For the purposes of this guide, I've divided the park trails into three categories: corridor, wilderness, and rim. In the Grand Canyon, most of the rim trails and all of the corridor and wilderness trails are considered part of the Backcountry.
Ranger Stations & Emergency Phones--Backcountry ranger stations are found at Indian Garden, Phantom Ranch, and Cottonwood Campground (in summer only). Emergency phones, connected to the park's 24-hour dispatch, are in front of each of the ranger stations and the rest houses along the Bright Angel Trail and near the intersection of the South Kaibab and Tonto trails. On the North Kaibab Trail, an emergency phone can be found near Roaring Springs.
Corridor Trails -- When descending into the canyon for the first time, even experienced backpackers should consider one of the three corridor trails, North Kaibab, South Kaibab, or Bright Angel, discussed in detail below. Well maintained and easy to follow, these are regularly patrolled by park rangers. Each has at least one emergency phone and pit toilet. Drinking water is available at several sources along both the Bright Angel and the North Kaibab trails, but not on the South Kaibab. (Some of these sources are seasonal.) Check at the Backcountry Information Center for current water availability before starting your hike. While hiking the corridor trails, you can spend your nights at Bright Angel, Cottonwood, or Indian Garden campgrounds, each of which has a ranger station, running water (seasonal at Cottonwood), and toilets.
Wilderness Trails -- By hiking on corridor trails, you can acclimate yourself to the conditions in the canyon without having to negotiate the boulder-strewn and sometimes confusing wilderness trails, which also go into the canyon. Rangers are seldom encountered on these trails, which are not maintained by the park. These trails have washed away in some places; in others, they descend steeply through cliffs. They can be difficult to discern. On the less-traveled wilderness trails, help can be very far away if something goes wrong.
The corridor trails provide access to backcountry campgrounds, but most wilderness trails accommodate only at-large camping, meaning that it's up to each hiker to find his or her own campsite. Unlike the campgrounds, the campsites along wilderness trails do not have purified water or ranger stations nearby, and only a few have pit toilets. On the busiest wilderness trails, campers may be limited to designated sites.
Rim Trails -- As the name implies, rim trails travel on the rim of the canyon rather than descending to the canyon's interior. Some rim trails stay inside the park's developed areas. These are usually paved, with relatively gradual inclines. These trails can be very busy, but they sometimes afford nice views. Other rim trails go farther away from developed areas and into the nearby piñon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir forests. These trails have a few rugged, steeply rolling stretches, but most are quite manageable. Many of these trails lead to scenic canyon overlooks and are often uncrowded.
