Trail Review: Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park
Parking: Free parking lots near Bright Angel Lodge or large parking lots near the Visitor Center with easy bus transit to Bright Angel Lodge. Grand Canyon National Park does have a $35 entrance fee. More about the park fees HERE.
Distance: up to 12 miles out & back. This review is for a 3 mile out & back route. For more information on the whole 12 mile trail, visit the NPS website.
The Bright Angel Trail is one of the most popular trails to do at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Because it's a hike into the canyon, you start at the top and descend down. That is something to keep in mind because the hike down is easy. It's the hike back up that you might not realize is difficult. One of the things I noticed as we hiked down into the canyon was how many miserable faces there were coming back up. You really need to be aware of your own limitations because some people were definitely struggling to make it back to the top. The temperature also quickly increases as you descend into the canyon so even though it was in the 70s at the top, it soon got into the 80s by the 1.5 mile rest house. All things to keep in mind as you gauge how far down you should go.
We decided to hike to the 1.5 mile rest house and back, making it a 3 mile round trip hike. And I'm glad that's all we did. The whole hike took us about 3 hours and we were very sweaty/tired by the end. The trail does go all the way down to the Colorado River but the park does NOT recommend doing this whole hike out and back in one day due to elevation sickness and how strenuous it is.
Bright Angel Trail starts just to the west of the Bright Angel Lodge. We found parking in the lot right next to the trail head, but if parking is an issue in the area, there is also a bus system you can take from the visitor center or elsewhere in the park that stops near the lodge.
The thing about the Grand Canyon, is you don't need to hike anywhere to get an amazing view. Right off the bat at the top of the trail, you get this wide expanse of a view that is just incredible. And you'll continue to have this view all the way down!
On the way down, you'll pass through two tunnels that act as a sort of marker. They definitely helped me gauge how far we'd gone and how much farther we had to go (especially on the way back up). A lot of people were using these two spots for their shade as well. There aren't a lot of shade options along the trail so you take it where you can get it.
One thing to look out for on this trail are mules. People can ride them along the trail, so you'll need to get out of their way if a group comes through. We only had this happen once on the way down and there are signs warning you to move toward the inside of the trail to let them pass which is good advice because you certainly don't want a mule to knock you over the edge...
The trail is, for the most part, a wide enough trail where you should be able to pass other people (and mules) with no problem. It does narrow though as you descend farther into the canyon. A lot of the trail also has built in steps for steeper sections. (Interestingly, the dirt color also changes as you get farther down.)
The first rest house is at the 1.5 mile mark and this is where we turned around. The National Park Service says it's a "good turn-a-round for first time canyon hikers, casual hikers, and late starters." It offers water, bathrooms, and an emergency phone.
We also saw a bighorn sheep just chillin' on one of the structures by the rest house!
After resting and refilling your water, head back up the trail to the top of the canyon. Remember to pace yourself and hydrate! Also, the view facing the canyon wall isn't too bad either!
Bottom Line: A very popular trail in Grand Canyon National Park on the south rim. Incredible views along the whole trail. Easy on the way down, but not so easy on the way back up so keep that in mind when deciding how far to go!
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