Arizona Trail Section Hike: Passages 37 through 39 (The Grand Canyon!)
The Arizona Trail runs 800 miles from Mexico to Utah through the state of Arizona. The trail is divided into 43 passages. In this article I share a 56.3 mile portion I hiked in passages 37 through 39, which is the sections that run through Grand Canyon National Park. In this series we are covering each section I hike. I am hoping I can provide tips and insights into how you can spend an afternoon to a few days at a time on this trail that stretches from Mexico to Utah! Or for a few months as a thru-hiker! This is my Arizona Trail Section Hike Passages 37 through 39 guide, I hope you enjoy :).
IF HEADING NOBO (NORTHBOUND) PASSAGE 37 BEGINS AT THE Grandview Lookout Tower near Grand Canyon National Park in ARIZONA. Passage 39 ends with the boundary of the National Park with the Kaibab National Forest. THE ARIZONA TRAIL ASSOCIATION PROVIDES DETAILED GPS COORDINATES AND MAPS FOR EACH PASSAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE. IT’S A GREAT RESOURCE! I hiked these Passages in Reverse over the course of five years! I hiked Passage 39 and the second half of Passage 38 in 2018, the rest of Passage 38 in 2023, and Passage 37 in May of 2024! This is an iconic hike that people travel from all over the world to do, it also happens to be a portion of the Arizona Trail! Passage 38 is the Iconic Rim to Rim Hike and the most famous passage of the entire AZT.
Arizona Trail Section Hike Passages 37 through 39 Need to Know’s:
This section hike includes the unbelievable adventure of a Rim to Rim Hike in Grand Canyon National Park!
If hiking NOBO you will gain an additional 1,000 feet in ascent by hiking out the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Many Rim to Rim hikers go North to South for that reason. Either way you have at least a 4,500 foot elevation gain!
Grand Canyon National Park holds a limited amount of campsites at campgrounds “below the rim”. These are at Bright Angel Campground and only available during the Spring Thru-Hiker Season April 4th through May 31st. Learn more HERE!
I have done the Rim to Rim hike in one day but that was as a day hiker. Carrying a fully loaded backpack would make this extremely difficult, this is one of the few spots on the AZT where you should truly consider “thinking ahead” of where you will be camping.
There is seasonal water available, already purified woo hoo, along passages 37 and 38. Both above and below the rim. There is not additional water as you go down the South Kaibab Trail but there is at Phantom Ranch.
Passage 37 includes paved miles in Grand Canyon National Park. I rode my bike for this portion up to the South Kaibab Trailhead!
Passage 38 is the most famous section of the Arizona Trail, and I would argue that it is more famous than any section on the Appalachian Trail (sorry Mount Washington) and rivaled with the PCT for the most famous section of any scenic trail. (Yosemite National Park’s Muir Trail portion might rival it.) Regardless get ready to hike with a LOT of people!
The North Rim can be snowed in as late as mid-May and as early as mid-October and services don’t open on that side of the park until May 15th typically. The roads to the North Rim close based on weather and it varies in the fall if you are hiking then.
GPS and Map Coordinates for Passage 37 can be found HERE.
GPS and Map Coordinates for Passage 38 can be found HERE.
GPS and Map Coordinates for Passage 39 can be found HERE.
Hiking the North Kaibab Trail pre sunrise!
What else happened that was memorable during this Arizona Trail Section Hike?
(Beyond the fact that you are hiking Rim to Rim in Grand Canyon National Park of course!)
We meant Rim to Rim to Rim Trail Runners on this hike! That is doing this thing twice while jogging :).
Passage 37 was the FIRST passage that I hiked a portion of AND biked a portion of.
I have hiked Passage 38 with my best bud Matt the first time I did it, I ran support and hiked half of passage 38 while my wife did it with our dear friend Kim, and I hiked the first half of Passage 38 solo for three times through this passage.
You meet people from all over the world on this hike, and while I love the thru-hiking community, I find it pretty amazing to see how iconic the Grand Canyon is to people from all over the planet.
Passage 39 is quiet, easy, and in complete solitude compared to the crowds, ascents/descents, and unforgettable moments below the rim and entering the Grand Canyon during passages 37 and 38.
Tusayan and Grand Canyon Village are Trail Towns that that are also National Park Villages more or less. They are untraditional trail towns on this action packed section of the trail.
Passage 38 is one of my FIVE favorite day hikes in the entire world so there’s that ;). Enjoy!
Passage 38 is probably the easiest section of the trail (that I have hiked) to follow.
WHAT GEAR DO I USE AND LIKE THE MOST ON MY AZT SECTION HIKES?
Hoka One Kaha’s and Hoka Two GTX’s are my trusted shoes.
I use my REI 40 Liter Backpack.
Darn Tough Vermont and Merino Wool Socks from REI and SmartWool are my go to’s.
Osprey Water Bladder and Lifestraw Collapsible Filter for hydration.
I wear New Balance and Nike running shorts mainly and much prefer that to more typical hiking shorts. I also wear sun hoodies that I got from my crew at Scioto Made.
The Arizona Trail Association is a COMPLETE and comprehensive guide. Use it!
I carry a Garmin GPS and if I were to be a thru hiker I would use the Farout (used to be Guthook) App as well.
Rapid fire descriptions for each of these passages on the Arizona Trail!
Passage Thirty-seven: Climb the Lookout Tower, Tusayan Trail Town, Enter the GRAND CANYON, Pavement, VIEWS.
Passage Thirty-eight: Rim to Rim Hike, Phantom Ranch, Purified Water from the faucet in abundance, 4.5k feet DOWN, 5.5k feet UP, and of course…the mighty Colorado River you walk over!
Passage Thirty-nine: The NORTH Rim, solitude, peace, back in the flats, STILL in the Grand Canyon, buffalo!
I did this 56.3 mile stretch of the AZT during three days of hiking and one half day of biking with a four year gap between starting and finishing the section! It’s the GRAND CANYON, it can’t get much better than this. It’s so stinking cool the Rim to Rim Hike is part of the Arizona Trail. This is a great section if you live in or near Flagstaff/Sedona/Page Arizona or Las Vegas Nevada.
Thanks for reading and happy trails to you! Whether you are planning a thru, section, or day hike…or are a trail town local, trail angel, or just someone wanting to learn more about the Arizona Trail…I hope the AZT gives you what you need! Don’t forget to Leave No Trace and pack your 10 Essentials!
Comment below with questions or your experience on hiking the AZT’s Passages 37, 38, and 39.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R