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Hiking the Grand Canyon

"Ours has been the first and doubtless will be the last party of whites to visit this profitless locality. It seems intended by nature that the Colorado River, along the greater portion of its lonely and majestic way, shall be forever unvisited and undisturbed." Lieutenant Joseph Christian Ives 1857 Report to Congress

Today more than 5 million visitors go to this "profitless locality" annualy and many hundreds of thousands hike into the canyon. The National Park Service maintains a very good site which discusses the new back country permits, their cost and other valuable information.

A word of caution to those planning a hike into the canyon. GET A PERMIT! Violators are cited. You can reserve space in the Canyon up to four months in advance, so don't plan on showing up and spending the night at Phantom Ranch without a reservation. Scouts as well as others get lost, strayed and even die in the Canyon every year. Plan your trip carefully. This is a desert environment. Water is scarce. Think in terms of drinking at least a gallon per person per day. Of the main trails only the Bright Angel has water on the trail.

A word to the wise!

1. Plan your trip with the least experienced hiker in mind. Allow plenty of time for the slowest hiker. The faster hikers can use the extra time to soak up the experience.

2. Good physical condition is required of both Scouts and Scouters. Admit it, the kids will probably not be the out-of-shape hikers. Don't underestimate the ruggedness of the one-mile-deep canyon.

3. Completion of a corridor hike is strongly recommended before attempting threshold, primitive, or wilderness hikes. Corridor trails are well maintained trails crossing the Canyon and include the North and South Kaibab Trails and the Bright Angel Trail.

4. Leaders of any non-corridor hike are strongly advised to experience the hike themselve before leading the unit.

5. A ratio of 6 boys to 2 leaders is optimal to assure both safety and resource protection.

6. Summer months (May to September) are very hot in the Canyon and the Tonto Trail hikes are not recommended for these months.