Looking to Hike South Rim Trail at the Grand Canyon (live, buses)

[musicforme]

In a few weeks I'm going to drive up to the GC to hike the Rim Trail on the South Rim.

Everything I've read online tonight says its an easy trail around 8 miles with no more than 200 ft in elevation change on the trail itself. What I can't find online is which end is the best place to park to begin the hike, and if I can take a shuttle bus back to the end where I started.

If anyone has a good link to web site with this particular info, I'd appreciate it. Before anyone says anything, I already have a Camelback and will have plenty of water and snacks with me. I also have some good hiking shoes too.

[azdr0710]

are you hiking the trail between Hermit's Rest and the main village?.....

if so, you have to take a mandatory shuttle (no private cars) out to Hermit's Rest and walk the rim trail back to the village...or you can walk to Hermit's Rest and take a shuttle back.....

scroll down to Hermits Route here:
Grand Canyon National Park - South Rim Shuttle Bus Routes 2011 (U.S. National Park Service)

[musicforme]

Thanks for the info and link, this is exactly what I need!

I can't wait to get up there with my wide angle lens and get some good photos and dirt on my shoes too.

[DewDropInn]

One caveat: The monsoons. We were there in early August last year and got caught. Tremendous rain with lightning. If that happens, heed the warnings of the rangers. And leave early to catch the bus. They fill up fast. We hiked to Hermit's Rest and we passed a LOT of unhappy looking hikers and families on the trip back to the village.

The plus was that my DH got some great shots of the storms hovering over the canyon.

Other than that, have a great time! The bus system is terrific and the drivers are the best.

[vjsoto]

Yup... monsoon rains are both a blessing and a curse. The rains typically wont start until late afternoon though, so plan your hike in the morning and have your camara ready to capture the rainstorms floating through the canyon in the early afternoon. Makes for great scenery, but do watch out for lightning along the rim!

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by vjsoto

Yup... monsoon rains are both a blessing and a curse. The rains typically wont start until late afternoon though, so plan your hike in the morning and have your camara ready to capture the rainstorms floating through the canyon in the early afternoon. Makes for great scenery, but do watch out for lightning along the rim!

And don't forget, the sunsets after a Monsoon storm are AWESOME! When I lived at Grand Canyon I tried to make it out to the Rim as often as I could just to soak them up. Sooooo beautiful!

[keninaz]

Yes, be very aware of the monsoons.
I see our local forecast has them scheduled to start on the 4th here and continue for a few days.
If lightning is in your area be very aware that you are at the top of that canyon and watch yourself very close!

[musicforme]

I thought I'd come back and post a couple of my favorite photos from this past Saturday's trip. Sure enough as you can see, it started to rain around 1:00 PM.

[observer53]

Lovely pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[locolobo13]

Awesome pix.