Yes, you CAN take your own equine below the rim of the Grand Canyon! Unlike hiking, you will actually get to look around and see the beautiful scenery rather than staring at the ground trying not to trip lol. You get to do it on your own horse and in the comfort of your own saddle. My satisfaction in this accomplishment has been indescribable. I had never gone below the rim before. In researching this trip, I had to rely on people’s vacation pictures and second hand information from a hiker’s viewpoint. I repeatedly had “knowledgeable” people tell me that I was not allowed to take my own horse into the canyon. Or, at the very least, horses just plain can’t handle it. Absolutely not true, of course, and one of the reasons I chose to take on this adventure!
Here are a few tips based on my personal experience. I did this trip solo and with only one horse. Riding solo is a topic for another discussion and packing all your gear on one horse is not always possible, depending on your personal weight. I have now done this ride four times, with the last trip trying a 45 mile rim-to-rim-to-rim run in one day, which didn’t work out so well lol.
If you are an experienced horse camper or endurance rider, some of this will be old hat to you. But I go into a lot of detail so that maybe I will cover some aspect you didn’t even think of. People bringing their own private stock to the Grand Canyon is pretty rare, so please keep this in mind during the whole process and experience, as you must have patience with rangers who do not know how to deal with accommodating you and your beloved equine.
Please do not bring a green horse to this trail. Obviously this is not the place for training. Also, don’t bring an ill-mannered horse that spooks easily, kicks, or bites. This is very unfair to hikers who have almost no room at all to stand aside and try to get out of your way. The general rule of thumb is that the hiker should stand to the inside of the trail or cliff to let you pass. Makes sense. You should also be aware that asking a hiker to stand still or hide so as not to spook your horse is considered rude or at least absurd by most hikers. My horse LOVES people and is like a big dog. I bring extra apples for people to feed her on the trail. Remember that you are an equine ambassador and be aware that you will more than likely be the highlight of most people’s hikes. More on that later.
A little about me: I am an outdoor enthusiast. I have done, or still do: rock climbing/canyoneering, backpacking/hiking, hunting, off-roading, and mountain biking. And now recreational horseback riding. For me, horseback riding is a pastime, not a second job. I am 47 years old and have over 25 years experience doing all of the above. I am reasonably fit but not a gym rat and I enjoy doing things that are a little different. I don’t mind having to do moderate preparation and physical conditioning but not Mt-Everest-hard lol. I mention these things to let you know that you don’t have to be a hardcore rider or ultra-fitness nut to do this trip.
About my horse: her name is Jewel and she is a Missouri Fox Trotter. She is 15.2 hh and weighs about 1000 lbs. She is 13 years old and I have had the privilege of owning her for the last 5 years. I have been using her for hunting dog field trial competitions so she is used to a lot of stressful situations, gunfire and barking dogs, and handles them all with her calm, level head. She is a trail horse deluxe and I couldn’t ask for a better partner to do my crazy adventures with (the Grand Canyon being only my second horse camping trip).
Trails
There are three trails that go to the bottom and they are all open to equines: North Kaibab, South Kaibab, and Bright Angel. All trails are well-marked and pretty well maintained. You can’t possibly get lost. If your horse can navigate a game trail and not fall off and die, then it can do these trails. The real question is, can YOU?
All trails are fairly rocky. The commercial mule train on the South Rim uses Bright Angel trail to take novice riders to the bottom. Therefore, you might assume that would mean Bright Angel trail can’t be that hard. You would be wrong. I was slightly surprised at how hard it was only because it seemed like it would be pretty hard for a novice rider. And Bright Angel is the easiest of the three trails.
Some parts of the trails are only about 3 feet wide, or less, on a narrow shelf ledge.
For a comparison, the North Kaibab Trail is 14 miles long, the South Kaibab Trail is 7 miles long, and the Bright Angel Trail is 9.5 miles long. The North Kaibab Trail is 1000 feet higher at over 8000 feet in elevation than the South Rim trails. After all was said and done, it took me 6 hours to get down to Bright Angel campground from North Kaibab, 2.5 hours from South Kaibab, and 4 hours from Bright Angel.
North Kaibab Trail Description
First off – why I chose the North Rim and the North Kaibab Trail for my first time here. The official Grand Canyon website states that, of the three trails (North Kaibab, South Kaibab, and Bright Angel) that go into the canyon, this one is the hardest. This is due to the fact that it’s almost as steep as the South Kaibab trail and it’s twice as long. The reason I chose the North Kaibab Trail is because of the much less traffic that it receives. It stands to reason that if the North Rim only receives 10% of the visitors, that the trail would have only 10% of the traffic of the South Rim trails. I enjoy solitude and for my first time in the canyon, I didn’t want to complicate things with too much traffic.
There are six bridges you and your horse will have to cross. Four of them are relatively short and not very high. Two of them are metal bridges, just an fyi if your horse has a problem with walking on metal.
It should also be noted that the North Kaibab trail follows a side canyon into the bottom and so it’s really not much different than any other mountain trail. There is no significant exposure with a 6000 foot drop below you. You don’t get the grand vistas that the canyon is noted for, although they are still pretty. The North Kaibab trail drops 3000 feet in the first 3 miles while the Bright Angel trail drops 2000 feet in the first 3 miles.
North Kaibab has about 3 miles of stairstep ledges just below the Supai Tunnel. Some of the ledges are 6-8 inches high. There are two landings that aren’t really big enough to put a horse on so your horse will have to pivot and step down at the same time (or step up if you’re going back up).
There is a water spigot and pit toilet at the trailhead. There is another water spigot and toilet at the Supai Tunnel at 1.8 miles. The next water spigot and toilet is at Manzanita rest stop at 5.5 miles. Then there is Cottonwood campground at 7 miles, which also has a water spigot and toilet. South of Cottonwood campground, the next reliable water is another 7 miles at Bright Angel campground.
The North Kaibab trail follows Bright Angel Creek starting at Manzanita rest stop. The creek flows into the Colorado River. It should be noted that there is almost no easy access to Bright Angel Creek until you get to Bright Angel campground. If you were truly desperate, you could bushwack it over to the creek but you have many water options besides the creek. There is usually a small stream crossing about a mile south of Cottonwood campground. The trail flattens out after Manzanita rest stop. You are basically on the canyon floor for the next 8.5 miles to Bright Angel campground.
Before you make the faux pas that I did, let me tell you that when you get to the picnic tables in the middle of the trail near the Ranch, make your way through the tables towards the creek where it looks like it dead ends. The trail continues south, downhill to the Bright Angel campground. I was advised, in a somewhat civil tone, by one of the ranch employees that “Stock animals are not allowed to go through the ranch grounds”. I can understand this rule, but then it would be helpful to direct people with a sign as to where the trail continues after you block the trail with your picnic tables.
South Kaibab Trail Description
The trail is approximately 7 miles long. There is no public parking at the trailhead so you will have to ride 2.5 miles from Mather campground to the trailhead. Also, there is no water available on this trail except for the spigot at the trailhead. There is a pit toilet at about 4.5 miles. It took me 2.5 hours to ride/hike from the top down to Bright Angel campground. For speed on my rim-to-rim-to-rim trip, I got off and led my horse down most of the trail. If you ride all of it, it will probably take you longer.
You will really have to trust your horse here as the trail is pretty narrow and there is plenty of exposure. I did it in the dark without a headlamp on my rim-to-rim-to-rim run. I actually thought the trail condition was easier than Bright Angel due to the fact that almost every step of this trail is engineered by man, making the steps more even. Bright Angel has more natural rock obstacles that are more uneven.
The South Kaibab trail has the most stunning views of the three trails. It also has the steepest descent and the most exposure.
Bright Angel Trail Description
Bright Angel trail is approximately 9.5 miles long, by the time you pass over Black Bridge over the Colorado River. Bright Angel trail is the most heavily trafficked trail in the park, but most of the traffic drops off significantly within the first couple of miles. It has the least amount of grade of the three trails. It took me 4 hours to ride from the top to Bright Angel campground.
You can either trailer your horse and park in the parking lot at the backcountry office, about a quarter mile away from the trailhead, or you can ride from Mather campground, which is 1.5 miles. If you park at the backcountry office, you and your horse will have to cross solid metal railroad tracks to get to the trailhead. (Can you tell that my horse has an aversion to walking on metal? lol)
There is water at 1.5 miles, 3 miles, Indian Garden (4.5 miles), several springs south of Indian Garden, River rest stop (8 miles), and then the Bright Angel creek at Bright Angel campground. There is a ranger station at Indian Garden. It is manned 24/7. There is also an emergency call box there. They run a helicopter down there 2-3 times a week with supplies. We ran into a helicopter landing around 10 am, in case you’re trying to avoid a helicopter encounter.
It took me 3.5 hours to ride up to the top from Bright Angel campground. It took Jewel less time to go up than it did for her to go down. Go figure!
For both Bright Angel trail and South Kaibab trail: you will be required to traverse Black Bridge to get across the Colorado River. Black Bridge is 440 feet long and the walkway is made of wood. There is a tight, pitch-black 20 foot tunnel you will have to go through just before the bridge. It’s illegal for you to cross Silver Bridge, not to mention that Silver Bridge is made from expanded metal mesh and sways like a bridge in an Indiana Jones movie lol.
Rim-to-Rim Options
Most hikers will start on the North Rim and come up Bright Angel. This avoids putting the big ascent of the North Rim at the end of your ride. You will have to park a truck and trailer at the South Rim and drive to the North Rim, staying overnight at the North Rim stock campground to start the ride in the morning. Another option is to schedule a shuttle, leaving your horse in a campground pen until you can come back and get it, that goes from rim to rim. It costs $90 and takes over 4 hours one way. There is only one shuttle in the morning and one in the afternoon. If you miss it, you’re out of luck! You must make reservations for the shuttle. Check for current schedule times.
In my opinion, unless you have two trailers to do a shuttle, it would be easier to go back the way you came, making it a rim-to-rim-to-rim ride over at least two days. You’re either going to spend 8+ hours and $90/person taking the shuttle back for your trailer and then coming back for your horse. Or you can spend 10 hours going back on the trail the next day.
I would anticipate that it would take you about 10 hours to go rim-to-rim in one day. Over 21 miles, even with the shortest route, stopping to rest your horse, and take pictures. Also, it should be noted that there is almost virtually no place to get any speed, except for the mile or so along the River trail, which happens to be on a narrow shelf ledge high above the Colorado River. The couple of miles that don’t have too many rocks are congested with erosion control features every 10-20 feet – rocks which stick up out of the ground, some of them 6 inches high.
Again, keep in mind that there is no water on the North Rim between October 15 to May 15.
Weather
The weather played a significant factor, of course, in the time of year I chose. The amenities at North Rim are only open from May 15th to Ocotber 15th so any time from late September (after all the kids go back to school) to mid-October was my window of time. No matter what the park bulletin says, there is no water available before May 15 or after October 15. That’s when they pull the mules off the North Rim. You can still drive into the park outside of these dates, but there will only be limited services. The backcountry office ranger’s last day is October 31. I’m not sure if the office is open past then, but I wouldn’t think so.
April through May and September through October are the best times to go. These hit the sweet spot of a little cold at the top and a little warm at the bottom. You might be able to get away with going as early as mid-March or as late as mid-November, but it will be really cold at the top and you could definitely run into snow. Don’t go June through August due to 110 degree weather and flash floods in the monsoon season.
At the top of the rim, I needed a propane tent heater at night. At the bottom of the canyon, I could have done without even a sleeping bag at all at night, and I am a cold sleeper. So be prepared. The Weather Channel website was not very accurate.
Permit and Reservations
I had to do a ton of research just trying to get a permit. Getting a backcountry permit is a separate issue than getting a camping reservation. But, for the sake of this trip, they are virtually one and the same. The North Rim stock site, Cottonwood stock site, and Bright Angel stock site reservations MUST be made through the backcountry office and is a part of your permit application. Mather campground stock site on the South Rim can’t be reserved – please see Mather campground description below for further details.
I should mention that if you are traveling with a group to Bright Angel campground, at least one person has to camp with the pack animals even if the others are staying next door at Phantom Ranch. The likelihood that you will be able to match up your reservation at Phantom Ranch, which is privately operated and books up a year in advance, and your reservation at Bright Angel campground which can only be done four months in advance, is pretty much nil.
One of the reasons it’s so hard to get a backcountry permit is because of the sheer number of people who apply. There is a waiting list, especially for the camping permits at the bottom. But because the campsite for stock animals is so seldom used, it is MUCH easier to get an equine permit than it is to get a regular hiking permit. Yay for equestrians!
I had found many places on the web that said you had to get your permit well in advance, by AT LEAST 4 months. Then, on the official Grand Canyon website, it states that you can only apply NO MORE THAN 4 months in advance. Interesting how people choose to state that, huh? Your application for a permit will not even be considered until the 1st day of the month 4 months prior to the date you are applying for. And they will start accepting applications 10 days prior to the 1st day of 4 months prior. So, in my case, I sent in my application April 20th (10 days prior to May 1st) for a permit to do a mid-September ride.
On the same permit that every hiker and backpacker has to fill out is a tiny little box to check for private stock animals. Make sure to circle and highlight this so the ranger making the reservation doesn’t miss it. No other special permit is needed. You just have to specify to them that you are bringing a pack animal, how many, and that you are applying to stay in the North Rim stock campground site on the same permit, if that’s where you’re staying. You are limited to 6 equines and 6 riders if you are going below the rim, 12 equines and 12 riders if you are staying up top. Just to make sure they are aware, you should put this in big, handwritten letters and underline it on the application or the ranger who handles the application is likely to overlook it. My permit was approved by May 4th, however, they overlooked that I was requesting an equine permit and asking for the North Rim stock campsite.
I was denied a permit last May due to the trail permit and not the stock campground reservation. There was too much traffic on the trail. You will greatly increase your chances of getting a permit if you are flexible on your dates or don’t go on the weekend. There is a small box on the permit you can check that asks if you are flexible on your dates three days on either side of your requested dates. You are also given the option to list a second set of dates on the permit.
Email is pretty much the only way you are going to communicate with a ranger, but they are pretty quick with their responses. I must have talked to over a half dozen rangers to get the stock campsite reservation because no one knew how to give me one. One ranger even said to just come up and get one when I arrived because no one ever used the campsite. As if I would jeopardize my whole trip for lack of having a camping reservation! Also, on the permit, you will be asked for your itinerary as well as previous hiking/outdoor experience. The permit itself is the cheapest part of this whole trip – $10 for the backcountry permit. The permit must be faxed in (who has a fax machine anymore?), so thank goodness for The UPS Store! I provided a link to the permit on the right.
North Rim Horse Campground
You can’t make this reservation online. This was the most confusing part of getting the permit as there is literally NO information on the official Grand Canyon site as to how to get a stock campsite reservation for any of the campgrounds. I only found this out while talking to rangers. You will almost definitely have an argument with rangers who don’t even know that the stock campsite exists, let alone know how to give you a permit. Kindly ask them to ask around until they find someone that knows how.
There is only one stock campsite each for the North Rim, Cottonwood, and Bright Angel campgrounds. They are $8 per night.
South Rim Mather Campground
Mather campground no longer accepts reservations online for the two stock campsites. They are walk-up only, which can jeopardize your camping plans, I know. The reason I was given was because people would reserve those sites through the online reservation system and not have a horse. Then they’d show up without a horse and the park would have to find a campsite to put them when the campgrounds were already full. It’s not likely that both sites would be taken, but just be aware. The campsites are $25 per night.
Horse Preparation
Now on to legging up my horse for this trip. I live in Phoenix, AZ so the only differences between where I regularly ride and the Grand Canyon is the elevation and there’s water available all along the trail – so this trail was an improvement! So keep this in mind when trying to judge how hard the trail is – my frame of reference will likely be different than yours, especially if you are from a different part of the country. If you are in a cold weather part of the country, it might be tough to condition your horse during the winter before an April or May ride.
I would think that a desert horse would more easily adapt to an alpine climate than vice versa. Also, my idea of steep and rocky comes from the perspective of a rock climber, so if you’re from back East, this will be much different for you. Hill climbing and rocky trails would be a good primer for this environment. Do not underestimate The Big Ditch. If you have a hard time making it down, turning around isn’t an easier option. And, for you flatlanders, don’t forget the 6700-8200 foot elevation with a 5000-6000 foot elevation change.
Jewel has always been shod on all 4 feet. It’s pretty much necessary on most horses here in Phoenix if you ride the trails at all. They are all rocky. I had her shod the week before the trip with rim shoes all the way around and 4 nails each on the back feet.
Also, you will need a health certificate from the last 30 days, a negative Coggins test, and you must feed your horse certified weed-free hay 48 hours prior to the ride. In addition, you will need to carry your permit, health certificate, Coggins test, and tag from the bag/bale of certified weed-free hay with you on the trail. I used Standlee alfalfa pellets.
5 days prior to the trip, I started adding powdered electrolytes into her feed. This probably wasn’t necessary due to the fact that we only have about 15%-25% humidity here. A properly conditioned horse won’t sweat much.
I talked a little bit to the ranger at Bright Angel campground. He was, at first, very concerned whether my horse could handle the trail. I’m from Phoenix, so the trail wasn’t a big deal. He also told me that they got private parties down there with their stock about every 6 months or so but, even then, they were mostly mules. They almost never got horses down there. He then proceeded to tell me about a couple of guys came with horses from Missouri. He said that the horses got so sick that they ended up staying several extra days before they could make it out. It’s likely someone either brought out-of-shape unconditioned horses, they colicked from the drive there, or tried to do it in 110 degree heat, or all of the above. Don’t be DUMB.
It would probably be a good idea to show up at least two days prior to your ride below the rim. This gives your horse time to acclimate and you can ride around up top or maybe test drive a mile or two on the trails to get a feel.
Packing
As I said before, I didn’t have a second pack animal to haul all my gear. So I lived by the tenets of ultralight backpacking: every ounce counts. My horse weighs 1000 lbs so I had a 220 lb limit to stick to (20% of her body weight). I am 5’6” and weigh 130 lbs. All of her saddle and tack weighed 25 lbs. All of my camping gear, electronics, and water and snacks weighed about 30 lbs. And, most importantly, her feed weighed 30 lbs. I put the feed in two nylon drawstring bags and hung them from either side of her saddle. Keep in mind that there is nowhere to let your horse graze (legally) and you will have to pack in all her food. Water is readily available all along the trail and you should take in a collapsible nylon bucket to get water at a spigot. Also keep in mind that your horse will be at least 15 lbs lighter going back up since you won’t have her food to pack out. I have attached a list of my camping gear, with weights listed, at the end of this article.
You have alternative packing options to hauling everything down yourself, especially if you go down Bright Angel trail. For $78, the mule train concessionaire will haul down a 30 lb duffel for you (check with them for current information). This option is only available if you drop your gear at the South Rim, which would probably mean you are riding down Bright Angel trail. The mule concessionaire on the North Rim doesn’t go all the way to the bottom so therefore doesn’t offer this service.
I used an Australian saddle and a halter/bridle combo to tie her out. I use an English curb chain and secured it with a quicklink since I am notorious for losing chains. You will need at least a lead rope to tie your horse at night. I also brought a highline. You can buy a commercially made highline for $100 or you can make your own for about $20. Buy a 20 ft climbing accessory 4 mm rope, cut off about 1 foot of it to make a Prusic knot in the middle to attach your lead rope, and there you have a MUCH smaller, lighter, stronger, cheaper, and more packable highline than you can buy commercially.
I did not need to use a crupper on these trails, although I thought I might have to. Jewel has somewhat high withers. I would definitely learn how to pack your gear in the saddlebags. I had the weight distribution right but the laws of gravity and real world application taught me that’s not all there is to packing bags, apparently.
Mule Train Schedule Coordination
It’s important to note that you will have to contact the mule train operator, a third party business that is not operated by the Grand Canyon itself, to let them know you’re coming. There are two separate mule train operators, one on the North Rim and one on the South Rim. They do not cross over between rims so you will only have to contact the one that corresponds to your trail if you are only traveling on one rim. You will have to coordinate with them on what times it will be safe for you to travel and miss conflicts with the mule train. The mule train always has right of way and there are definitely parts of the trail where it would be impossible for you to stand to the side or turn your horse around if you encountered the mule train coming the opposite way. Additionally, they get pretty testy if they don’t know there’s a private party on the trail. I have listed their contact information to the right.
When I went, there was a mule train that left at 7:30 am and one at 12:30 pm. On the North Rim, the mule train only goes down to the Supai tunnel on the North Kaibab trail, which is 1.8 miles from the top. I was advised to leave by 7 am on the day that I descended into the canyon and, on my return, not to reach the Supai tunnel before 2 pm when I rode back up the next day. On the day I came back up, I waited at the Cottonwood campround (7 miles, or halfway up the trail) until 12 pm so I wouldn’t reach the tunnel (at 5 miles up from the campground) until 2 pm, assuming a rate of 2.5 mph.
Trail Navigation and Safety Considerations
Please be aware that your GPS will be almost completely useless down in the canyon as it will struggle to get a signal and bounce all over the place. It said that I had traveled 24 miles by the time I got to Bright Angel campground. So make sure to bring a physical map and familiarize yourself with the trail and the major junctures so you know how far you have left to go. Here is the link for trail distances and landmarks: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/trail-distances.htm
Since your GPS won’t work well in the canyon, don’t count on it or other modern conveniences to get help. My Garmin Inreach was unable to send out a text message even when I was just two miles below the North Rim. And even if you manage to send out an SOS, it will more than likely send out the wrong GPS location. If you manage to send out a text message, it would be best to give a physical description of where you are, i.e. 2 miles south of Cottonwood campground, etc.
Remember there are two 24/7 manned ranger stations: one at Bright Angel campground and one at Indian Gardens which is about halfway down Bright Angel trail. There are emergency call boxes at all the ranger stations that I know of.
Campground Amenities
There is no at-will camping anywhere in the park boundaries. Camping is only allowed in designated campgrounds. There are four campgrounds that allow stock animals. One each on the North and South Rims, and two in the canyon. The North Rim horse campground, Mather campground on the South Rim, Cottonwood campground on the North Kaibab trail, and Bright Angel campground at the convergence of the North Kaibab trail, South Kaibab trail, and Bright Angel trail. The Bright Angel campground is next to Phantom Ranch.
Whether you are on the North Rim or South Rim, make sure to check in with the respective backcountry office to confirm you have arrived, at least before you head out on the trail.
The North Rim Stock Campground
Just so you don’t wander around like I had to, the North Rim stock campsite is located next to the trailhead to the North Kaibab trail, which is directly off of the main road. This means that it is about a mile north of the regular North Rim campground and the backcountry office. In the parking lot at the trailhead, you will see a road that says “Authorized Personnel Only” next to the mule train corral. This is the road you will take back to the stock campsite. So, to state the not-so-obvious, you will need to go up the road you are NOT supposed to use lol. About a quarter mile up this road is the mule barn on the right and the stock campsite on the left.
If you want to see a confused look on a ranger’s face, ask them where the North Rim stock campsite is. Some of them don’t even know it exists. Only someone at the backcountry office usually knows.
Now on to general amenities. There is a general store down at the regular campground which has free wi-fi. There are also showers and laundry facilities at the regular campground. There is even a small gas station. The North Rim Lodge is another mile or so south of the regular campground and it has a pretty nice gift shop, restaurant, and bar. The Grand Canyon visitors’ center is adjacent to the lodge. You will have no cell phone service at the North Rim.
You will have none of these wonderful conveniences near your campsite lol. I can’t highlight enough the lack of amenities you will have, despite the fact you paid the same for your campsite as those staying at the regular campground. There is a pit toilet that I am guessing is only for the VIPs at the VIP campsite that is “adjacent” to the stock site (adjacent being 100 yards away). You will have a 30×30 ft corral with a water spigot in the corral. You, I am assuming, are supposed to share this spigot with your horse. You will not even get a picnic table or even a campfire ring, much less a pit toilet, so come prepared. I understand that most people will come with a living quarter horse trailer but I am not that fortunate. I am the queen of glamping (car camping) but, seriously, not even a picnic table??!!
This next bit of information I cannot stress enough to you: make sure you get the combination to the gate to the road that goes not only to your campsite but to the mule barn. The mule train operator locks this gate (for obvious reasons) at 4 pm. The ranger at the backcountry office told me how to get to the campsite but never mentioned that I would be dangerously locked in without the padlock combination. Imagine my surprise when I got settled the first day and had planned on driving down to get dinner and go to the gift shop only to find that I was locked in. Now, in an emergency, I could have gotten myself and my horse around the gate, but not my truck or trailer. But, even if I had gotten myself to the trailhead parking lot, I was still more than a mile away from any help. Do I need to remind you that there is no cell phone service up there? The next morning when I saw one of the mule train wranglers, I asked her what time the gate got locked. That’s when she told me the backcountry office was supposed to give me the combination to the padlock on the gate so I could still come and go when I wanted to. Wow – that seemed like a pretty important thing to know. As I said in the beginning, please have patience with the rangers who are unused to telling you what to do with your horse.
The nearest town outside of the North Rim is Jacob Lake. There’s a gas station, restaurant, gift shop, and lodge there. It’s an hour away.
Mather Campground South Rim
The fee for the South Rim campsites is $25 per night. There are two campsites next to each other. Each campsite has two 30′ round pens, a fire pit, and a picnic table. There is one water spigot between the two that’s about 100 feet from the nearest round pen.
There is a three vehicle limit per campsite. You should be aware that they consider a truck and trailer as two separate vehicles. So my friend and I drove up separately and had to pay for both campsites. Two trucks + two trailers = four vehicles.
There is a 30′ trailer limit. That includes the gooseneck. They are very strict about it and will measure your trailer if it looks borderline. When you see the tight, one-way access roads to the campsites, you will understand why.
You will have showers and laundry nearby. The showers are $2.50 in quarters for 5 minutes. Bring shower shoes.
One thing I should mention is that, for some reason, people will feel free to walk into the middle of your campsite and pet your horse. The rangers call this the “Disneyland effect” – they think everything there is for their amusement. I don’t care what country you’re from, you don’t walk into the middle of someone else’s camp!
You are not allowed to ride on the roads except to cross them. If there is not a trail or sidewalk to wherever you want to go, you are allowed off-road and do whatever you want. Yes, you heard me correctly, you are legally allowed to bushwack on the rim.
There are three lodges and several gift shops on the South Rim. Surprisingly, the food isn’t all that great on the South Rim. It’s better at the hotel on the North Rim. The general store at Market Plaza has limited groceries, deli, and a gift shop. You will have limited cell phone service, although you might be lucky and have some service just north of Indian Garden on Bright Angel trail.
Tusayan, the town just outside the South Rim park entrance, has a general store with limited groceries. It also has better restaurants than inside the park. There is a shuttle that runs from Tusayan to the park and runs as late as 10 pm, but check for the current shuttle schedule.
Cottonwood Campground and Bright Angel Campground
Each campground has a water spigot nearby but pit toilets are a little trek away. There is a 24/7 manned ranger station at Bright Angel campground.
The Bright Angel stock site is next to the mule barn. It would be a good idea to bring a fly mask when the weather is warmer. There is a concrete trough that usually has a hose running to it from across the trail where the spigot is. The campsite is long and shallow and is located directly on the trail. Be prepared to be awakened by trail runners at 4:30 am and hikers at 5:30 am.
Access to Bright Angel creek is best by the foot bridge in the middle of camp. Be careful of the mesh wire laid down to prevent erosion. You don’t want to catch a horseshoe in that! But it can be done if you’re careful. There is a lot of green grass by the creek but it’s against the rules to let your horse graze anywhere in the canyon.
If you stay at Bright Angel campground, do yourself a favor. No matter how tired you are, walk or ride the 3/4 mile to the Colorado River at night. Especially if there’s a full moon and clear skies, the sight of the moon shining down on the river and listening to the water is transcendent. Even when I was dead tired on my rim-to-rim-to-rim trip and heading back up towards Bright Angel trail at 7 pm, the two mile segment along the River trail was the highlight of my ride, as I rode peacefully under a full moon shining on the water, listening to the rapids. It was glorious and rejuvenating.
General Comments
On my first ride down the North Kaibab, I had gotten down to the campground by early afternoon so I chose to work with Jewel on crossing water at the creek. As you can imagine, we don’t have a lot of opportunity to do that in Phoenix. She actually likes water pretty well. We were quite the hit with the other campers as they took pictures and asked me questions. As we were riding out the next day, many people mentioned having seen me at the creek in the campground. As one man told me, “I feel like I’m in the real Wild West!”
I encountered a lot more people on my way up than I did going down. Several experienced Grand Canyon hikers had never seen anyone riding their own horse down there before. Many people asked if they could take my picture, or at least of Jewel anyway, since she is prettier lol. Lots of people were wary that Jewel would kick or bite and were very pleasantly surprised at how friendly she was. As I said before, you are an equine ambassador and will be one of the highlights of most people’s hikes, so thank hikers as they step aside for you and try not to look too much like a bum (haha).
Doing the North Kaibab trail, It took me 5.5 hours to ride out, aside from the two hours I had to wait at Cottonwood campground so as not to reach Supai tunnel before 2 pm. to avoid the mule train. Jewel had no problems until about a mile from the top. She started breathing in shallow, short breaths, which indicated to me that she was having a problem with the altitude and thin air more than lack of conditioning. She wasn’t in dire distress, just a little labored. I was prepared for the possibility that I would have to hike at least part of the way. A mile is no big deal. I would highly recommend either wearing hiking boots the entire trip or at least bring them along just in case. I know – riding in hiking boots is also a topic for another discussion.
Conclusion
So there you have it – my assessment of possible logistics to ride in the Grand Canyon. All-in-all, a very satisfying adventure. Hopefully this will help take some of the pain out of the process of preparing for this trip by doing most of the legwork. All so you can see and enjoy this natural wonder of the world from 15hh. Trust your horse, stop worrying about the next 5 feet ahead, look up and enjoy the scenery. Most of all, don’t hyperventilate and over-think this trail…it’s only 14 miles lol. Just approach it intelligently and you’ll have fun!
The packing list below contains all of the items I used for the entire trip, including the car camping gear I used at the top.
| Overall Goal Weight | lbs | Packing List | Actual Packed Weight | lbs |
| saddle bags | 3 | saddle | electronics, boots, water | 20 |
| me | 130 | non-slip saddle pad | saddle bags | 20 |
| saddle | 20 | halter bridle | saddle | 25 |
| food | 5 | highline | horse feed | 25 |
| tent | 2 | lead rope | Total | 90 |
| sleeping bag | 3.5 | supplements, premeasured | ||
| sleeping pad | 1 | easy boot | ||
| pillow | .5 | reins | ||
| horse food | 30 | roller massage mitt, brush, pick | ||
| water | 5 | bucket | ||
| electronics | 10 | food | ||
| stove | 1 | shirt | ||
| horse tack | 5 | boots | ||
| Total | 216 | hiking socks | ||
| jeans | ||||
| nylon water bucket | ||||
| sleeping bag | ||||
| water filter bottle/hydration pack | ||||
| Luci solar lantern | ||||
| headlamp | ||||
| extra batteries | ||||
| phone | ||||
| Garmin | ||||
| extra power packs | ||||
| sleeping pad | ||||
| tents, footprints | ||||
| pillow | ||||
| fire starter | ||||
| multitool | ||||
| map | ||||
| Garmin InReach | ||||
| heater | ||||
| propane | ||||
| apples, gummi bears | ||||
| first aid, aleve, aspirin, banamine | ||||
| vet wrap | ||||
| sleeping bag liner | ||||
| towel | ||||
| sunglasses | ||||
| toothbrush | ||||
| toothpaste | ||||
| deodorant | ||||
| soap | ||||
| hat | ||||
| permit, feed tag, health certificate | ||||
| camera, batteries | ||||
| gopro, batteries, helmet strap | ||||
| knife | ||||
| hiking boots | ||||
| rolltop table | ||||
| 5 gallon water bottle | ||||
| paper towels |
Backcountry Rider 