Hiking the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab in Grand Canyon National Park
Distance: 5.2 miles / 8.4 km
The Shoshone Point Trail via the South Kaibab Trailhead in Grand Canyon National Park is one of two routes to reach the panoramic viewpoint along the rim of the canyon, and it’s often seen as the alternative route simply because it’s longer.
That said, I think both routes that lead to Shoshone Point are great day hikes for different reasons, which is exactly why I wrote the side-by-side comparison below.
However, regardless of the route, Shoshone Point is one of the best all-around hikes for both sunrise and sunset, which I discuss in more detail at the end of this article.
Shoshone Point Road vs. Shoshone Point via South Kaibab
There are two different routes to hike to Shoshone Point.
Shoshone Point Road
Hiking to Shoshone Point via Shoshone Point Road is the easier of the two ways to reach the rim of the canyon, largely because the hike is much shorter, as the trail follows a mostly flat 1.0-mile (1.6 km) dirt road that leads to the Shoshone Point Picnic Area—the only place in Grand Canyon National Park that can be reserved for private events.
Read My Separate Post: Shoshone Point Trail
Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab
The Shoshone Point Trail via the South Kaibab Trailhead is the longer of the two options at 2.6 miles (4.2 km) each way, but it is undoubtedly more beautiful because it follows the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Note that the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab is commonly used for horseback riding, while also being open to hikers. That said, the most challenging aspect of the hike is, easily, the difficult parking situation at the South Kaibab Trailhead, which you can read about in more detail below.
Shoshone Point Trailhead Parking
Parking is not allowed year-round at the South Kaibab Trailhead.
Instead, hikers wishing to reach either the South Kaibab Trail, the Rim Trail, or the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab, must either park along Desert View Drive, adjacent to the Pipe Creek Vista viewpoint, or at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center.
If you decide to park at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, the free Grand Canyon Shuttle can take you and your group to the South Kaibab Trailhead to begin the hike—granted that you aren’t hiking the trail before sunrise, as the buses typically don’t run that early.
Google Maps Directions: South Kaibab Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Grand Canyon
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Grand Canyon National Park.
Hiking the Shoshone Point Trail
The Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab begins at the same trailhead as the South Kaibab Trail.
That being said, go right immediately after leaving the trailhead to pass through the stables, as the true Shoshone Point Trail begins on the far side of Yaki Point Road.
At this split, go left to stay closest to Yaki Point Road.
At the end of the stables, go left once again to cross Yaki Point Road.
Yaki Point Road
Yaki Point Road is where the true Shoshone Point Trail begins, and from this point to the end of the official trail, hikers should expect to pass mules along the way.
On the far side of Yaki Point Road, the Shoshone Point Trail begins a 0.5-mile (0.8 km) stretch out to the rim of the canyon.
At roughly 0.75 miles (1.2 km), the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab reaches the rim of the Grand Canyon, where hikers can begin enjoying the views from trail.
This is what really sets the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab apart from the route on Shoshone Point Road.
If you decide to hike to Shoshone Point for either sunrise or sunset, which I highly recommend, there are a few things to consider if you want to begin from South Kaibab.
The first is that parking at Pipe Creek Vista will be easier at sunrise as opposed to sunset. However, I think hiking in the dark is more enjoyable after sunset as opposed to sunrise, because it will hopefully be a bit warmer—something that is certainly helpful at these upper elevations during the off-season!
In either case, be sure to travel to the Grand Canyon with a good headlamp, which can be useful both here and for sunrise at Ooh Ahh Point!
The point in the distance is Shoshone Point, and it serves as a good visual indicator for how much further there is to hike.
At about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) into the hike, the Shoshone Point Trail enters a controlled burn zone from 2016.
These areas, again, are why I highly recommend hiking the Shoshone Point Trail with a hooded sun shirt.
After the burn zone, the Shoshone Point Trail continues through a mixed forest dominated by Ponderosa Pine, Pinyon Pine, and Juniper.
The one important thing I haven’t mentioned thus far is the importance of hiking in good weather, here or on any trail in Grand Canyon National Park.
I say this because lightning strikes are not uncommon in the park, and hiking exposed trails, like the Shoshone Point Trail, is never a good idea if the weather is questionable.
This small hill is one of the only places on the entire Shoshone Point Trail with any notable elevation change, as the entirety of the hike is too long to notice the gradual 100 ft. (30.5 m) incline from the South Kaibab Trailhead to Shoshone Point Picnic Area.
Even though bikes are banned on the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab, the mostly flat trail is a great one to consider if you like to trail run, as the uncrowded path—with its views along the canyon rim—is truly second to none, which explains why I love hiking relatively easy trails like this in shoes that are good for both hiking and running.
Toward the end of the hike from the South Kaibab Trailhead, hikers can often be seen at the end of Shoshone Point, but if you decide to hike either trail for sunrise or sunset, having the viewpoint to yourself is almost always guaranteed!
This loop is the end of the official Shoshone Point Trail, and it’s where the social trail to Shoshone Point begins.
By this, I mean that the rest of the Shoshone Point Trail via South Kaibab is not maintained by the National Park Service. Rather, it’s a social trail, much like the nearby Duck on a Rock Trail down the road or others throughout the National Park System, like the Bar Island Loop Trail in Acadia National Park.
That said, go left at this split to find where the Shoshone Point Trail continues to the Shoshone Point Picnic Area.
This is where the unmaintained section of the Shoshone Point Trail continues toward Shoshone Point, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) away.
Even though this final section of the hike is unmaintained, it’s fairly well-traveled, meaning it's not too difficult to stay on track.
Shoshone Point Picnic Area
The Shoshone Point Picnic Area is where the two Shoshone Point Trails become one.
Here, go left to walk past the pavilion and picnic tables, out to the start of Shoshone Point.
Read My Separate Post: Shoshone Point Trail (Road)
This is the final stretch that descends to Shoshone Point.
Shoshone Point
After 2.6 miles (4.2 km), the Shoshone Point Trail via the South Kaibab Trailhead reaches Shoshone Point.
It is here that hikers can enjoy panoramic views to the north and east, which is why Shoshone Point is one of the best sunrise hikes in Grand Canyon National Park!
That said, Shoshone Point is also one of the best sunset hikes in the park, but not for the same reasons.
I say this because the view of sunset is not as direct as sunrise, but what makes Shoshone Point a great sunset hike is the beautiful colors within the canyon to the east that light up at this time of day. This is why viewpoints throughout the Grand Canyon can often be great for both sunrise and sunset, just like Powell Point off the Rim Trail.
