Mile resthouse tip off skeleton point cedar ridge south kaibab trailhead. Hike the bright angel trail to plateau point in grand canyon. While the south kaibab trail follows a ridge line, the bright angel trail follows the head of a side canyon. Department of the interior grand canyon national park arizona. The 10 closest hotels to bright angel trail tripadvisor. The tonto trail winds on, turning the corner north of cope butte. The bright angel trail map 150 kb highlights the bright angel trailhead and the popular turnaround. Where the path hugs cliff walls, you pass beneath lobes of pearly limestone and jagged outcroppings of roseate sandstone, and sometimes through tunnels in the rock itself. Views on the bright angel trail are framed by massive cliffs, and by virtue of being a shadier trail with natural water sources, there is more plant life and animal life along the bright angel trail than on the south kaibab trail. It gives information about hiking the bright angel, south kaibab, and north kaibab trails, as well as permit, planning, leave no trace, and hike smart information.
This iconic lodge and its surrounding cabins are rich with cultural history. Some trails or park services may be closed so check with local authorities before heading out. I had been to gcnp about 6 years about, but wasnt able to hike below the rim since i had a dog with me dogs arent allowed below the rim. Dayhiking the bright angel trail to indian garden in the grand. Plan out your day before heading to angel fire resort or navigate the mountain while youre at the resort with the latest angel fire resort trail maps. This grand canyon trails map of the north rim also contains trail descriptions, mileages, and time estimates. Then and now september 24, 2014 by mike campbell when i look at old canyon maps, one of the things that captivates me is the degree of difference between grand canyons historic and modern trail system. For millions of visitors, bright angel trail hike has become one of the most famous hikes on the planet.
The bright angel trail is considered the parks premier hiking trail. After crossing the river, the trail continues past park buildings and private residences. Bright angel trail elevation advantage grand canyon. North kaibab, south kaibab, and bright angel trails. Dayhiking the bright angel trail to indian garden in the. For anyone considering dayhiking the bright angel trail to indian garden, you must, must, must bring water and enough food to supply you for the 9mile roundtrip hike. Following a natural break in the cliffs formed by the massive bright angel fault, todays bright angel trail approximates a route used for millennia by the many native american groups that have called the grand canyon home. Hiking the bright angel trail, grand canyon james kaiser. The bright angel trail descends the cliffs of the grand canyon beginning at grand canyon village on the south rim.
Trouble is, canyon temps routinely top 110f in summer, and that hellish heatcombined with the exertion of climbing 4,380 vertical feet over 9. Soon after entering the hermit creek drainage watch for the hermit trail junction west of cope butte. Other stretches take you across open desert, amid slopes of greenhued shale. The point is a mustsee feature at the north rim, providing exceptional views into the deep recesses of the canyon below.
The bright angel trail is the most famous of the grand canyon trails and the most popular route for hiking down the grand canyon from the south rim to the colorado river. The bright angel trail offers wonderful views all along the trail making it very easy to lose track of how far down you have hiked. Take this steep trail, which starts just west of the bright angel lodge in grand canyon village, to plateau point for some great views of the river. A party on bright angel trail, grand canyon national park, fred harvey nby 20909. Seasonal trail water may september, subject to pipeline breaks. Bright angel trailhead search nearby added by nick tort. The descentascent is pretty unremitting for the first 4. Bright angel trail grand canyon grand canyon trust. Bright angel point topo maps are provided as pdf files. It is distributed at park visitor centers and backcountry information centers. Although steep and challenging, its wellmaintained and makes a terrific introduction to inner canyon hiking. Backcountry management plan, grand canyon national park, appendix g, section c, p. Visit bright angel trail on your trip to grand canyon.
Your trip will end with a hike on the bright angel trail. It is preferred by most hikers, especially during the blasting heat of summer because it is wellshaded and offers outstanding views. Along with exploring the canyons south rim, make stops at hoover dam and route 66 in arizona to pack even more sightseeing into one day. Day hike bright angel trail grand canyon national park u. Miners improved the trail in 1891 and began charging a toll for others to use it. Some shade on trail, mostly from canyon walls and dependent on time of day. River resthouse to bright angel campground 0 feet 0 m 1. Subscribe to our newsletter and get a free pdf version of this guide. Angel fire resort began in 1966, as a small ski destination in northern new mexico. The bright angel trail hike includes multiple rest stops at various elevations. The bright angel trail is the most popular trail on the south rimand with good reason. Backcountry hiking brochure and map this foldable brochure is for day and overnight inner canyon hikers.
Backpacking the bright angel trail in grand canyon national park has been one of my longtime backpacking goals. Click the image to view a full size jpg 3 mb or download the pdf 650 kb. Select resorts also feature an additional trail map from partner. From the south rim at grand canyon village, it descen. Bright angel trail to bright angel campground and river trail is a 17. Plan on taking twice as long to hike up as it took to hike down. The danger of this trail lies in its easygoing start. It is a very carefully maintained trail, quite smooth. The bright angel trail might be the most popular trail in grand canyon national park, but its still tricky to find. Knowledge, preparation, and a good plan are your keys to.
The path is the main trail used by hikers and mules on their journey through the. Private citizens, the santa fe railway, and government officials contested ownership of the bright angel trail from 1901 to 1928, when control finally passed to the national park service. The bright angel trail is the premier trail in grand canyon national park. Directly next to the kolb studio, begin descending into the depths of the grand canyon along the bright angel trail.
Backpacking the bright angel trail, grand canyon national. Two trails cross or join the bright angel trail, the first being an intersection with the tonto trail at indian garden, leading toward the monument use area to the west, and to the south kaibab trail 4. From rim to canyon floor, from dawn to dusk, with each descending step you are walking back in time. The bright angel trail has the advantage of offering a considerable amount of shade depending on the time of day of which the south kaibab trail offers virtually none. Bright angel trail most traveled hiking trail at the grand. The other grand canyon hike to the bottom from the south rim is the south kaibab trail. Bright angel trail read now upper canyon you have signed up for a trip that involves hiking the bright angel trail. View the trails and lifts at angel fire resort with our interactive trail map of the ski resort.
Bright angel lodge, designed in 1935 by famed southwest architect mary e. Help keep our trails and parks open during covid19 by committing to social distancing. Apr 21, 2010 the bright angel trail is the premier trail in grand canyon national park. My guide to hiking grand canyons bright angel trail. Upper portion of trail may be extremely icy in winter. The bright angel trail is a hiking trail located in grand canyon national park in the u. Enter your info, and we will send a pdf of this blog post to your inbox.
And, of course, it is also used for more ambitious trips down to the colorado river and even rimtorim hikes. A popular day hike is down to indian gardens and return hike to the rim9. Bright angel trail to bright angel campground and river trail. The bright angel trail makes for excellent day hikes, with stops with water and toilet about every 1. Your complete guide to hiking the bright angel trail in the grand. Starting near several popular hotels, it provides convenient access below the rim, offering dramatic views of the inner canyon. The second is the river trail, which officially begins when the bright angel trail reaches the colorado river at. Oct 22, 2012 the bright angel trail makes for excellent day hikes, with stops with water and toilet about every 1.
Hotels near bright angel trail, grand canyon national park on tripadvisor. Hiking the bright angel trail adapted from grand canyon. North kaibab, south kaibab, and bright angel trails revised sep 2012. The bright angel trail begins just west of bright angel lodge and descends all the way to the bottom of the canyon at phantom ranch along the colorado river.
Trails illustrated map, grand canyon national park national geographic. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from september until may. National geographic trails illustrated grand canyon bright. When descending the trail at 6860 ft, the first rest stop named mileanda half resthouse is an elevation loss of 1,1 feet. Only about 1% of people visiting grand canyon national park venture below the rim. Bright angel trail is the most traveled hike at the grand canyon. Following garden creek canyon, one of the many clifflined side canyons of the grand canyon, it loops back and forth across the canyon in seemingly endless switchbacks as it traverses layer after layer of the earths crust. Bright angel trail hiking trail, grand canyon, arizona. The dynamic interplay of soft and hard layers of stone created an open benchland at the rim of the inner gorge. Water is also available on the bright angel trail at the oneandahalfmile and threemile resthouses and again at indian garden 4. This is a more scenic descent route to the bottom of the canyon than the bright angel trail, as it follows a spectacular ridge. Backpack the bright angel trail to indian garden and bright. Top of devils corkscrew to bottom of devils corkscrew. This pocketsized trail guide contains information on the sights, history, and water holes of the bright angel trail.
These features make the bright angel trail appealing to those interested in geology and in viewing wildlife. Pdf files and external links will open in a new window. Click here to download this guide to hiking the bright angel trail as a pdf. Book your tickets online for bright angel trail, grand canyon national park. Early western pioneers at the canyon first built a trail in 1891 to reach mining claims established below the rim at indian. Bright angel trail, grand canyon south rim alltrips. A guide to hiking the bright angel trail howstuffworks. Well maintained, graded for stock, with regular drinking water and covered resthouses, it is without question the safest trail in grand canyon national park. The path is the main trail used by hikers and mules on their journey through the grand canyon to the campground. The complete guide to hiking the bright angel trail, grand.
The trip all the way down and back up is an overnight trip, but there are a series day trips available that go part of the way down and then back up. We are proud to have grown into a fourseason resort offering a memorable rocky mountain experience for families, outdoor enthusiasts and groups. This is a great trail to enjoy views, smooth terrain and water accessibility. The best way to get your first grand canyon backpack under belt in the most epic of ways. Water is also available on the bright angel trail at the oneandahalfmile and threemile resthouses and. Colter, has a natural rustic character and is a registered national historic landmark. Bright angel trail outandback hiking trail, grand canyon. Traveling bright angel trail thrusts you into the story. Phantom ranch, which has cabins, bunkhouses and a dining room. Trekking from rim to river and back is one of the planets iconic journeys, an achievement nearly every grand canyon visitor longs to notch.
Check at visitor center or backcountry information center for water status. Follow signs towards bright angel campground until the trail turns north along bright angel creek around 9 miles. Additionally, the steepness of the trail is very misleading on the way down. Save money on your trip to the grand canyon national park on this tour that includes two meals and roundtrip transportation from las vegas. The trail leads from the rim down to phantom ranch9. Bright angel trail begins at grand canyon village and descends 1,335 m 4,380 ft to the canyon floor. The campground is a little ways up the creek, and camping is by permit only. Unlike ascending a mountain where the difficulty is immediately apparent, this hike descends down into a canyon. Mile and 3mile resthouses are seasonal water sources. The top of the bright angel trailhead is 6,860 feet in elevation for a difference of 4,314 feet about 966 feet shy of one vertical mile.
The bright angel trail is the grand canyon national parks super roadway, located along its south rim. Trail description, elevation chart and tips for hiking grand canyons most famous trail. Bright angel trail grand canyon national park 2020 all. Unlike most hikes where the trail is hidden by ridgelines, valleys, and canyons, this outandback is mostly visible, snaking thousands of feet below in a. National geographic trails illustrated grand canyon bright angel map az paria canyon, kanab vermillion cliffs national monument, grand staircaseescalante national monument national geographic trails illustrated map yellowstone and grand teton national parks map pack bundle.