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Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Permit permit area in Grand Canyon National Park - backcountry hiking destination
Cancellations all season · lottery when it opens

Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Permit

Grand Canyon National Park · Arizona

The ultimate Grand Canyon experience: 21 to 23.5 miles crossing from one rim to the other through two billion years of geologic history.

Get an alert when a night opens on your Rim-to-Rim dates.

Get alerts for your Rim-to-Rim nights

A Rim-to-Rim reservation is a sequence of nights, and each night books a camp.

Give us your trip window and we check every night of it at the open camps, then tell you the moment nights open. A closed camp is added back the day it reopens.

  • Cottonwood Campground · Closed
  • Bright Angel Campground · Closed
  • Havasupai Gardens

Cover the whole trip, plus any spare days you could shift onto. A wider window catches more openings.

The window above is how much time you have to work with. This is how many nights the trip itself takes. Leave it blank and we'll check every night in the window. We alert you when 2 or more nights in a row open.

Party

Closures on Rim-to-Rim

Open now

  • Bright Angel Trail from the Bright Angel Trailhead to the River Resthouse
  • Plateau Point Trail to Plateau Point
  • South Kaibab Trail from the South Kaibab Trailhead to the Tip-Off
  • Tonto Trail between the Tip-Off to Havasupai Gardens

Closed after the August 29 flash flood

  • South Kaibab Trail below Tip-Off Point

    “South Kaibab Trail below Tip-Off Point.”

  • River Trail east of the River Resthouse

    “The River Trail east of the River Resthouse to the South Kaibab Trail junction.”

  • Black Bridge and Silver Bridge over the Colorado River

    “Black Bridge and Silver Bridge spanning the Colorado River.”

  • Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground

    “The entirety of Phantom Ranch, including Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen, and Phantom Ranch cabins.”

  • North Kaibab Trail and Cottonwood Campground

    “The entirety of the North Kaibab Trail. From the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, including Cottonwood Campgroud. This closure is a result of significant flash flooding to the Bright Angel Canyon on 8/29.”

Grand Canyon National Park. Read the closure notice

When it opens

Every day
We alert you the moment a cancellation opens.You book it on the agency's site.
5 months
Lottery opens the 16th of the month, five months before your entry dateYou apply on the agency's site.

After the draw, your alert keeps catching cancellations.

Source: nps.gov

70% of the openings our scanner caught on Rim-to-Rim were gone within 5 minutes.

Rim-to-Rim dates: cancellations and the lottery

Application window
Closes 5 pm MST on the 1st of the following month
Results
Lottery runs late on the 2nd; the top 750 applicants get booking timeslots
Season
Year-round below the rim to North Rim roads and services close December 1 to May 15
route distance, point to point
23.5mi
elevation gain
4,380ft
max group size
11people

The route, drawn as the ground falls away

Rim-to-Rim elevation profile

North Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Trailhead

A mountain hike upside down. You lose 5,761 feet to Bright Angel Campground first, then climb 4,380 feet to Bright Angel Trailhead.

via the Bright Angel Trail
23.5 mi
down to Bright Angel Campground
5,761 ft
up to Bright Angel Trailhead
4,380 ft
campgrounds
3
Climb out onResthouses, shade and the corridor's only taps.

Part of this route is closed. See the closure notice.

Aerial view of the North Kaibab Trailhead in the pine forest
Trailhead

North Kaibab Trailhead

North Rim start. The North Rim's roads and services are closed December 1 to May 15.

Mile 0 of 23.5
0 North Kaibab Trailhead23.5 Bright Angel Trailhead
Mile
0
Elevation
8,241 ft

Rim-to-Rim landmarks

Down the North Kaibab, out the Bright Angel

Or out the South Kaibab, from the river

Rim-to-Rim campgrounds

Map of the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim, North Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Trailhead

15 of 15 places

Three-dimensional relief of the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim from North Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Trailhead, the trail in gold over the terrain, lakes and contours, with North Kaibab Trailhead, Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Trailhead named

Terrain USGS 3DEP · Water USGS NHD · Trail © OpenStreetMap contributors

5,761 ft of descent · 3.5% average grade

Aerial view of the North Kaibab Trailhead in the pine forest

North Kaibab Trailhead

Mile0
Elevation8,241 ft
Next passPhantom Ranch13.6 mi on · −5,695 ft

North Rim start. The North Rim's roads and services are closed December 1 to May 15.

Mile 0 of 23.5

North Kaibab Trailhead to Bright Angel Trailhead, stop by stop

Part of this route is closed. See the closure notice.

How to get a Rim-to-Rim permit

As of September 2026, Rim-to-Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona requires a permit issued via lottery. Rim-to-Rim is one of the most competitive permits in the United States, rating 10/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Rim-to-Rim permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The Rim-to-Rim lottery opens The 16th of the month, five months before your start month and closes 5 pm MST on the 1st of the following month, with results announced Lottery runs late on the 2nd; the top 750 applicants get booking timeslots. The Rim-to-Rim route covers 23.5 miles with 4,380 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.

Type
Thru-Hike
Location
Colorado Plateau, AZ

  1. Step 1: Check for cancellations

    Permits get cancelled daily. Peak cancellation times are 24-48 hours before the trip date.

  2. Step 2: Set up PermitSnag alerts

    Get notified when cancellations happen. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.

  3. Step 3: Create a National Park Service account

    Sign up at National Park Service if you don't have an account. Verify your email and add payment info ahead of time.

  4. Step 4: Apply during the lottery window

    Submit your application between The 16th of the month, five months before your start month and 5 pm MST on the 1st of the following month. Apply for multiple dates to increase your odds.

  5. Step 5: Wait for lottery results

    Results are announced Lottery runs late on the 2nd; the top 750 applicants get booking timeslots. Check your email and your National Park Service account.

Book at National Park Service
Learn more:
Cancellation huntingLottery strategies

Rim-to-Rim pro tips

  1. Set a cancellation alert. The 30-day refund deadline is the cancellation cliff: a month out from any popular start date, space starts coming back, and cancelled space reappears within 24 hours.
  2. Build the itinerary around Cottonwood, not Bright Angel. Bright Angel Campground is the park's most requested below-rim site; Cottonwood is what actually breaks a two-night crossing into manageable days.
  3. Apply on the 16th, not the 1st. Applications open two weeks before they close and the lottery does not reward early submission, but leaving it to the last day is how people miss the 5 pm MST cut-off.
  4. Sort the car shuttle before the permit. The rims are 215 road miles apart and the North Rim is closed December 1 to May 15.
  5. Check the Key Hiking Messages page the morning you start. NPS: these water statuses are current, but can change suddenly due to breaks in the waterline. Every corridor tap is on that page and any of them can read OFF.
  6. Climb out on the Bright Angel, not the South Kaibab. It is 2.5 miles longer but it has shade, two resthouses with emergency phones, and the corridor's only taps, which you should still treat as optional until you have checked their live status.
GuideRead our complete Rim-to-Rim guideLottery tips, strategies, and everything you need to know

More on Rim-to-Rim: Live availability activityWhen Rim-to-Rim permits open upGrand Canyon Rim-to-Rim permit itineraryGrand Canyon Rim-to-Rim lottery datesDo I need a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim permit?Estimate your lottery oddsBoost your odds with a poolGrand Canyon rim-to-rim lottery guide: dates and odds

How much a Rim-to-Rim permit costs

Rim-to-Rim permit fee: $10 permit/lottery application + $15 per person per night below the rim ($4 above the rim).

The Rim-to-Rim hike

Distance
23.5 miles
Elevation Gain
4,380 ft
Route Type
Point to Point
Duration
2-3 days
Difficulty
Strenuous
Elevation Range
2,480 - 8,241 ft

One permit, two rims: 23.5 miles that drop 5,761 feet to the Colorado River and then climb 4,380 feet back out the far side.

About this permit

Rim-to-rim is one Grand Canyon backcountry permit covering a crossing of the canyon on the corridor trails. North to south it is 23.5 miles: 14 miles down the North Kaibab from 8,241 feet to Bright Angel Campground at 2,480 feet, then 9.5 miles up the Bright Angel Trail to 6,860 feet on the South Rim. Most people take three days and two nights, camping at Cottonwood and then at Bright Angel.

Grand Canyon moved backcountry reservations to Recreation.gov in January 2024, and space on that calendar keeps opening after the draw: leftover space for the remaining applicants from around the 20th, the general public from the 1st of the following month, and cancelled space within 24 hours of each cancellation. A cancellation alert catches all of it. The draw itself is a monthly early access lottery: applications run for two weeks and close at 5 pm MST on the 1st of the month, four months before your start month, and the top 750 applicants get an assigned date and time to log back in and build an itinerary.

One thing to plan around: the park has said rim-to-rim hiking will not be possible from 11:59 pm on October 15, 2026 through about February 2027, while a section of the North Kaibab between Redwall Bridge and Cottonwood Campground is closed for waterline work.

The route

Standard direction is north to south. From the North Kaibab Trailhead at 8,241 feet the trail reaches Supai Tunnel at 1.7 miles (6,800 ft), Roaring Springs at 4.7 miles (5,220 ft), Manzanita Rest Area at 5.4 miles (4,600 ft), and Cottonwood Campground at 6.8 miles (4,080 ft), the usual first night.

Day two runs Cottonwood to the river. Ribbon Falls is a short detour at 8.4 miles. Below it the trail enters The Box and stays there until Phantom Ranch at 13.6 miles. Bright Angel Campground is at 14 miles and 2,480 feet, half a mile north of the Colorado and right along Bright Angel Creek.

The climb out on the Bright Angel Trail is 9.5 miles. River Resthouse comes at 1.5 miles from camp, Havasupai Gardens at 5 miles (3,800 ft), Three-Mile Resthouse at 6.4 miles (4,748 ft), Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse at 7.9 miles (5,729 ft), and the Bright Angel Trailhead at 6,860 feet. Exiting on the South Kaibab instead makes the climb 7 miles from Bright Angel Campground with no water and no shade. Most people take Bright Angel.

Why it matters

The North Kaibab, South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails meet at the only two footbridges over the Colorado River in the whole Grand Canyon backcountry. The park calls that junction the Trans-Canyon Corridor, and it is literally the way across. There is no other place to get from one rim to the other on foot. Every rim-to-rim itinerary funnels through it, which is why Bright Angel Campground is, in the park's own words, by far the most requested below-rim backpacking destination.

The feeling

You leave the North Rim in ponderosa shade at 8,241 feet and walk downhill for most of a day. Roaring Springs comes out of the cliff face sideways. Below Cottonwood the walls close in and the trail enters The Box, where the rock holds the day's heat long after the sun has gone. Then the bridge, the river noise, and camp under cottonwoods at 2,480 feet. The next morning you start climbing, and you keep climbing for 9.5 miles, and the rim you can see from Havasupai Gardens takes another three hours to reach.

Rim-to-Rim hike highlights

  1. 23.5 miles north-to-south via the North Kaibab and Bright Angel trails; 21 miles if you exit on the South Kaibab instead
  2. 5,761 feet of descent to the river, then 4,380 feet of climbing to reach the South Rim
  3. Two nights, normally Cottonwood then Bright Angel: the corridor rule is a maximum of two nights per campground per hike
  4. The Trans-Canyon Corridor bridges are the only footbridges over the Colorado in the entire Grand Canyon backcountry
  5. Every tap on the Bright Angel Trail runs off the Transcanyon Waterline and can be off on any given day; the South Kaibab has none at all
  6. Mules use the Bright Angel Trail regularly and always have right of way
  7. Summer shade temperatures routinely pass 100°F, and the park tells hikers to avoid 10 am to 4 pm

How hard the Rim-to-Rim hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required5/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential2/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route5/5

Best for: Hikers who have done multi-day trips with real elevation change and know how they handle heat. The trails are wide and obvious; the difficulty is entirely load, distance and temperature.

Recommended experience: At least one two-night backpacking trip with 3,000+ feet of climbing, done in warm weather. Train the descent as well as the climb; 5,761 feet down wrecks quads that have only trained uphill.

Not recommended for: Anyone who has not trained with a loaded pack on sustained downhill, anyone who struggles in heat, and anyone counting on being rescued quickly. Heat illness below the rim is the park's most common rescue.

Trailhead information

North Kaibab Trailhead

Primary

8,241 ft elevation

The standard rim-to-rim start, and the higher of the two rims at 8,241 feet.

  • No restrooms
  • No water

Getting There

North Rim roads and services are closed December 1 to May 15. The North Rim is 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67, with the rim itself another 14 miles further south.

Nearest Services

North Rim developed area, seasonal only. There is no year-round service on this side.

Notes

From 11:59 pm on October 15, 2026 through about February 2027 the North Kaibab is closed between Redwall Bridge and the north end of Cottonwood Campground for Transcanyon Waterline work. NPS: "There are no alternative routes or detours available through this section of trail." Rim-to-rim is not possible during that window.

Trailhead information

Bright Angel Trailhead

Alternate

6,860 ft elevation

The usual South Rim exit, in Grand Canyon Village. 9.5 miles and 4,380 feet up from Bright Angel Campground.

  • No restrooms
  • Water on site

Before you rely on this water

Fed by the Transcanyon Waterline. NPS publishes a live per-location status on its Key Hiking Messages page because, in the park's words, these statuses are current but can change suddenly due to breaks in the waterline. Check it the morning you start, and carry treatment regardless.

Parking

If nothing is open near the trailhead, drive the Village Loop to Parking Lot D by Maswik Lodge and the Backcountry Information Center, about a 0.4 mile walk back to the rim. From the Visitor Center, the Village (Blue) Route shuttle drops you at Hermit Road Interchange.

Getting There

South Rim is open year-round, 60 miles north of Williams via Route 64 and 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff via Route 180.

Nearest Services

Grand Canyon Village: lodging, food, and the Backcountry Information Center, year-round.

Notes

Every tap on this trail (both resthouses and Havasupai Gardens) runs off the Transcanyon Waterline, and NPS turns them off without notice when it breaks. Do not plan around any of them until you have read the live status on the park's Key Hiking Messages page, and carry a treatment method regardless.

Trailhead information

South Kaibab Trailhead

Alternate

7,260 ft elevation

Shorter and steeper South Rim option at 7,260 feet: 7 miles to Bright Angel Campground. No water anywhere on it.

  • No restrooms
  • No water

Parking

No private vehicle access. Take the Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route shuttle from the Visitor Center.

Notes

Most parties descend South Kaibab and climb out Bright Angel. Climbing out South Kaibab in summer means 7 miles with no water and no shade.

When to hike Rim-to-Rim

Best time to visit

Spring and fall. April-May and September-October give you a river camp that is warm rather than lethal and a rim that is not iced over. Summer is the hardest version of this hike: NPS puts shade temperatures over 100°F and tells people to stay off the trail from 10 am to 4 pm, which compresses a 9.5-mile climb into the two ends of the day. Winter closes the North Rim entirely (December 1 to May 15) and puts ice on the upper switchbacks. For 2026 specifically, the North Kaibab closure starting October 15 removes the fall window on the north side.

Peak
April-May and September-October
Shoulder
March and early November

  • Spring

    Rim temperatures cool, inner canyon warming through May. The North Rim does not open until May 15, so a true rim-to-rim is off the table until then.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: River camps are comfortable rather than dangerous
    • Advantage: Bright Angel Creek is running hard
    • Advantage: Longest daylight-to-heat ratio of the year
    • Challenge: North Rim closed until May 15
    • Challenge: Upper Bright Angel can still ice up in March
    • Challenge: Lottery competition for April and May start dates is heaviest

  • Summer

    Shade temperatures routinely over 100°F at the bottom. NPS advises against hiking 10 am to 4 pm. Monsoon storms build from July.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Both rims open and all services running
    • Advantage: Long daylight lets you split the day around the heat
    • Advantage: Both rims and all corridor ranger stations are staffed
    • Challenge: Heat illness is the single most common reason for rescue below the rim
    • Challenge: Lightning during July-September monsoons
    • Challenge: The Box holds heat well into the evening

  • Fall

    The best window most years: warm river, cool rim, stable weather. In 2026 the North Kaibab closes October 15, which ends rim-to-rim for the season.

    Crowd level · high

    • Advantage: Most comfortable temperature spread of the year
    • Advantage: Monsoon has usually broken by mid-September
    • Advantage: The last of the reliably warm river camps
    • Challenge: 2026: no rim-to-rim after October 15 because of the North Kaibab closure
    • Challenge: North Rim services wind down through October
    • Challenge: September start dates are the hardest to win in the lottery

  • Winter

    North Rim roads and services closed December 1 to May 15, so a crossing means a 215-mile drive between rims. Upper trails ice over.

    Crowd level · low

    • Advantage: Corridor campgrounds allow four nights instead of two from November 15 to February 28
    • Advantage: Least competitive lottery months
    • Advantage: The bottom of the canyon is pleasant
    • Challenge: North Rim closed: rim-to-rim as a crossing is not practical
    • Challenge: Ice on the upper Bright Angel and South Kaibab switchbacks
    • Challenge: Short days on a hike that already wants an early start

Weather Forecast

Trailhead (2,480 ft)

⚠️

Backcountry Tips

  • Today: Expect 20°F colder at summit. Layer up.
  • Today: Freezing temps at elevation. Bring insulation even if warm below.
  • Tomorrow: Expect 20°F colder at summit. Layer up.

Today

❄️

59°

48°

40%

Wed

☁️

71°

50°

Thu

☀️

78°

56°

Fri

☀️

78°

62°

Sat

☀️

79°

64°

Sun

☀️

81°

66°

Mon

🌧️

72°

63°

View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.

Rim-to-Rim photography guide

Golden Hour

First light on the North Rim before you drop in, and last light from Havasupai Gardens looking back up at the Battleship on your climb-out day.

Best Light

The inner canyon is a contrast nightmare from 10 am to 4 pm, the same hours the park tells you not to be hiking. Shoot early and late and you solve both problems at once.

Beat the Crowds

The North Kaibab sees a fraction of Bright Angel's traffic. Start north, and be moving by 5 am. You get empty trail and you are through the worst heat before it arrives.

Classic Shots

  1. Roaring Springs coming straight out of the cliff, from the North Kaibab switchbacks above it
  2. The Box: narrow walls and Bright Angel Creek, best in flat morning light
  3. Silver Bridge deck with the Colorado running underneath
  4. Cottonwoods and the ranger station at Bright Angel Campground at dusk
  5. Plateau Point from the Tonto Trail junction above Havasupai Gardens
  6. Looking back down the Bright Angel switchbacks from Three-Mile Resthouse

Rim-to-Rim rules, gear and safety

Gear checklist

Required
  • Water capacity for the dry stretches: at minimum 3-4 litres per person, more if you are exiting on the South Kaibab
  • Electrolytes. The park specifically warns that water without salt causes hyponatremia, which produces seizures
  • Sun hat, long sleeves and sunscreen; there is no shade on most of the South Kaibab
  • Headlamp, because you want to be walking before sunrise in summer
  • High-calorie food: NPS says doubling your normal exercise calorie intake is realistic for a summer canyon hike
  • Over-the-shoe traction devices for late fall, winter and early spring, when the upper trails ice up

Recommended gear

  • Trekking poles for 5,761 feet of descent
  • A bandana or sun shirt you can soak: wet clothing is the park's own cooling advice
  • Rain shell for July-September monsoon storms
  • A backup water treatment method in case a pipeline break shuts the resthouse taps
  • Camp shoes; Bright Angel Creek is the reward for the second day

Rules & regulations

  1. 01A backcountry permit is required for all overnight camping below the rim and must be carried with you
  2. 02The trip leader must be 18 or older, and each person may submit only one lottery application per month
  3. 03Groups larger than eleven people may not camp in the same campground or use area
  4. 04Two nights maximum per campground per hike; from November 15 to February 28 that rises to four
  5. 05Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited; fossil-fuel backpacking stoves are fine
  6. 06Carry out all trash: burning, burying or leaving trash or toilet paper is prohibited
  7. 07Your permit is void if another group affiliated with yours camps in the same campground on the same night
  8. 08Pets are not allowed below the rim
  9. 09Camping within 200 feet of any water source is prohibited except at designated sites
  10. 10Leaving the trail to shortcut between switchbacks is prohibited

Hazards & considerations

  • Heat. Shade temperatures routinely pass 100°F in summer and NPS tells hikers to avoid the trail between 10 am and 4 pm
  • Hyponatremia from drinking without replacing salt, which the park names explicitly alongside dehydration
  • Monsoon thunderstorms from July to September, which build fast and produce lightning; seek shelter immediately
  • Ice on the upper Bright Angel Trail in late fall, winter and early spring
  • The climb out takes about twice as long as the descent; people underestimate it because walking down felt easy
  • Mule trains on the Bright Angel Trail: step to the inside wall and let them pass
  • Water outages. Every corridor tap depends on the Transcanyon Waterline and can be off with no notice. NPS publishes the live status per location

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Rim-to-Rim.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Rim-to-Rim · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.

Rim-to-Rim FAQ

How do I get a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim permit?

Through Recreation.gov. Set a cancellation alert for your dates: leftover space opens to the rest of the applicants around the 20th, to everyone on the 1st of the next month, and cancelled space reappears within 24 hours after that. The first round is Grand Canyon's monthly backcountry permit lottery: applications open on the 16th and close at 5 pm MST on the 1st of the month, four months before your start month, and the draw late on the 2nd gives the top 750 applicants a date and time to log back in and build an itinerary.

How much does a Grand Canyon backcountry permit cost?

$10 for the permit or lottery application, which is non-refundable, plus $15 per person per night for below-rim camping and $4 per person per night above the rim. The nightly charge is refundable until 30 days before your start date as long as the permit has not been printed. Lottery winners and runners-up have the $10 basic charge waived when they reserve through their timeslot.

Is rim-to-rim hiking closed in 2026?

Yes, for part of it. The closure starts at a specific moment: 11:59 pm on October 15, 2026, running through about February 2027, because the North Kaibab Trail closes between Redwall Bridge and the north end of Cottonwood Campground for Transcanyon Waterline work. Recreation.gov states it as from 11:59 p.m. on 10/15/2026; the park's Key Hiking Messages page states the same instant as beginning October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m., and separately notes that traditional rim-to-rim hiking will not be possible beginning October 16, 2026. Those are the same cutoff described from either side of midnight. The park states there are no alternative routes or detours through that section.

Is there water on the rim-to-rim route?

Not dependably, and you cannot plan the crossing as though there is. Every tap on the corridor (the North Rim, Supai Tunnel, Manzanita, Cottonwood, Bright Angel Campground, Havasupai Gardens and both Bright Angel resthouses) is fed by the Transcanyon Waterline, and the park publishes a live per-location status on its Key Hiking Messages page precisely because, in its own words, these water statuses for the park's Corridor Trails are current, but can change suddenly due to breaks in the waterline. When that page was checked on August 9, 2026 it listed the North Rim as all water OFF, and Manzanita, Cottonwood and Bright Angel Campground as water OFF due to pipeline break, with Havasupai Gardens and both resthouses ON. Read it the morning you start, plan the route on the assumption that any tap on it may be dry, and follow the park's standing instruction that day and overnight hikers should always carry water treatment options.

How many miles is the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike?

23.5 miles the standard way. NPS trail distances put Bright Angel Campground 14 miles from the North Kaibab Trailhead and 9.5 miles from the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim. Exiting via the South Kaibab instead makes it 21 miles, but that climb has no water and no shade.

How many nights can I camp at Bright Angel Campground on a rim-to-rim permit?

Two. The corridor rule is up to two nights per campground per hike, consecutive or not. The one exception is November 15 to February 28, when it goes up to four nights per campground.

What is the group size limit for a Grand Canyon rim-to-rim permit?

Eleven. The park's Backcountry Management Plan does not allow groups larger than eleven people to camp in the same campground or use area. Non-commercial groups of 12-30 doing a rim-to-rim day hike need a Special Use Permit instead.

Can I get a rim-to-rim permit after the lottery closes?

Yes, from cancellations. Grand Canyon says cancelled space is randomly made available for new reservations some time within 24 hours, and the refund deadline is 30 days out, which is exactly what pushes people to cancel. Setting an alert on the corridor campgrounds for those releases is how most late permits get filled.

Do I need a permit to stay at Phantom Ranch?

No backcountry permit, no. Phantom Ranch Lodge is booked separately through its own lottery and is explicitly excluded from the backcountry permit system. You do need a backcountry permit to camp at Bright Angel Campground next door.

Rim-to-Rim trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

Sign in to report trail conditions.

Questions(2)

Which direction is better for a Rim-to-Rim permit itinerary, and how does season constrain the choice?

0 votes·1 answer·May 27

When should you apply for a Rim-to-Rim permit, and how does the monthly application cycle work?

0 votes·1 answer·Feb 4

Trip Reports(1)

Write Report
Rim-to-Rim in April: prime corridor temps before the North Rim opens

Rim-to-Rim in April: prime corridor temps before the North Rim opens

Rim-to-Rim

5.0
Apr 14-16, 2026

Alternatives to a Rim-to-Rim permit

  • Easier AlternativePermit required

    Bright Angel Campground (rim to river and back)

    Same campground, same bridges, same river: down the South Kaibab and out the Bright Angel without needing the North Rim at all.

    Tradeoffs

    About 16.5 miles instead of 23.5, and you never have to solve the 215-mile car shuttle between rims. You miss Roaring Springs, Ribbon Falls and The Box.

  • Easier AlternativePermit required

    Havasupai Gardens Campground

    Camp 5 miles down the Bright Angel Trail at 3,800 feet, and day-hike the flat 3-mile round trip out to Plateau Point.

    Tradeoffs

    Half the descent and a much shorter climb out, and it is often available when the river campgrounds are not. You do not reach the Colorado.

  • Similar ExperiencePermit required

    Grand Canyon backcountry permit (non-corridor)

    The same monthly lottery, but for at-large use areas away from the corridor: Hermit, Grandview, the Tonto.

    Tradeoffs

    Far less competition and real solitude. No maintained water, no ranger stations, and the park expects prior Grand Canyon experience.

  • Same AreaPermit required

    Cottonwood Campground

    The North Kaibab's mid-canyon campground at 4,080 feet, 6.8 miles below the North Rim.

    Tradeoffs

    Useful as its own destination or as the piece of a rim-to-rim itinerary that is hardest to get. NPS publishes its tap as seasonal, mid-May to mid-October, and it is off whenever the waterline breaks.

Plan the full trip, not just the permit

Build your full itinerary start to finish

Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.

Plan a trip here

No permit needed to start

Two ways to land it

Track cancellations or run a lottery pool

Core feature

Fast Lane tracking

We check Rim-to-Rim for cancellations 24/7 and alert you when a spot opens so you can book before it's gone.

Set a free cancellation alert
Pro or $19 alert

Lottery pool

Apply with a crew. Each person multiplies your combined odds. We coordinate invites, deadlines, and outcomes.

See plans to start a pool

Most crews do both: get alerts for cancellations, and pool for the lottery.

Lottery concierge

Your next shot at Rim-to-Rim

Missed the draw or skipped it? Set an alert and we tell you the moment a Rim-to-Rim cancellation opens. We remind you about the lottery dates too.

Get cancellation alertsSee every lottery date we track

Better odds with a crew

Rim-to-Rim permits are drawn by lottery. Every friend who applies adds another entry, so a crew gets more shots at the same permit than any one of you alone.

One of you runs the pool (Pro or a $19 alert). Everyone else joins free.

Start a poolHow pools work

Know the moment you win

Auto win-detection tells you the moment your Rim-to-Rim application wins, so you never have to check National Park Service. It reads the result email you forward us, so it takes a one-time setup in your inbox (about two minutes, and we walk you through it). Auto win-detection is on Pro or a $19 permit alert.

Turn on auto win-detection
Apply now on National Park Service

Opens the official lottery. You submit your entry. We never automate or store your National Park Service login.

One tick helps us more than you’d think

Google lets you pick the sites it highlights for you. Add PermitSnag and our permit pages get marked as one of yours in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Add PermitSnag in Google

Takes less than a minute.