossings use different bridges — Black Bridge (Kaibab Suspension Bridge) on the way out, Silver Bridge (~700 m downstream) on the way back. Because of this, mileage and elevation do not mirror between the outbound and return legs.

Approximate sunrise / sunset times (South Rim / Grand Canyon Village):

Astronomical dawn (earliest detectable light): ~4:32 a.m.
Nautical dawn: ~5:04 a.m.
Civil dawn / first light (usable outdoor light without flashlights for most purposes; often what people mean by “first light”): ~5:36 a.m.
Sunrise: ~6:02 a.m.
Sunset that day: ~6:54 p.m.

Note: the ascent uses Bright Angel Trail, not South Kaibab, so the return climb passes Havasupai Gardens and the 3-Mile/1.5-Mile Resthouses rather than retracing Ooh Aah Point/Cedar Ridge/Skeleton Point/The Tipoff. Waypoint-to-waypoint elevation deltas in this table sum to roughly 10,700 ft of gain and loss; the OnX-measured totals of 12,415 ft gain / 12,439 ft loss (used in Stats, below) include additional small rollers and switchback undulation along each trail segment that a waypoint-level table can't fully capture — this is normal for GPS-track-derived stats.

Route Map

Interactive route map rendered from the actual GPS track (`r2r2r.gpx`), originally plotted in OnX.

Elevation Profile

Pace Plan

Start: 4:00 AM · Goal: finish before midnight
Two scenarios: Sunset (finish ~8:00 PM, 16 hr) · Backstop (finish by midnight, 20 hr)

Section paces

Waypoint times table

Section Notes

Parking Lot C → South Kaibab TH (Mile 0–2.8)
Rim Trail past the Bright Angel Trailhead, then Yaki Point Road/rim connector to South Kaibab Trailhead.

South Kaibab TH → Colorado River (Mile 2.8–9.6)
South Kaibab Trail. No water on this trail — carry what you need. 4,806 ft of descent in 6.8 miles. Run the runnable sections but don't hammer it — you have over 40 miles left. The canyon opens dramatically around Cedar Ridge and Skeleton Point.

Phantom Ranch (Mile 10.0)
The canteen opens at 8:00 AM. On the Sunset track you'll arrive well before it opens — don't count on hot food. Water at the campground. Eat, fill everything, keep moving. First rest stop.

Phantom Ranch → North Rim Visitor Center (Mile 10.0–26.2)
The climb, entirely on North Kaibab Trail. Ribbon Falls (~mile 15.5) is a worthwhile short detour if time allows. Cottonwood Campground at mile 17.0 is your last guaranteed water before the North Rim — fill everything. Supai Tunnel at mile 21.5 has seasonal water. Keep going past the North Kaibab Trailhead (mile 24.2) — the actual turnaround is ~2 more miles at the North Rim Visitor Center / Grand Canyon Lodge, mile 26.2. Mostly hiking. This is where the day gets real.

North Rim Visitor Center (Mile 26.2)
Eat something substantial. Sit for 15–20 minutes. Take a picture at the Lodge. You're past halfway on mileage and at the high point of the route (8,353 ft) — 1,493 ft higher than the South Rim start. Second rest stop.

North Rim Visitor Center → Phantom Ranch (Mile 26.2–42.4)
Descend North Kaibab Trail back through Supai Tunnel and Cottonwood Campground to Phantom Ranch. Same trail as the outbound climb, in reverse. Run the flats and gentle descents; don't trash your quads on the technical sections — you still have a full Bright Angel climb ahead.

Phantom Ranch (Mile 42.4)
Last chance for food and reliable water before the final climb. Eat. Fill everything. Get in, get out in 10–15 minutes. Third rest stop.

Phantom Ranch → Bright Angel TH (Mile 42.4–52.3)
Cross the river on Silver Bridge — a different crossing than the outbound Black Bridge, about 700 m downstream. Climb Bright Angel Trail (not South Kaibab) through Devil's Corkscrew to Havasupai Gardens (mile 47.8, water and shade), then the steady staircase past 3-Mile Resthouse (mile 49.3) and 1.5-Mile Resthouse (mile 50.8), both with seasonal water. This is the longest sustained climb of the day (3,060 ft over the last 4.5 miles) and comes after everything else — pace it conservatively. On the Backstop track you'll be finishing this section in full darkness; headlamp required.

Bright Angel TH → Parking Lot C (Mile 52.3–52.8)
Off the trail and onto the Rim Trail for the short walk back to the car. Almost there.

Stats

Logistics