The Most Competitive US Hiking Permits: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim

Rim-to-Rim hike quick facts:

• Distance: 24 miles round trip (from North Rim)
• Elevation gain/loss: -6,000, + 4,500 (from North Rim)
• Number of applications in 2023: More than 30,000
• Success rate: 25 percent
• Application window: Monthly
• Apply here

The Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike is a bucket-list adventure with nearly 6,000 feet of descent and 4,500 of ascent, if you start at the North Rim. Unless you’re doing it as a day hike (which is discouraged, but technically allowed), you’ll need an overnight camping permit to complete the route. Permits are required for overnight camping at the three campgrounds along the trail, with Bright Angel being the most central (and most competitive) of the three.

Camping permits are issued through a rolling lottery system 4.5 months in advance. For example, if you plan to hike in May, your application should be submitted on between December 15 and January 1. You can request multiple sites to increase your chances of success. The three campgrounds along the Rim-to-Rim hike are Bright Angel Campground near the Colorado River, Havasupai Gardens (formerly Indian Garden), and Cottonwood Campground. Permits are typically awarded within three weeks of submission, and successful applicants will need to pay a small fee to confirm their space. Any unclaimed permits are made available on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov.

If you can’t get a permit via that method, you can apply for a day-of walk-up permit. They’re one-night permits, available for Havasupai Gardens or Cottonwood campgrounds only. To get one, you’ll need to go to a backcountry office and ask for a waitlist number, then return the next morning at 8 AM, when any unclaimed sites are given out based on numerical order, starting with #1.

Both the North and South Rim Visitor Centers have a backcountry office. They usually open at 8 AM, and it’s not uncommon for people to line up well before that in order to get one of the first waitlist numbers. On rare occasions, you may be able to walk in and just ask for a permit for the next day, if for some reason there are unclaimed spots.

If your waitlist number doesn’t come up, you’re not totally out of luck — you can exchange your number for a new one for the next day. So for example, if you are #6 on Wednesday, but they only have five sites open, you can use your turn to ask for a waitlist number for the next day. Since the permits are distributed as soon as the backcountry offices open, there’s a good chance you’ll get one of the first waitlist numbers (and therefore a campsite) for the next day.

Note that the day-of permits are not intended to be used for rim-to-rim hikes, though technically, you could. That’s because the North Rim office has priority for issuing permits on the north side of the canyon (Cottonwood Campground) and the South Rim has priority for Havasupai Gardens Campground, near the South Rim. Neither issues permits for Bright Angel Campground, which is 9.5 miles from the South Rim and 14 miles from the North Rim. So while you can make a rim-to-rim push using a walk-up permit, the campground won’t be very central, you’ll end up doing the vast majority of your hiking on the second day.

Alternative to the Rim-to-Rim hike

If you don’t want to camp in the Grand Canyon, you can still do a section of the trail as a day hike. The most popular alternative is the Bright Angel Trail to Havasupai Gardens. It starts at the South Rim and has stunning canyon views, but is less demanding than the full Rim-to-Rim hike. It’s about nine miles round trip if you turn around at Havasupai Gardens, with about 3,000 feet of elevation change. You can also continue another 1.5 miles to Plateau Point, which offers breathtaking views of the Colorado River below. If you choose this option, start early to avoid the midday heat and bring plenty of water. You can check this page to see when and where drinking water is available in the park.

Where to stay near the North and South Rims

Grand Canyon National Park has fantastic hotels and rental homes nearby for extended trips, including glamping and stargazing hotels, Airbnbs inside geodesic domes and vintage trailers, and both an Under Canvas and Backland resort. If you’re just planning on doing a day trip to the Grand Canyon, you may want to base yourself in one of these affordable Airbnbs near Flagstaff, Arizona, about 80 miles from the South Rim.