South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

View looking down on the "Red & White" switchbacks descending through the redwall formation, Grand Canyon National Park. This drop is around 400 feet (120 m.) From this point, the trail descends rapidly via this series of switchbacks to the Tonto Platform and Tipoff. There are pit toilets and an emergency phone at Tipoff, but no water.

Hikers seeking panoramic views unparalleled on any other trail at Grand Canyon will want to consider a hike down the South Kaibab Trail. It is the only trail at Grand Canyon National Park that so dramatically holds true to a ridgeline descent. But this exhilarating sense of exposure to the vastness of the canyon comes at a cost: there is little shade and no water for the length of this trail. During winter months, the constant sun exposure is likely to keep most of the trail relatively free of ice and snow. For those who insist on hiking during summer months, which is not recommended in general, this trail is the quickest way to the bottom (it has been described as "a trail in a hurry to get to the river"), but due to lack of any water sources, ascending the trail can be a dangerous proposition.

The redwall formation dates from the Late Early-Middle Mississippian period - 340 million years (Mathis and Bowman, 2005)