The Grand Canyon National Park is one of those places in the World that no matter how long you spend there, it will not be long enough. Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park allows for following winding, excruciatingly hard trails, taking mule rides, or following the easier trails that wind along the edges of the North and South Rims. You can hike down the approximately one mile drop from the top of the Canyon to the floor of the Canyon, which can be an exhausting and trying experience for even the experienced elevation hikers.
If you are not physically capable of the hike, it is advisable that you do no attempt it, since, for a day hike, you will be hiking over 10,000 feet of gruelling mountainous terrain, unless of course you take a donkey ride, or stick to the Rim Trails. On the way down the trails that lead to the Canyon's floor, you will encounter different types of flora, fauna and wildlife at different levels, and marvel in the different layers of rock, and the magnificent colours and overall mesmerizing beauty of the different ecosystems.
There are two areas that will lead, by trail, to the bottom of the Grand Canyon; the North and South Rims. At the South Rim, the distance to the bottom is roughly one-half of the distance of the North Rim. If you are hiking the South Rim, allow for at least two days of hiking up and down, and allow three days for hiking up and down the North Rim. There are with easy trails circumventing the edges of each, with paved trails, bicycle access and leashed pets being allowed. more than twice the number of trails at the North Rim than the South Rim, trails on each Rim, and each has their own level of difficulty, from hard to extremely hard!
The fee for entering the National Park , in 2008, is $25 per vehicle, or $12 per person if you arrive on motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot. This fee goes toward paying the attendants and guides, as well as preservation projects and trail and amenity improvements. For reservations to gain access to a guide for hiking, you should apply four months in advance of the date you wish to attend the Park. If you plan on doing some backcountry camping, horseback riding, or hiking for longer than a day (even one overnight hike will need this extra permit), there are extra fees. The rate of $10 per permit, plus $5 per person in the group will be charged over and above the Grand Canyon National Park entrance fee for anything longer than a day hike.
For the hiking trails themselves, there are many different options available if you wish to do a day hike, an overnight hike, or a longer, backcountry hike and camp. Both the South and North Rims offer rim trail hikes that offer magnificent views of the Canyon's walls and scenery, or you can hike right into the Canyon itself. For day hikers, there is no permit needed above the Park entry fees, and you can even meander along paved trails. But for the more extreme trails, there are a few distinctively different trails that start at both Rims.
Day Hikes;
In the South Rim, there are five trails that differ in degrees of difficulty and length, as well as destinations. From the Rim Trail, which is accessible from many points and is paved in many sections, allowing for easy hiking and even bicycle access and pets are allowed on leashes, to gruelling 6 and 8 mile hikes that will test the experienced hiker.
In the North Rim, there are 13 trails, differing in levels of difficulty, length and destinations. Again, there is a Rim Trail for easy hiking, paved parts of the way, bicycles and leashed pets being allowed. There are 12 other trails that can take you through the backcountry, or to destinations for swimming, scenic outposts and campsites.
Overnight or Longer Hikes;
There are fifteen trails that enter-twine among the Grand Canyon, offering different degrees of difficulty and solitude, wilderness, and wildlife. There are many other obscure routes that provide access to the inner Canyon, and allow access to the backcountry camping sites. The Grand Canyon National Park covers over 1.2 million acres, with the vast majority inaccessible because of the cliffs. If you venture to the bottom of the Canyon, you will be climbing an elevation differential of 10,000 feet!
I visited the Grand Canyon National Park a few times when I was working at Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The first time I went, I was a bit sure of myself, and tried to go to the bottom of the Canyon for a day hike. Once at the bottom, I had to arrange to pay for an overnight (backcountry) pass, an extra $15, because there was just no way that I would be able to climb back up in the same day. The second time I went, I was more prepared, brought maps, and talked to the interpretive guides before descending. Make sure that you do your homework on exactly where inside the Grand Canyon National Park that you wish to visit, and take the advice of the Rangers on what types of gear to bring with you (all light-weight). I was there in March, and there was plenty of snow and ice on the trails, and some of them were closed due to trail erosion problems and weather issues. At the time, it was 30 Degrees Celsius in Phoenix. If you are planning more than a day hike, make sure that you have reservations for a backcountry pass if you are hiking in the summer or fall months. These passes are usually sold out within a day or two of becoming available, and go on sale exactly four months prior to the day of the hike.
Wear good hiking boots, weather-related gear, and pack lightly. You really do not want a heavy backpack when hiking in the Grand Canyon. Helicopter rescues are available, but for injuries and illnesses, not inabilities, and are a common sight in the heat of the desert's summer months.