has anyone ever taken the mule ride down the Grand Canyon?

Question

We're going this year to the Grand Canyon. I want to take the mule ride but no1 im going with wants to. I want to know if it's as fun as i think it would be. I can't do it alone because i'm under 15. (Please only respond if you have.)

Answer 1

I have not actually ridden the mules either, but I hike the canyon frequently, have chatted with a lot of mule riders on my trips, and know a couple of people who have done it.



Most people that I know enjoyed the experience. If you are not a hiker or not in great shape (or just don't feel like hiking), it is the easist way to get deep into the canyon. The guides that go with you are all top-notch and can help point out things in the canyon that you might miss. And of course, it is just kinda fun to be riding along like a cowboy through amazing scenery.



The drawbacks are that it can be a bit sore on your butt, you have to go with the mule train rather than explore at your own pace and it can be a little bit scary swaying back and forth in the saddle along narrow trails with the sense that your life is in the hands (hoofs?) of a mule. :)



I personally like to hike because I can stop where and when I want, take pictures, etc (plus it is good exercise). I would NOT recommend that you try to hike to the river and back in one day if this is your first time to the canyon. Certainly not during summer when temperatures in the inner gorge shoot past 110. If you do hike is summer, avoid being on the trail between 11AM to 3PM - it is just too hot to be enjoyable and you could be putting your life in danger (people trying to hike to the bottom and back in a single day during summer is the number one reason for medical evacuations and is strongly discouraged by the rangers).



Mule or not, I highly recommend that you and your family don't just stay on the rim. To really experience the Grand Canyon, you have to go into it a ways and get the full sense of being in the canyon with walls towering around you. Even if you don't hike or mule all the way to the bottom, there are many easier great day hikes that go part way in (like taking the South Kaibab Trail to Ceder Ridge or the Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs). Even here, take plenty of water and snacks (and sunscreen) and give yourself plenty of time.



And yes, the passenger rides into the canyon are all on mules, not horses. Some of the trail guides and non-passenger pack trains use horses, but all of the paying passenger rides are on mules because they are more sure footed with a big load.



See the link below for one person's experience on a mule ride.

Also, the park service sends people a video tape talking about the ride to people that have reservations. You may be able to get a copy of the tape to see what you (and your family) think.

Answer 2

I have taken a mule ride down the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom on the Grand Canyon, stayed at Phantom Ranch, and then back up on mules on the South Kaibab Trail. It was a trip that I wanted to take for many years and I was so glad to get to do it before the Park Service shut down the Bright Angel Trail to mules. That is a sore point with me and another story which I will not go into here. I will say Ihat I disagree with the Park Services decision to close trail to mules. The mule ride to Phantom Ranch and back was one of the highlights of my life. But I need to reveal that I have owned and ridden horses and mules throughout my life. Much of my ridding has been in the wilderness areas of NW Wyoming. Steep trails and riding large animals is part of my life style. Mules are extremely surefooted and wise trail animals which is why they are used in the Grand Canyon. Those mules are hand picked and the very best. I saw people who had never ridden and even in their 80's who did the ride. I was used to riding so was not sore but many people were very sore after the 2 day ride. I also have to admit that the steep drop offs had a cumulative effect even on me and toward the end of the 2 day ride I focused on the trail and not the drop offs when the mules were rested ( during rest breaks the mules are all turned to face the drop off side of the trail). It is a ride of a lifetime but if you are afraid of heights and large animals it is not for you. For me, I love riding in the wilderness, letting my horse or mule do the work while I enjoy the view.

Answer 3

In my opinion it is more fun to walk down. If you start at 7 am you will arrive at the bottom about 10 am. I have done it about 4 times. But it is hot coming back up. Real hot. It takes a good deal longer to get back to the top than to go down but if you leave by noon you will be back up by 4 or 5 pm. There will be a lot of people hiking down and they will be happy to have you join them or you can walk alone. Pack plenty of water--2 quarts and energy food for the trip back up.



The horses, not mules, are really hard on the rear end. But you will live through it. At least I did not see any mules when I have been there.

Answer 4

I'm 73 and when I was 70 (2014) I rode the mules down to Phantom Ranch with my daughter (46) and daughter-in-law (52). It was a lot of fun. The mules stop frequently on the way down to rest (ditto on the way back up). We wore wide brim hats (chin strap necessary to avoid blowing off and spooking the mules) and I highly recommend a hat. Though it was cold at the rim in April it was hot as we got lower in the canyon. The group stops at Indian Gardens for a box lunch and we soaked our hats in water and had "air-conditioning" for a while until the hats dried out. You stay in darling cabins at the bottom at Phantom Ranch and the dinner that night and breakfast the next morning is served "family style" with all the others either camping or in cabins. You leave for the ride back up to the rim after breakfast and take a different trail back (Kaibab) than when you came down (Bright Angel). It is a shorter ride back than down. A bus meets you at the Kaibab mule barn to drive you back to the mule barn at the village (where you started). It is a breathtaking ride and if you are afraid of heights you may not want to do this. Also, reservations fill up long in advance so if you family knows when they are going to be at the canyon call to see if there is availability for 1 rider. If not, get on the waiting list and check in at the "mule desk" in Bright Angel Lodge lobby as soon as you arrive. Good luck. Jane

Answer 5

No but I bet it's can be really cool. I been twice there it's it's so amazing to be just there and look all around. I been on a plane, And Gosh, I never see something that beautiful.

I know I doesn't help you but well I think you should really try to go on a mule ride. It's an experience first and you don't do that everyday. then do it!!!!

Answer 6

Yes i have.....it hurts your but after a while. Me and a couple of friends took the mule ride..we also went canoeing down the colorodo river. You canoe then when it get's dark you make a camp and stay then the next moring you canoe agian. (it is really fun....) you get to see so many amazing things!!

Answer 7

3 days and nights straight driving. With my family, naturally. We had a Volvo Station Wagon, with a soft foam pad in the back to nap on. Lots of NPR, highway sightseeing, etc. The Volvo was great because it was large enough to move around in so we didn't feel so cramped. This was before the strongly enforced seatbelt rules, however. No AC did make it a touch uncomfortable at times, though. On my own, I've done several long trips in other vehicles. From Seattle to San Francisco in a '77 Chevy Nova (My first car. Bought in 1994) I liked the Nova because it had forced air intake vents for the cabin, so as long as it was under about 95 degrees, highway speed was pretty comfortable. I was following my mom in a Uhaul in that trip. I think I was more comfortable than she was. From St. Lewis to San Francisco in a '89 Nissan sentra. This was shortly after the Federal speed limit was repealed, and before some states got up to posting their own. This trip was with my sister. Turns out we have VERY different tastes in sightseeing. She also tends to panic, and refuses to listen to reason. (We had power issues in New Mexico due to altitude. She was certain we were running out of gas despite the gauge reading 1/4th of a tank.) I had acute tonsilitis during this trip, so it was rather unpleasant for me. From Fairbanks to Anchorage and back several times in my '96 Saturn SL2. The saturn is a good car, excellent mileage and comfortable to drive. However, it is very light. One of my last trips the car was getting blown around by the wake of various Semis it was rather disconcerting. . .