April 2, 2023
Our first desert bike ride! There truly is no better way to fully experience the sights of a national park than astride a bike and Grand Canyon National Park is no exception. The “Ride the Rim” trail starts at the official park visitor center on the South Rim. From there you can either go 7 miles round trip to South Kaibab Trailhead or 21 miles round trip to Hermit’s Rest. Of course we chose to do both and first headed West through the village, past the famous Bright Angel Lodge to the beginning of Hermit Road which is to the left of the bus transfer station.
The majority of the biking is done on the actual road, not a designated bike trail. The partially paved, partially dirt rim trail is restricted to walkers only. I was surprised by this fact and that we weren’t as close to the Grand Canyon Rim as I thought we were going to be. However, we found that we enjoyed biking the road more than the short Greenway Trail we could take near the end. The road is closed to all vehicles except park shuttles from March 1 to November 30. You are required to stop your bike and pull over to allow a bus to pass, but it wasn’t that inconvenient. I’m not sure if there are more shuttle buses to be wary of in the peak season since we did this journey in March.
Hill alert
The road itself is in great condition and makes for easy riding. There’s 420 feet elevation gain over the last 5.5 miles from Hopi Point to Hermit’s Rest, but the road is largely flat. Only one hill stands in your way of a middle gear ride and it’s a doozy…and right at the beginning. After a gentle coast down into the village from the visitor center (I was actually chilly at this point) you’re immediately met with a monstrous 0.5 mile, 6% uphill grade climb. Good news: I was no longer cold, bad news; we had some cranky cycle mates by the top. Luckily we convinced them to keep pedaling and the views were worth every out of the saddle stomp.
Hopi Point was by far my favorite of the lookouts. You can see the canyon in all directions, East and West. It was a large turnout with plenty of room to wander around. This is the viewpoint we stayed at the longest. The others: Mohave point, Monument Creek Vista, Maricopa Point, are worth a quick swing through but had nothing on the views from Hopi.
When you arrive at Hermit’s Rest, you’re met with an adorable rock arch marked “Hermit’s Rest” aka the perfect photo spot to celebrate your end destination. Park your bikes on the racks and stroll down to the Hermit’s Rest building which houses a small gift shop. This building, completed in 1914, marks the western end of the paved road along the South Rim and was used as a rest house for tourists hiking the Hermit Trail. There are even a few picnic tables to enjoy your packed lunch before heading back–but watch out for condors (the largest land bird in North America).
Once arriving back at the visitor center parking lot, my husband and I dropped off half the pack and we continued the last 7 miles to South Kaibab Trailhead. Unlike the West side of the ride, this section was on a the shared, paved, multi-use trail. I thought this route had more dramatic views since the trail was right along the rim. However, it was not as much fun to ride because dodging people was a necessity and the trail was very windy with some blind corners.
Overall, riding the rim was a fantastic way to see the Grand Canyon, avoid crowded turnouts and get people-less pictures. I recommend the Hermit’s Rest Road for a more freeing bike ride without the worry of crashing into people. But the dramatic trail setting of the eastern trail is equally appealing for a shortened ride. I also recommend stopping at the Market Place at the Market Plaza for a huge gift store and it’s not too far away from the parking lot to carry souvenirs. More restaurants, lodging, gift and art shops and small cabins at Bright Angel Trailhead which we didn’t explore thoroughly.
Helpful Hints
Fun facts
- Grand Canyon became a park in 1919.
- The average rim to rim width is 10 miles with a max of 18 miles. The canyon is one mile deep and 278 miles long
- The Hermit of the Grand Canyon, Louis Boucher, descended into the canyon and took residence in the early 1900’s for almost 20 years. He eventually became a primary park guide.
- The South Kaibab Trail (est. 1928) was used as a utility trail to transport supplies into the canyon while avoiding the busy Bright Angel Trail
