Bright Angel itinerary
The stops on the Bright Angel route, in order, with the elevation at each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Bright Angel Campground permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Bright Angel. One reservation is one date, one entry or one named site, issued by lottery.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. South Kaibab Trailhead is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 7
- Published route length
- 9.5 mi
- Published ascent
- 4,380 ft
How long it takes: 2-3 days. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are listed in route order. The mile figures published for them do not fit one line along the route, so this page leaves them out rather than print a distance that puts a stop in the wrong place.
The Bright Angel route, stop by stop
Stop 1
7,260 ft
South Kaibab Trailhead
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
Shuttle-access only. No private vehicles, no water on the trail.
Stop 2
6,120 ft
Cedar Ridge
Toilets and the first big view down the ridgeline.
Stop 3
5,220 ft
Skeleton Point
First sight of the Colorado River from the South Kaibab.
Stop 4
4,000 ft
The Tip Off
Tonto Trail junction and emergency phone, where the trail drops into the inner gorge.
Stop 5
2,480 ft
Bright Angel Campground
Ranger station, emergency phone, toilets and a waterline-fed tap. 7 miles by South Kaibab, 9.5 by Bright Angel, 14 from the North Rim.
Stop 6
2,546 ft
Phantom Ranch
Canteen and lodge next door. Lodge stays are a separate booking and need no backcountry permit.
Stop 7
3,800 ft
Havasupai Gardens Campground
On the Bright Angel Trail. Ranger station, toilets and a waterline-fed tap. It is the standard extra night if you want to break the climb out.
Getting a Bright Angel for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Bright Angel dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Bright Angel around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.