Compare Grand Canyon Backpacking – North Rim by REI Adventures vs Hiking and Camping in Yellowstone by Intrepid Travel

Route Variation: This itinerary is subject to change based on permit availability. We may reverse days, use different trails, and/or change campsites. Final trip materials will indicate our determined route.

Day 1: Hike down "50 Switchbacks" and over the Esplanade to our inner canyon camp.

Meals: Dinner

Backpacking: 6-11 miles; Elevation loss: 2,000-5,000'

Rise early and be sure to eat a hearty breakfast before meeting with your group at Honey's Marketplace in Kanab, Utah, at either 7AM or 8AM (depending on route). There will be an orientation and backpack check before we caravan in our personal vehicles to the trailhead. The drive is approximately 1.5 hours along paved and gravel roads that pass through beautiful forests. With a few final adjustments, we leave the trailhead to begin our descent into the canyon. Marine fossils can be found in the Kaibab and Toroweap Limestones as the trail drops through the Coconino layer. The notorious "50 Switchbacks" deposits us onto the Esplanade, where a long flat traverse takes us to our amazing campsite overlooking the inner canyon.

Day 2: Hike along the Thunder and Colorado Rivers to our camp.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

We will continue our journey today by following a break in the Redwall and making a steep descent further into the canyon. The stunning Tapeats Amphitheater comes into view to the east, and we quickly find one of the most amazing sights in the canyon: Thunder River, one of the steepest and shortest rivers in the world. The trail continues to follow the river to its confluence with Tapeats Creek and we soon have the opportunity to study the rare Grand Canyon Super Group layers as we hike to the Colorado River and our campsite for the night. We'll take many opportunities to cool off in the falls and creeks along the way with a final great plunge in the Colorado at the day's end.

Backpacking: 7 miles; Elevation loss: 3,200'

Day 3: Hike to Deer Creek past rock formations and traces of past civilizations.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Backpacking: 8 miles; Elevation gain: 1,800'

An early rise sets us on the trail for the hike to Deer Creek, considered by many to be the most beautiful spot in the canyon. The trail travels above the ancient basement schist and granite of the inner canyon with expansive views of the river and soaring rock formations. See remnants of the canyon's previous inhabitants, ancient Cambrian fossils, and lush springs and waterfalls.

Day 4: Make the challenging climb out for a last, scenic view from the rim.

Meals: Breakfast

Backpacking: 9 miles; Elevation gain: 3,200'

We rise early and are rewarded with a beautiful, early morning hike in the coolest part of the day as we tackle the day's first difficult uphill climb. We retrace our steps across the Esplanade, back up the Switchbacks, with a final push through the Kaibab to the rim. Our finishing time varies due to many factors, so we recommend making return travel plans for the following day.

Note: Trip members will need to bring a variety of quick foods for snacks and lunch each day. Granola bars, drink mixes, trail mix, bagels, hard cheeses, salami, jerky, tuna packets (not cans), crackers, packets of nut butter (not jars), apples, etc. are all good choices.

Day 1 Yellowstone National Park

After a pick up at your accommodation in Jackson, we'll we'll drive to the Elephant Back Mountain for our first hike of the trip, taking in flecks of black obsidian beneath our feet on our way to a lookout spot which offers an awe-inspiring bird’s eye view. Take in the glittering waters of Yellowstone Lake on a hike to Storm Point, a relatively flat loop that leads to a stunning vista of the largest lake above 7,000 feet in North America. The hike begins at Indian Pond, a favourite locale for bison, and continues through a lodge pole pine forest to a bluff overlooking the picturesque shore of this hydrothermal fed lake. Before completing our loop, we will walk past enormous boulders, which are home to a colony of yellow-bellied marmots. If we are lucky, we may see them basking in the sun.

Day 2 Yellowstone National Park

Start your day with one of the most beautiful hikes in the park, a walk to the summit of Mt. Washburn at over 10,000 feet. The trail to the summit travels through picturesque subalpine parkland where wildflowers cover the grass and bighorn sheep are sometimes seen grazing in nearby meadows. Enjoy spectacular views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone – a giant rift in a landscape of forested hills - and Yellowstone Lake, the Teton Range, and Electric Peak. From here, we’ll drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for a short stroll out to Artist Point for phenomenal waterfall views.

Day 3 Yellowstone National Park

Today we’ll kick off our hiking day with a visit to one of the Park’s most iconic features – Mammoth Hot Springs – where we will view steaming travertine terraces streaked with colourful microorganisms. From here, we will leave the crowds behind and head out on the Beaver Ponds Trail where we will hike through a forest that is home to a variety of wildlife including bears before we reach small ponds where it’s possible to spot waterfowl. Take in the scenic view from grassy hilltop as you keep an eye out for pronghorn, deer, and elk.

Day 4 Yellowstone National Park

Begin your day in the Upper Geyser Basin where you’ll be able to take in some of the park’s most famous features, including Old Faithful. Next we’ll travel a few miles down the road for a hike out to Lone Star Geyser. This is a beautiful hike along the aptly named Firehole River to the largest backcountry geyser in the park: Lone Star Geyser. Lone Star is found in a clearing surrounded by dense forest and erupts from a shed-sized cream-coloured mound. The geyser erupts around every three hours and a log book is kept nearby so we’ll know when the next eruption is set to occur.

Day 5 Yellowstone National Park

Our final day’s hike takes us through classic Yellowstone meadows and lodgepole pine forests to Fairy Falls, a 200-foot waterfall plunging off a pine-studded cliff. After we soak up the sights and sounds of Fairy Falls, we will end our tour with a stop at the Grand Prismatic overlook. The Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States and one of the most iconic features in the park. It is a great way to close out our Yellowstone adventure. Our hiking adventure concludes with a relaxing shuttle ride back to Jackson where your trip will come to an end at approximately 7 pm.