Bright Angel Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildlife

Bring plenty of water and food, and allow more time than you think you'll need for a run of any distance along this trail. Drinking water is available at the trailhead, seasonally at 2 resthouses along the way to Havasupai Gardens (turned off mid-Fall to mid-Spring), and at Havasupai Gardens year round. Hiking rim to river and back in a day is not generally recommended, and is definitely not a good idea in the hot months of May-September.

This trail is nicely graded, but it does drop nearly 4,500' over its course. That's 4,500' you'll have to gain to get back out... Bring your climbing legs!!

While the South Kaibab Trail follows a ridge line, the Bright Angel Trail follows the head of a side canyon. 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. These features make the Bright Angel Trail appealing to those interested in geology and in viewing wildlife.

The majority of this trails elevation change takes place in the upper four miles of trail via a series of switchbacks that can seem endless. Be sure to utilize the resthouses and seasonal water sources along the way (there are composting toilets at both the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse and the Three-Mile Resthouse). Whether ascending or descending, it is worthwhile to take breaks regularly. Approaching Havasupai Gardens, the trail flattens out considerably as it crosses the shaley and desolate Tonto Platform.

Havasupai Garden is an oasis in the canyon used by Native Americans up to modern times. Drinking water is available here, as are restrooms and bountiful shade beneath large cottonwood trees. There is also a backcountry campground (permits required for camping) and a staffed ranger station. Take time to rest and recuperate here, both on the way down and on the way back up.

Below Havasupai Gardens, the trail follows a creek through a meandering gully of water sculpted stone and shimmering cottonwood trees. The trail becomes steep once again where this gully empties into the broad, bowl-shaped Pipe Creek drainage. This section of trail, affectionately referred to as the Devils Corkscrew, is brutally hot during the summer months and should therefore only be attempted during the early morning or late evening hours. There are no potable water sources between Havasupai Gardens and Bright Angel Campground. A composting toilet is located near the River Resthouse.

From the Pipe Creek/River Resthouse area to Bright Angel Campground, the River Trail traverses exposed sand dunes for over a mile until reaching the silver bridge across the Colorado River. Again, during hot weather, these sand dunes become a dangerous slog.