The climb begins — crossing the Colorado, the scenic stretch, and sunset at Plateau Point.
Distance: ~8 km (5 miles)
Elevation change: Ascent from ~2,480 ft to ~3,800 ft
Trail: Bright Angel Trail
This post is part of the travel series "Grand Canyon 4-day Rim-to-Rim Hike".
Crossing the River
We packed up camp at Bright Angel Campground and started hiking at 5:00 AM. The first order of business: crossing the Colorado River.
The Silver Bridge carries the Bright Angel Trail across the river, and walking across it in the early morning light is something else. The river below is wide, fast, and that distinctive greenish-brown color that comes from carrying the sediment of half a continent. The bridge sways slightly underfoot — just enough to remind you that you're suspended over one of the most powerful rivers in the American West.
Once across, we were officially on the south side of the canyon, and the climbing began.
The Silver Bridge over the Colorado River
The Uphill Reality
Until this point, the hike had been mostly downhill or flat. Day 3 changed that. The Bright Angel Trail climbs steadily from the river up toward the South Rim, and our legs — which had been happily coasting downhill for two days — had a few things to say about the new direction.
The first couple of miles out of the river corridor were the steepest, and we felt it. But we'd been smart about pacing the whole trip, and we kept the same philosophy here: slow and steady, frequent breaks, no rush.
The views along the climb made the effort easy to justify. With every switchback, the perspective changed. The river got smaller below us, the canyon walls revealed new layers and colors, and the vastness of the whole place kept expanding.
The Bright Angel trail
Arriving at Havasupai Gardens
After about five hours of hiking, we reached Havasupai Gardens Campground — formerly known as Indian Garden Campground. The campground sits on a green plateau partway up the South Rim, shaded by cottonwood trees and fed by a small creek. It's an unexpected patch of green in the middle of all that red and brown rock.
We set up our tents and spent the early afternoon doing absolutely nothing productive. Just sitting by the creek, soaking our feet, and letting our legs recover. After three days of hiking, the art of doing nothing felt well earned.
Plateau Point at Sunset
In the late afternoon, as the heat started to ease, we laced up our boots one more time for a short side hike. The 2 km trail from Havasupai Gardens out to Plateau Point is flat and easy — a welcome change from the morning's climb.
Plateau Point sits on a rocky promontory that juts out over the inner canyon, with a straight-down view to the Colorado River about 1,300 feet below. There's no railing, no fence — just you and the edge.
We arrived in time for a ranger talk, where a park ranger shared stories about the canyon's geology and history. Then we stayed for the sunset.
The sunset from Plateau Point is one of those things that's hard to put into words without sounding like a greeting card, so I'll keep it simple: the light changed, the colors shifted, the canyon got quiet, and for a few minutes, nobody said anything. It was a fitting way to end our last full day inside the canyon.
The views from Plateau Point
Trail Tips for This Section
- Prepare your legs. If you've been descending for two days, the uphill will be a shock. Stretch the night before and start slow.
- Start early (again). The south-facing walls of the Bright Angel Trail get hot by late morning.
- Don't skip Plateau Point. It's an easy side hike and the sunset views are among the best in the canyon.
- Hydrate and eat well. Tomorrow is the hardest day — the final climb out. Use this afternoon to rest and fuel up.
- Enjoy the creek. Havasupai Gardens has running water and shade. Take advantage of both.
Day 3 was the turning point — literally. After two days of going down, we started going up. The legs complained, but the views from Plateau Point at sunset silenced every objection.
Next: The Hike — Day 4: Havasupai Gardens to the Top
Photos by Rodrigo Senra, Nascif Abousah, Alexandre Da Silva, and Luciano Silva — fellow hikers and accidental photographers.
