Parking
There is no road access or parking at river level. Reach the east end by hiking down South Kaibab from the South Rim; the customary loop exits up Bright Angel to Grand Canyon Village.
Overview
About River Trail
Why go
- Close-up Colorado River views beneath the inner-canyon walls.
- A direct link between two major corridor trails.
Heads up
- No road access at river level; reaching either end takes a long canyon hike.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grand Canyon map
Full mapElevation2,444–2,690 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Grand Canyon alerts
- ClosureInner Canyon and North Rim trail closuresMentions this trailDo not enter the closed trails, bridges, campgrounds, and inner-canyon areas.Official details
- ClosureNorth Rim scenic roads closed for repairsCape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road are closed from sunset October 15 through sunrise November 3, 2026. - The roads are closed to accommodate critical road repair and rehabilitation work.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to River Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Grand Canyon audio tourMore stories near here in the app
- Yavapai Geology Museum
- Mather Point and Visitor Center
- Trailer Village’s Full-Hookup RV Sites
- Pipe Creek Vista’s Shaded Walls
- 79 audio storiesacross Grand Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Bighorn Sheep, American Bison, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 73 trails, 96 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking River Trail
A river-level connectorRiver Trail is a 1.
River Trail is a 1.7-mile one-way path along the Colorado River's south bank, joining the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails. It's the river-level link inside a much longer canyon hike, not a short walk from the rim; allow about an hour for this segment alone.
Follow the south bankThe route runs west from the South Kaibab junction toward River Resthouse and the Bright Angel…
The route runs west from the South Kaibab junction toward River Resthouse and the Bright Angel connection. The park describes little elevation variation, but the path is dirt and the canyon walls rise sharply around the river. Two footbridges span the Colorado nearby, linking the corridor with the north side. River Resthouse has a restroom; the park's corridor table doesn't list drinking water there. A 1935 photograph records the South Kaibab–River Trail junction soon after Civilian Conservation Corps construction.
Plan the full hikeFor the usual South Kaibab–Bright Angel loop, descend South Kaibab, cross the river corridor…
For the usual South Kaibab–Bright Angel loop, descend South Kaibab, cross the river corridor westbound, then climb Bright Angel back to the village. That approach involves thousands of feet of descent and climbing; the 1.7 miles covers only the river connector. South Kaibab has no water. Dogs aren't allowed below the rim, though service animals are permitted. Check park alerts before descending.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grand Canyon
718 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
533 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
169 sightingsAmerican BisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,891 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
59 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
27 sightingsGray FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
