Hiking the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point in Grand Canyon National Park
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
Elevation Change: 790 ft. / 241 m
The South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Ahh Point is one of the most beautiful and iconic day hikes on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park!
This is because Ooh Ahh Point on the South Kaibab Trail is a relatively quick viewpoint to reach—at only 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the trailhead—and because there are no similar viewpoints that are as easily accessible on the adjacent Bright Angel Trail.
That said, every hike below the rim of the Grand Canyon should be done with due consideration for the physical ability of your entire group and the season in which you’re visiting the park, as midday hikes during the hot summer season are highly discouraged by the National Park Service and the volunteers who assist them.
However, both sunrise and sunset are two of the best times to hike to Ooh Ahh Point throughout the year, which you can read more about at the end of this article.
South Kaibab Trailhead Parking
Parking for the South Kaibab Trail is located in one of two places.
First, parking can be found along Desert View Drive, adjacent to the Pipe Creek Vista viewpoint, or at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, as private vehicles are not allowed to park at either the South Kaibab Trailhead parking lot or Yaki Point.
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 down to Ooh Aah Point—granted that you aren’t hiking the trail for 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 South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point
The South Kaibab Trail begins at the origins of Pipe Creek Canyon, where the trail immediately starts its 4,780-ft. (1,457 m) descent from the canyon rim to the Colorado River at the bottom.
That said, the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point only drops about 790 ft. (241 m) of this descent over just the first 0.9 miles (1.4 km).
While this sentiment is certainly only true during the off-season months (October - April) and on the uppermost elevations of the Grand Canyon, the importance of wearing micro-spikes on any of the steep descents below the rim certainly cannot be overstated.
I say this from my own experiences hiking in the winter off-season, when the trails below the rim are significantly more challenging and more dangerous than the warmer months.
Initially, the South Kaibab Trail descends 10 short but steep switchbacks, losing about 200 ft. (61 m) in the first 0.3 miles (0.5 km).
Shaded area just like this are notorious for hanging onto to snow, which often turns into slick ice in the spring when temperatures climb above freezing during the day but drop again overnight.
Some hikers may prefer to hike with trekking poles, which can certainly be useful for both the steep descent and the climb out.
After the 10th switchback, the South Kaibab Trail becomes much straighter as it winds its way along the cliffs below Yaki Point to Ooh Aah Point, about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) away.
Signs just like this can be found on a variety of routes below the rim of the Grand Canyon, which I can confidently say come from a good place.
I have seen hikers rescued during the heat of summer, as well as airlifted from the bottom of the canyon during the cooler, off-season months, because people of all abilities severely underestimate their hiking abilities and the elevation change, since the descent is so easy!
All this to say, know your limits before hiking below the rim of Grand Canyon.
If you know where to look down Pipe Creek Canyon, you can see the Bright Angel Trail making its way to the Colorado River, as the entire lower third of the trail follows this corridor.
After rounding this corner at the 0.7-mile (1.1 km) mark, Ooh Aah Point becomes visible in the distance for the first time!
Ooh Ahh Point
After 0.9 miles (1.4 km), the South Kaibab Trail reaches Ooh Ahh Point, which is renowned as one of the most beautiful viewpoints across all of Grand Canyon National Park—especially when hiked for sunrise or sunset!
That said, both sunrise and sunset are easily the two best times to visit Ooh Ahh Point. However, there is certainly some debate over the better time to visit, which is why I encourage you to read my thoughts about both below.
What is the Best Time of Day to Hike to Ooh Ahh Point?
There’s certainly no question that both sunrise and sunset are the two best times to hike to Ooh Ahh Point, because golden hour brings out the best of the colors in Grand Canyon! However, of these two, I think the answer is easy!
Sunrise is without a doubt the best and most beautiful time of day to hike to Ooh Ahh Point, because of the way it lights up Cedar Ridge, O'Neill Butte, and the Grand Canyon at large—compared to sunset, when these nearby landmarks are more shaded.
On top of this, sunrise is also the least crowded time to visit Ooh Ahh Point, as the South Kaibab Trail sees far fewer day hikers and trail runners compared to midday and sunset.
In either case, be sure to pack a good headlamp for the steep hike in the dark.
Ooh Ahh Point to the North Rim
If you’re curious about hiking past Ooh Ahh Point to any section of the South Kaibab Trail, or all the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I encourage you to check out my separate posts linked below.
I have hiked and written about the entire Bright Angel Trail, the South Kaibab Trail, and the North Kaibab Trail—effectively completing all three routes that make up the Grand Canyon’s iconic Rim-to-Rim corridor.
Read My Separate Posts: Bright Angel to North Kaibab / South Kaibab to North Kaibab (Coming Soon)
