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Trip Leader:
Email the leader to confirm. Please confirm your participation ASAP. As we approach the trip date, we will coordinate carpooling. Make sure to bring all necessary equipment and food for a 5 day backpacking trip in remote areas of the Grand Canyon. All water must be filtered. Bring a water filtration system. Also suggest bringing a rat bag to keep varmints from stealing your food. Micro spikes may also be needed. Should you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, feel free to email me. |
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I am excited to inform you about a 5-day backpacking trip in Grand Canyon National Park.
Total trip length is 6 days, including the half-day drive to a hotel near the South Rim the
night before hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. This trip has a little bit on
everything. We will be hiking down the Bright Angel trail which is a main corridor trail and
camp at the Bright Angel campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The Bright
Angel Campground is an oasis in the Grand Canyon, with cool, flowing water and
cottonwood trees. We will also spend 2 days and one night hiking/camping the
backcountry Clear Creek trail which affords astounding scenery, including amazing views
of the inner gorge. Then we will return to the Bright Angel campground for another night.
For both nights at the Bright Angel Campground, we have reservations at the Phantom
Ranch restaurant for dinner. The next day we will hike up to the Havasupai Gardens
Campground for one night camping there. The final day we will hike out the Bright Angel
trail to the top of the rim.
Come prepared to have a great time. The Grand Canyon is beautiful in winter. There will be restroom facilities at each campground/campsite. There is even a pit toilet at the Clear Creek campsite. Potable water will be available at every campground, except Clear Creek. At Clear Creek, the water will need to be filtered. Bring your water filter. This trip will be during the winter time, so be prepared for cold weather. The upper part of the Bright Angel trail may have ice and snow. Microspikes will be required. Expect Bright Angel Campground low temperatures to be from 30-40F and Havasupai Gardens low temperatures in the 20s-30s. High temperatures should be in the 50s to 60s. The cool weather will be perfect for hiking. You will be responsible for bringing appropriate backpacking gear for winter (backpack, hiking poles, boots & microspikes, tent & ground cloth, warm sleeping bag & pad, warm clothes, etc.). Except for the two dinners at the Phantom Ranch restaurant, you will need to bring your own food for the entire trip. This is an A rated backpack trip. Hikers must have the required experience and ability to do this backpack trip, and must have the trip leader’s approval to sign up for the trip. Please see the trip description below. Note the following trail ratings key. These ratings will be used in the trip description. Trail Ratings: E – Easy (minimal grades) M – Moderate (medium grades, rough surfaces) D - Difficult (steep, rocky with sustained grades) Day 1, Tuesday January 27: Drive to a hotel near the Grand Canyon for overnight stay. Suggest Williams, Tusayan, or a lodge on the Rim. Day 2, Wednesday January 28: Check out of hotel and drive to parking lot near the Bright Angel trailhead. By 8AM, begin hiking down the Bright Angel trail to the Bright Angel campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The upper part of the trail may have ice and snow. Have your microspikes ready to wear! First day’s hiking mileage is 9.5 miles downhill. Trail mostly D & M rating because of trail steepness. Water should be available at Havasupai Gardens about half way down, and at our campsites in Bright Angel campground. I have reservations for 4 dinner reservations at Phantom Ranch. Day 3, Thursday January 29: After breakfast and packing our gear, we set out towards the Clear Creek trail. We start by hiking the Kaibab trail for about 1 mile north and then east on the Clear Creek trail. The Clear Creek trail continues on the Tonto Platform, before descending down to Clear Creek. We will camp at a backcountry site near Clear Creek. The elevation gain for the day will be around 1,400 ft. and total miles of 9.1 miles. The decent down to Clear Creek is steep with some exposure. The trail rating is M. Day 4, Friday 30: Pack up and hike back to the Bright Angel campground. Again, the total milage will be 9.1 miles. Again, I have reservations for 4 dinner reservations at Phantom Ranch. Day 5, Saturday January 31: Hike to the Havasupai Gardens campground. The campground is about half way out on the Bright Angel trail. The milage is 4.5 miles and 1,500 ft elevation gain. The trail ratings are mostly M and D because of trail steepness. Day 6, Sunday February 1: Hike out the Bright Angel trail to the canyon rim. The total milage will be 4.8 miles and elevation gain of 3,300. The trail ratings are D and M. D rating because of trail steepness. The upper part of the trail may have new ice and snow, requiring microspikes. Return trip option 1: Drive back to the valley after reaching our vehicles. Option 2: stay overnight in a hotel and drive home the next day. Typical weather conditions: At the rim (Highs Low 40s, Lows upper teens), at Havasupai Gardens CG and Clear Creek Trail (Hights in the 50s and lows 20s-30s at Bright Angel CG (Highs in the low 60s, lows 30s to 40s). The upper parts of the Bright Angel trail will probably be covered with snow and ice. Be prepared to wear microspikes as needed. Please note: The lower part of the Bright Angel trail after the River Resthouse is scheduled to remain closed until 12/31/2025. However, construction schedules can slip. If this section of Bright Angel trail is not opened by January 28, we will hike down the Kaibab trail on Day 2 to reach the Bright Angel campground. The Kaibab trail is a well maintained corridor trail, although shorter and steeper than the Bright Angel trail. And if the lower section of the Bright Angel trail is still closed on January 31, we will also need to hike up the Kaibab trail to the Tip Off and then the Tonto Trail to access Havasupai Gardens CG. This will increase the Day 5 mileage to 7.9 miles. All of the additional miles will be on the Tonto Trail. The Tonto trail in this area is well maintained and rated E. So, we may decide to hike the longer route to Havasupai Gardens campground, and see more magnificent views of the canyon on the Tonto trail. We will make a group decision on the route as the time for this trip gets closer. Cost per person: $174.00 Permit - $60.00 Restaurant Meals, Two Stew Dinners - $114.00 plus park entrance fee (or park pass) if a second vehicle. The trip leader has a NPS pass for one vehicle. If you decide to join this trip and do not want to eat at the Restaurant, that is OK. Just let me know before December 14, 2025 so I can cancel your reservations. Trip Leader: Terry Kelley Email the leader to confirm. The permit for this trip is for only 4 people. Please confirm your participation ASAP. As we approach the trip date, we will coordinate carpooling. Make sure to bring all necessary equipment and food for a 5-day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon. Water at Clear Creek must be filtered. Bring a water filtration system. Also suggest bringing a rat bag to keep varmints from stealing your food. Due to ice and snow, hiking poles and microspikes are required. Should you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, feel free to email. The upper parts of the Bright Angel or Kaibab trail will probably be covered with snow and ice. Be prepared to wear microspikes as needed. |
| Updated on November 23, 2025 |