Prepare for Biking the Grand Canyon from the Visitor's Center to Yaki Point

Updated: Jan 28

Do you want to see Grand Views, Elk, California Condor and experience some of the best casual biking in Arizona? These experiences and more are available to you biking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and you are going to find out how right now.

For the video version of this blog post watch here otherwise continue reading below:

You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn more about biking in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We normally discuss beginner hiking in the National parks but today we are going to talk about biking the East side from The Visitor’s Center to Yaki Point. Let’s get Started. Maps we use today are from Google Maps and the National Park Service.

Stay until the end as we will discuss why it is great to bike ride to Yaki Point but now let’s discuss the overall bike trails at the South Rim.

Can you Bike the South Rim of the Grand Canyon?

The Grand Canyon Greenway has about 13 miles of paved asphalt trails built especially for bikes. Note that on these trails you will find hikers, walkers, and the occasional elk. Bikes need to yield to Pedestrians. The bike trails East of Grand Canyon Village are from the Visitor’s center and Campgrounds out to Kaibab Trail and Yaki Point and also South to Tusayan. The Tusayan trail is nice as parking is located south of the entrance station and people can find stress-free parking and bike into the park. Here is a link to the National Park Service Maps so you can research more. Maps - Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Connect with us and let us know what you research for when planning your national park vacation. We’re going to discuss the best reasons to explore the east side with bikes but first let’s briefly discuss rentals.

Can you Rent Bikes at the Grand Canyon?

Renting bikes and e-bikes at the Visitor’s center through Bright Angel Bicycles seemed to be the most convenient method of rental. We noticed a lot of traffic at the rental shop and they offer bike helmets, trailers, and strollers, too. Book Rental Reservations early as they do sell out. They are open 8-5pm in the Summer. Here is a link for you to learn more: Bright Angel Bicycles & Café —Visitor Center Plaza (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

What is it Like Biking the Grand Canyon Along the South Rim?

Here is why biking is great for campers. Next, we’ll discuss the one danger most planners overlook. We stayed in Trailer Village with our RV and biked the east side of the South Rim from there. The accessibility of the Visitor center to the campgrounds via bike is probably better than using your car or shuttle. The trails travel through some amazing forest and if you are lucky you will see elk and other wildlife on the trail. The canyon viewpoints via these trails provide unique views that people going to the visitor center won’t see. The routes from the campground to the Market are less than a mile and the Market to the Visitor’s Center and Mather point at 0.9 miles are convenient, well paved, and just a good time.

Is it Safe to Bike the South Rim of the Grand Canyon?

Coming up we’ll show you the best view on the South Rim and now we’ll discuss traffic. The one danger most people overlook is the vehicle traffic. Normally in National Parks biking with vehicles is reasonably safe. In the Grand Canyon it’s different. The Village is very congested and extremely busy. We would not recommend casually biking through this area and instead stay on the bike trails. Also, drivers are looking for elk and directions and bikers will get overlooked. If you are biking on the roads wear bright reflective clothing and multiple flashing lights.

Can you Bike from the Grand Canyon Campgrounds to Yaki Point?

Now for the best part. East of Trailer Village and Mather Campground are bike trail connectors providing access to the rim trail and South Kaibab. These spurs connect to the Arizona National Scenic Trail. Heading North takes you to the Visitor Center and heading North, then East will take you to South Kaibab Trail. The bike trail has many scenic views including Pipe Creek Vista and South Kaibab Trailhead. The bike trail ends here. Make sure you continue further along Yaki Point Road which is only accessible by shuttle and bikes during the busy season. Less than ½ mile is Yaki Point which has one of the best views in the park. The accessibility of the rim and hiking through the woods to the East is a secret most people don’t know about it. Yaki Point was so quiet a mule deer came up to us by the pit toilet. To continue planning your trip to the Grand Canyon click our playlist or video now