The canyon gets hotter as you descend, so a cool morning on the rim doesn’t tell you what the whole hike will feel like. Grand Canyon Conservancy sells both $35 buckets and a $20 beanie in the park and online. The Hike Smart’s lack of a neck flap is worth considering alongside its vents and chin cord.
Our picks
Below the rim$35
T.R. McTaggart · sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy
UPF 50+, vents and a chin cord, in M or XL.
Holds a soak$35
American Needle · sold by GCC
Cotton canvas, the fabric the park says to soak.
For winter$20
Grand Canyon Ornate Destinations Ribbed Beanie
American Backcountry · sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy
A $20 beanie with a Grand Canyon patch.
After the hike$44.99
Grand Canyon National Park Hat
Rainier Hat Co.
Yaki Point at sunset, embroidered across the front.
The river is about 25 degrees hotter than the rim
The South Rim trailheads sit at about 7,000 feet, and Phantom Ranch, down by the river, is at 2,460.
The park’s Weather and Climate page says the air warms about 5.5°F for every 1,000 feet you drop. That puts the river roughly 25°F hotter than the rim, and closer to 30 in summer.
In July the average high at Phantom Ranch is 104°F in the shade, while the same day on the rim is in the 80s. The park says full sun feels 15°F to 20°F hotter than the shade, and inner-canyon highs can pass 110°F.
So if you’re going below the rim, pick the hat for the bottom of the hike.
Soak your hat, and bring the water to do it
Wear clothing that holds water well (cotton is great in the desert!), and if possible, wear a hat or bandana that you can soak frequently.
Water availability needs checking before you plan on soaking a hat along the way.
The park’s Key Hiking Messages page says every water station below the rim has been off since September 28. The only drinking water on the corridor trails is in tanks at the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trailheads.
A flash flood on August 29 closed Phantom Ranch, the North Kaibab, the South Kaibab below the Tip-Off and both river bridges, and none has a reopening date.
The Bright Angel is open to the River Resthouse, so you can still get to the hottest part of the canyon. Carry all the water you’ll drink, plus some to pour on your hat.
The park also wants you off the trail between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in summer. Most of the people it treats for heat illness were hiking in that window. Its June 2026 warning asks kids under eight, adults over 65 and anyone with a medical condition to come in a cooler season.
The Hike Smart bucket is nylon and dries fast, so a soak won’t last long. The cotton bucket holds water longer.
What to look for
Wear a hat with a circumferential brim ≥3 inches (approximately 75 mm) wide that shades the face, neck, and ears. Do not rely on standard baseball caps.
The CDC says a cap with ear and neck flaps works too. Either way, the hat has to cover your neck.
Then look for a chin cord, because spring at the canyon is windy, with gusts over 40 mph some days.
Vents help, but a UPF rating may not cover the mesh, and the Hike Smart bucket’s listing doesn’t say whether it does.
Summer hats
Best for a summer day below the rim
Hike Smart Bucket Hat
T.R. McTaggart, sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy
- Style
- Nylon bucket hat with mesh vents; brim width not stated
- Design
- Round Grand Canyon Hike Smart patch on the front
- Made of
- 100% nylon, water repellent, with mesh vents and a wicking sweatband
- Fit
- Chin cord and rear draw cord; sizes M and XL only
- Sun
- UPF 50+ (seller's claim); the listing doesn't say whether that covers the mesh
- Giving
- Sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy, the park's nonprofit partner, which says purchases help protect the park
The vents and chin cord make this the more practical hiking shape of the two buckets. Grand Canyon Conservancy lists a UPF 50+ rating and sells it with the park’s Hike Smart patch, with purchases supporting its work in the park.
Downsides
It only comes in M and XL. Nylon dries fast, so wet it again at every stop.
Best for a hat that holds a soak
Bucket Hat with Embroidery
American Needle, sold by GCC
- Style
- Unstructured wide-brim bucket hat
- Design
- Embroidered patch
- Made of
- 100% cotton soft-wash canvas
- Fit
- Adjustable locking cord; S/M (57 cm) or L/XL (59.5 cm)
- Sun
- None claimed
- Giving
- Sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy, the park's nonprofit partner
The cotton canvas holds a soak longer than the nylon Hike Smart, which fits the park’s advice for cooling off in dry summer heat. It costs the same $35 from Grand Canyon Conservancy, with an embroidered patch and a choice of S/M or L/XL.
Downsides
Cotton is heavy and slow to dry, so it’s a hat for heat and one to leave home on a cold, wet day.
Winter hats
Winter on the South Rim means highs in the 40s and lows in the teens, sometimes below zero, and it can snow into May. The North Rim is closed to cars from December 1 to May 14.
Bring a beanie, but it warms up as you go down. Phantom Ranch’s average January high is 57°F in the shade.
Pack a brimmed hat for the bottom too, and sunglasses for glare off snow.
Skip cotton in winter, because the park’s winter hiking page says it holds sweat against your skin and speeds up hypothermia.
Grand Canyon Conservancy’s adult beanies are all acrylic, and so is Pendleton’s. You’ll sweat on the climb out, so pull yours off before it’s soaked and put it back on at the top. More park beanies are in our guide to national park beanies.
Best for a cheap beanie for the rim
Grand Canyon Ornate Destinations Ribbed Beanie
American Backcountry, sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy
- Style
- Ribbed knit beanie, stone color
- Design
- Faux leather patch with a Grand Canyon design
- Made of
- 100% acrylic
- Fit
- One size fits most
- Giving
- Sold by Grand Canyon Conservancy, the park's nonprofit partner
This ribbed beanie with a faux leather Grand Canyon patch costs $20 at Grand Canyon Conservancy.
Downsides
It comes in one size, with no measurements given.
Best for a beanie souvenir
National Park Stripe Beanie
Pendleton
- Style
- Cuffed knit beanie
- Design
- Park stripes on the turn-back cuff; seven park colorways
- Made of
- Acrylic
- Fit
- One size, pull-on
- Care
- Hand wash cold, dry flat (Pendleton says)
- Giving
- Pendleton says it supports the National Park Foundation, nearly $2.4 million so far
- Made in
- USA, of imported material (Pendleton says)
- Reviews
- 4.5 from 77 reviews on Pendleton's site
Grand Canyon Blue carries the park’s stripes around the cuff, a different look from the Conservancy’s patch beanie. Pendleton says it has given nearly $2.4 million to the National Park Foundation.
Downsides
It’s $15 more than the Conservancy’s beanie, and you have to hand wash it and dry it flat. Some buyers say the top is boxy and doesn’t sit close to the head.
Souvenir hats are for the rim
The Conservancy’s store sells a couple dozen caps for $25 to $45, and since none has a sun rating, they’re for the rim and the drive home.
For other parks and makers, see the best national park hats.
Best for after the hike, or a cool rim walk at sunrise
Grand Canyon National Park Hat
Rainier Hat Co.
- Style
- Structured mid-profile 5-panel snapback
- Design
- Panoramic embroidery of a South Rim sunset from Yaki Point across the front and sides
- Made of
- 100% cotton crown in heather gray
- Fit
- Plastic snapback; one size
- Care
- Hand wash only
- Giving
- Rainier Hat Co. says it donates 100% of profits to national park nonprofits
- Reviews
- 5.0 from 1 review on Rainier Hat Co.'s site
It’s a structured cotton cap with a Yaki Point sunset embroidered across the front and sides, but it has no UPF claim and nothing over your ears or neck. Grand Canyon Conservancy sells the same hat as its Grand Canyon Embroidered Panoramic Hat for $45, and the Rainier Hat Co. page has more on the brand.
Downsides
It’s $45 from either store and comes in one size. It’s hand wash only, and Rainier Hat Co. suggests spot cleaning. The back of the embroidery isn’t lined.
Zion has the same July heat and a river to wade in. Our Zion hiking hat guide covers the Narrows and Angels Landing.
For souvenir caps as well as brimmed hats, see Grand Canyon National Park hats. Our bucket hat comparison includes other parks, fabrics and sizes.