Should you hike the Bright Angel trail to the Colorado River and back in one day?

A lot of people embark on the Bright Angel journey without any prep. To be honest, it is not a crazy difficult hike but what makes this trail hard for a lot of people is the Arizona heat. As you descend deeper into the canyon, temperatures gradually increase and it can feel like you are in a soup bowl if you happen to be at the bottom on a hot summer day.
With a little bit of planning ahead, this is a totally doable and absolutely memorable adventure.

[@skai187]

Very informative, I was looking for exactly that. Thank you and beautiful video.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks for watching!

[@gabriellemarella9127]

Awesome job! Such beautiful views. I was there in June last year and wanted to hike down bright Angel trail but we listened to the rangers warning to us about the heat wave and advised us not to hike down. So much credit to you for hiking it solo. I want to get more into solo hiking and solo camping but it always makes me nervous but I know I can do it if I get past the nerves.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thank you! Such an awesome hike. Definitely one to be careful with, and need to plan ahead. I brought a Garmin In Reach in case of emergency.

[@peterdisbury6346]

This is such a fun hike in the Spring like around end of March, the temps are nice, thousands of Spring Breakers in the Canyon in huge groups heading down to Plateau Point, everyone singing and being happy. Fun hike especially coming back out.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

It is definitely a wonderful hike! Long, but worth the effort for sure.

[@robbergstrom943]

Congrats on a beautiful Solo adventure! And congrats on 2k subscribers!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thank you! :)

[@sivaryageb7460]

Thank you and bless you!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks for watching! :)

[@peterdisbury6346]

There is a great beach there to just chill for hours.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

So nice down there!

[@ABSVabeautifulsunsetvlog]

Wow, I remember when you guys first started the channel!!! Congrats on 2K subscribers!!! So happy for you guys….Great video too!!!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks!! Yes can't believe its been just over a year since we started doing KZbin videos. So much fun to look back and see all the trips we have done. Thanks for following along!

[@ConquerYou]

Very nice!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

thanks!

[@jamesgreen4770]

Awesome hike - well done!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks!!

[@jamesgreen4770]

Looking forward to the next video!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@Dom-pf8wd]

Great job and thanks for the video!I'm planning to head out there in a few weeks to do this.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thank you!! Good luck on the trip! Its hot right now, so definitely plan ahead, bring lots of water, and be prepared for a difficult hike back up in the heat.

[@powasjington4262]

Good job 👏

[@LunarLanderXplor]

thanks!

[@jackirice5221]

Thank you for this lovely documentation of your GC journey! Could you tell a little more about those last 6 miles ascending in 90° heat? How was that for you?

[@LunarLanderXplor]

It was very challenging! Fortunately Arizona is a dry heat vs being too humid, so it was manageable. Definitely not an easy hike, but it was worth the struggle.

[@NickandRachel]

Awesome video 🙂

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thank you for watching :)

[@NickandRachel]

@@LunarLanderXplor 🙂

[@ASTHECROWFLIESHIKING]

Amazing! New follower here. Crow✌️

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks for watching! ✌️

[@ConquerYou]

Nice job! I did this in March. There was ice at the top on the trail but really comfortable rest of way. High was about 85 at the river. You did good starting really early. I started at 7:30am. My kned was hurting near bottom. Coming up was better but overall it was harder than I anticipated. And i hike a lot of vertical in the heat in Arizona. It was awesome though. Great video!!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thank you! It was an amazing, but challenging 1-day hike. Definitely need to be careful for the sun & heat!

[@andreasfelten9455]

Great video. Just missing some footage of the last 3-4 miles. Just did the hike in the middle of June. It was hot -105 in the canyon and no shade anywhere and the last 3 miles were really tough. The rest was spot on. One of the best videos i have seen about this hike. And I can say I agree with the park rangers that I would not recommend it in 1 day in the summer, if not fit and even then the heat packs a punch - at each opportunity I soaked my clothing including the cap with water.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks! Definitely agree its a tough hike. Always hard to film the whole time when focusing on the beauty all around haha. But yes, would not recommend doing this in one day for most people, definitely need to bring a lot of water & emergency supplies, and ideally not hike during the peak summer heat months. Glad you did it & made it safely in one day!

[@ssaenz11]

Wow, you did it in one day. I’m hoping to do it late November. Just hiked Humphreys Peak.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Yup all in one day!

[@jamiehutchens802]

One of the best experiences I've ever had in my life was making this same hike. I did it at the first of July and it was brutal hot. Next time I will try to do it at a cooler time

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Definitely a tough hike, especially with the heat & climbing back up to the rim! Gotta be careful on this trail.

[@ABSVabeautifulsunsetvlog]

If you guys want to do any camping up in the flagstaff AZ area I’d be stoked to drive up my RAV and meet up with you guys.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

That would be awesome! Next time we are in AZ we are down :)

[@Sergiop4x]

I'll recommend the windslayer for better gopro audio for windy conditions. Nice trail!

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks for the tip! We will definitely look into this option!

[@wavealip8059]

Awesome footage. That warning sign is enough to humble me enough not to try.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Thanks! Definitely not an easy hike :) have to plan ahead & be careful.

[@stevedietrich8936]

We hiked down South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch on day 1. After an overnight at PR we hiked to Ribbon Falls and back to PR on day 2. Another overnight at PR and then hiked out on Bright Angel on day 3. I wouldn't hike out on SK as there was no drinking water available when we were there. BA has drinking water at multiple locations and makes the best route for your hike out. Also, the BA gradients are a little less onerous although the last 3 miles coming out are nasty, 1000 feet elevation per mile for 3 miles. I think a person would need to be well above average fitness (or young) to go up and down the same day. My 2 cents.

[@stevedietrich8936]

I should add that we did this hike in January a few years ago. We had snow on the SK down to about the 5000 ft. elevation level and then the trail was clear of snow the rest of the way down. No snow on the BA coming out. Rim temps were low 20s while canyon floor was mid 50s. Wore crampons in the snow and ice. Hiking poles were beneficial. A great time of the year to visit the Grand Canyon and hike. Reservation required at Phantom Ranch.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Sounds like an amazing adventure! Thanks for the tips!

[@wildwolf8983]

Where are you originally from?

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Bosnia 🇧🇦

[@jedgens1]

Did you change the name of the youtube channel? I saw it and now it looks like it remains the same.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Haha no we did not. Accidentally changed the name but switched it back once we noticed!

[@michaelsoto5027]

Hi, my friends and I are looking to do this hike in April. How long exactly did the hike take for you to complete? What time did you start/finish?

[@LunarLanderXplor]

Hey, it took me about 4 hours down and 5-6 hours up. I started at 6am and made it to the Colorado River a bit before 10. I started hiking back up at around 10:30 and made it up between 3:30 and 4. (I checked my photos metadata). This includes all brakes I made along the way to fill up water and eat. April is a perfect time to hike Bright Angel. Have fun!

[@TRUUTAH60559]

Lmao the notorious

[@LunarLanderXplor]

What? Lol

[@TRUUTAH60559]

I’ve never heard someone refer to it as that. I googled it and nothing came up. I’ve been thinking of why someone would call it notorious. Maybe because so many people are on the trail at all times. You missed the Indian drawings at the top of trail also.

[@standingbear998]

should you? why. for me the whole idea is to be in the canyon. not to see how fast I can get out.

[@LunarLanderXplor]

You need a permit to spend a night in the canyon, which can be hard to get. Still am awesome hike

[@nickyl9040]

Agreed