Hiking to 3-Mile Resthouse at the Grand Canyon: Getting Acquainted with Trails Below the Rim

From the first moment I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon, something came alive inside me. As I stared down over 4,600 feet to the ribbon of river flowing below I found myself drawn to a new mission and verbalizing that “someday, I’m going to hike down there.” Since that afternoon on a Spring day in 2022 I have spoken of a rim to river hike as a must-do personal challenge. Where this unexplainable urge came from I have no idea, but the determination I have to someday accomplish it has become a non-negotiable.

I’ve loosely planned my desired route, the preferred timeframe and have trained on and off in a continuous loop of taking on the challenge to prepare for such an adventure. While I’m still not ready for a full rim to river, mainly due to timing and availability, this Spring we decided to get our foot in the door…er canyon, and hike below the rim for the first time as a sampling of the decent and climb.

Hiking to 3-Mile Resthouse

In true weekend warrior fashion, we woke up at 5am on a Friday, drove five hours until we reached the park, and then beginning at Bright Angel Trail we set out on our hike to 3-Mile Resthouse.

With a late morning arrival, the crowds at the trailhead were already forming and it took a little slow maneuvering to get through the groups of people standing on the trail for us to begin our route. Making our way beyond the heavier trafficked beginner stretch and seeing the immense distance between us and the trails below as we entered the first of many switchbacks, I felt a similar rush of adrenaline I have reaching the drop in off a ski lift. It's that rush of excitement for the fun you know lies ahead mixed with a dash of anxiety as your mind just begins hyper focusing on making sure you don’t fall. With the narrow cliff-side trail and hundreds of feet to go, you can bet there was a lot of mental emphasis on the don't fall part.

The trail itself, though well maintained is narrow and built up with reenforced stair sections to prevent erosion. Though narrow, the trail is wide-enough to comfortably pass other hikers and most switchbacks hold a populated group of hikers pausing to catch their breath.

Even on one of the most popular trails in the Grand Canyon, as we hiked the 2,162-feet of decent to our destination, I could not help but think about how we were already taking on an experience that so many visitors to the canyon rarely enjoy. Of the 4.5-5 million annual park visitors the Grand Canyon receives, only 1-5% ever hike below the rim, and of that small percentage, a majority of the hikers trek less than a mile down before turning around. It's impossible to not stand within the Grand Canyon and not feel overwhelmed with gratitude. The endless sights, sounds of the wind and birds, and being able to experience this natural wonder in such a physical way was truly magical.

By the second mile and already 40 minutes into our hike, my knees were becoming aware of the constant downward steps and impact, so by the time we reached mile 3 and our destination for the day, the promise of a moment for some flat ground and a stop for lunch was a welcome invitation.

Hiking just beyond the resthouse itself, we found a more isolated lookout with endless views. Perched against a giant rock, we sat down for a picnic lunch: dried pineapple, walking tamales, Honey Stinger waffles and lemonade LMNT, under the right conditions like this, a hiking lunch can easily feel gourmet. With almost total silence beyond birds singings, we enjoyed the sprawling scenic views and the comically tall walls of the canyon that rose up toward where we had just hiked, even this short distance already felt like an incredible feat.

Despite the distance we had already traveled as we looked ahead to the Havasupai Gardens stop below, we both felt capable and excited of adding additional mileage to the days journey, but today was not the day to challenge our plans or push limits. This simple overnight trip was about getting on the trail and building up a taste for what the canyon had to offer.

Feeling rested and restored of energy from the heat and steap decline, we took one last look around, appreciated the convenience of vault toilets, and headed up the switchbacks to experience the altitude gain of the trail. A cardio workout that acquaints you with your lung power and pulse rate, the climb out of the canyon was exactly what we expected and yet surprisingly very doable for the days’ mileage and already long hours. The final mile definitely felt like the toughest part of the climb and I can only image how it will feel on our next trip when we hike even further down. Adding in the need to navigate around sightseers and tourists, the once peaceful atmosphere soon faded, but after 4 hours and 6.19 miles we reappeared at the trailhead. Now bustling with visitors we shared a high five and were nothing but smiles at the experience.

https://youtu.be/V6qK3GPDR7s

Closing Out the Trip

After a short drive from the trailhead, we were all set up at Mather Campground for the night and ready to enjoy a well earned happy hour and camp dinner before calling it a day. The exhaustion from the day plus the temperature drop amongst the trees meant it was time to bundle up in puffy jackets and let heavy eyes dictate when bedtime was, but not before enjoying the cooler night air for a few moments of photographing the stars and tree lines that surrounded us.

In the morning we broke camp, said hi to the local Elk residents and enjoyed a hot breakfast at the Harvey House Cafe at the Bright Angel Lodge. Built in 1935, by the Fred Harvey Company and designed by architect Mary Colter, the history of this lodge brought a pretty neat full-circle connection to our 2025 Spring trip to the Painted Desert Inn at Petrified Forest National Park, which had been taken over by Fred Harvey and his team in 1947, and was also designed by the legendary architect Mary Colter.

With breakfast complete, we hit the road for the five-hour drive back to Vegas.

There’s no denying that this 38-hour expedition was exhausting, but it was a small price to pay and the challenge was worth every mile for the spark it relit. It was the perfect preview of what’s still in store for future hikes. Even with the knee and cardio workout, there's no doubt that this taste for the canyon fueled the fire for deeper treks below the Grand Canyon's rim and solidified my ultimate goal to someday complete a rim to river hike at the Grand Canyon to the banks of the Colorado River.