Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
Be sure to get an early start to hike down before it gets too hot and sunny!
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
A series of relatively gentle switchbacks takes hikers down toward the river.
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
Be on the lookout for deer, cacti, and bighorn sheep as you hike down into a lush desert ecosystem.
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
After passing Indian Garden Campground, the trail flattens out and follows an exposed desert plateau for almost 2 miles.
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
The deep shadows of the canyon that surrounds hikers as they descend are incredible!
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
Plateau Point provides a fantastic way to experience the Grand Canyon without hiking all the way down to the river.
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
Plateau Point is a great stop for lunch before heading back uphill for a 3,000-foot ascent.
Emily Pennington
Photo Date: 
12/30/2018
From this high-up vantage point, trekkers can really grasp how the Colorado River carved the canyon deep into the rock for millions of years.