Grand Canyon Hiking

Ever since John Wesley Powell braved the raging whitewater in its depths in 1869, the Grand Canyon has been touted as the Eighth Wonder of the World. And no wonder. Despite the many years of seeing postcards, snapshots, and movies of the Grand Canyon, your first view of this mighty gouge in the skin of the earth will still hit with the force and surprise of a heavyweight's sucker punch.

Yes, it is that overwhelming.

The Grand Canyon is inarguable the most overexposed icon of the American landscape. Every year, approximately 5 million people come to gawk into the abyss, never mind if they have to spend millions of rolls of films on shooting pictures from river to rim – mementos of how they conquered this monster of a sight in one long, exciting, satisfying Grand Canyon hiking trip.

In fact, the view of the place itself is enough and worth the price of admission and the price of walking for miles till the end of the trail. However, if you want real adventure, nothing beats a Grand Canyon hiking trip that includes hiking down below the rim and floating through the Colorado River's alternating series of hair-raising rapids and cathedral-still quiet water.

Avid hikers like yourself will find something utterly unique about Grand Canyon hiking. For one, the place itself is so different from most other backpacking experiences that your adventure is guaranteed to be totally on a level on its own. There are only two ways in which you can react to the experience: either you can't wait to get back, or you swear you will never do it again.

Either way, the experience is worth it.

First up, know right now that the Grand Canyon offers a desert climate, so you must be prepared for that. In Grand Canyon hiking, knowing where water and protection from the elements can make the difference between life and death. Your trip begins at a high elevation at around 7,000 to 8,000 feet so that means you will be starting your trek with a bone-jarring descent. If your pack is heavy, the descent could cause blisters in your feet, and when it's time for you to face the long climb out, you'd be very tired by then.

The easiest trails to take when on a Grand Canyon hiking trip are those starting from the South Rim. Here, you are given three trip choices:

* Trip A – Night 1 (Bright Angel Camp), Night 2 (Indian Garden Camp), and Night 3 (Hike Out)
* Trip B – Night 1 (Bright Angel Camp), Night 2 (Bright Angel Camp), and Night 3 (Hike Out)
* Trip C – Night 1 (Indian Garden Camp), Night 2 (Indian Garden Camp), and Night 3 (Hike Out)

There are also the North Rim hikes available, but the roads to these trails are closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall. Trips along these trails can last anywhere from three nights to five nights. And for the serious mountaineers, the Corridor Trails offer extreme Grand Canyon hiking adventure.