Seclusion and beauty at its best. South Bass trail is a 16-mile, out-and-back hike and is one of the Grand Canyon's best kept secrets.
After driving 20 miles along a four-wheel-drive road, the South Bass trek begins at one of the first commercial trails ever constructed in the Grand Canyon. Now all but abandoned, the South Bass trail will allow you to experience hundreds of years of history from the Anasazi ruins of 1040 A.D. to the William Wallace Bass, one of the early members of the Grand Canyon tourist trade, camp from the early 1900s. This South Bass trail is well intact and will take you to some of the most peaceful places in the canyon.
Aside from the South Kaibab/Bright Angel Loop trip, this is the only other trip that easily allows you a night's stay by camping in the bottom of the Grand Canyon by the Colorado River. Even better though, you will get to spend it on Bass Beach. While there, we will explore many of the ruins of Bass's camp and the Ross Wheeler, a boat abandoned in 1915.
We can camp on the banks of the Colorado River where we may encounter river rafters on a one-night stop. If you don't feel like carrying a backpack to the bottom, we can stay the night on the Esplanade and day hike to the Colorado River with a three-day trip. The hike to the Esplanade is 1.7 miles with a 1,246 foot drop in elevation. Note: the Esplanade is a dry camp (no water) so you may be required to carry additional water for caching.
If you are looking for more adventure, inquire about our South Bass Packrafting Trips!
Number of days: 2 - 3
Mileage: 15.6 miles / 25 km
Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,396 ft / 1,340 m
3 Day Itinerary and Trip Details
4 Day Itinerary and Trip Details
5 Day Packraft Itinerary and Trip Details
Trip Ratings
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Difficulty
6
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OH @#%&!
6
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Solitude
10
