Arrive in Marble Canyon, AZ the evening before your trip for a night at Cliff Dwellers Lodge. Often our guests drive to the South Rim of Grand Canyon where they leave a vehicle before taking the Trans-Canyon Shuttle (which you must arrange in advance) 3 hours to the Lodge. This ensures that when you hike out of the Canyon your vehicle will be waiting. There are other travel options as well, and our reservations specialists can help you decide which is best for you.
A Hatch Representative will meet you just outside the Restaurant at Cliff Dwellers Lodge where they will orient you as to the basics of the trip and how to pack up the dry bags that we provide for you. Enjoy the scenery of Marble Canyon on the 20 minute drive down to the river where you will meet your guides for safety briefings and orientation to the rafts. All aboard because it’s time to embark on this Grand adventure. Let the splashes of the Paria Riffle initiate you before some larger rapids ahead.
Enjoy Redwall Cavern and perhaps join in a game or two on the massive beach. See Vasey’s Paradise above before traveling down towards the Nankoweap Granaries which offer one of the best views on the river. Prepare for the highlight of swimming in the turquoise beauty of the Little Colorado River. Set camp upriver from Phantom Ranch and prepare for your last night in the Grand Canyon’s wilderness.
You will wake early because your guided hike of the Bright Angel Trail begins around 6:00am. The hike is 9.5 miles and over 4000 feet of elevation gain so be prepared. On average the hike takes around 6-8 hours to get back to the South Rim of Grand Canyon.