Bright Angel Trail
Bright Angel Trail | |
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Overexertion Dehydration | |
Trail map | |
The Bright Angel Trail is a hiking trail located in Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona.
Description
The trail originates at
Two trails cross or join the Bright Angel Trail, the first being an intersection with the Tonto Trail at Havasupai Gardens, leading toward the Monument Use Area to the west, and to the South Kaibab Trail 4.7 miles (7.6 km) to the east. The second is the River Trail, which officially begins when the Bright Angel Trail reaches the Colorado River at the River Resthouse (although some consider that the Bright Angel Trail officially ends after crossing the Colorado River at the Silver Bridge).
Distance (mi) | Elv (ft) | Location | Trail Junction |
---|---|---|---|
0 | 6860 | Trailhead, South Rim | Rim Trail |
1.6 | 5729 | Mile-and-a-half Resthouse | |
3.1 | 4748 | Three Mile Resthouse | |
4.9 | 3800 | Havasupai Gardens | Tonto Trail Plateau Point Trail |
8.0 | 2480 | River Resthouse, Colorado River | River Trail |
9.5 | 2480 | Bright Angel Campground (via the River Trail) | |
9.9 | 2546 | Phantom Ranch |
Condition
Grand Canyon National Park categorizes the Bright Angel Trail as a corridor trail. With this designation it receives regular maintenance and patrols by park rangers.[2]
Water availability
Water is available from the trans-canyon pipeline at the Mile-and-a-half Resthouse, the Three Mile Resthouse, and Havasupai Gardens. During cooler months (usually October–April) the two higher elevation resthouses are shut off from the water supply to prevent the pipeline from freezing.
Below Havasupai Gardens, both Garden Creek and Pipe Creek flow year-round (perennial). Water is also available at the River Resthouse from the Colorado River. All water from natural sources must be filtered, treated, or boiled prior to consuming.[3]
Camping
Hikers can camp at Havasupai Gardens Campground or at the Bright Angel Campground. At either site, they can stay overnight with a permit issued by the Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Information Center.[4] Overnight use of the campgrounds is regulated by the National Park Service, and they call for a maximum number of groups (7 to 11 people) and parties (1 to 6 people), as well as a maximum total number of persons.[5]
Use permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis from the park's Backcountry Information Center. Requests are taken beginning on the 1st day of the month, up to four months before the requested first night of camping.[6]
Hazards
Hazards that hikers can encounter along the Bright Angel Trail include
History
Havasupai
The upper part of the trail was originally built by the Havasupai people for access to the perennial water source of present-day Garden Creek. The Havasupai settled seasonally in this area, previously known as Indian Garden (or Indian Gardens). In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered them to leave the area, to make way for a park.[10] However, it was not until 1928 that the last Havasupai left, forced out by the National Park Service.[11]
In November 2022 the
Ralph Cameron
Kolb brothers
Shortly after this, Emery discovered a photography business for sale in Williams, Arizona. He purchased the business for US$425 (equivalent to about $15,000 in 2023)[15] and moved the operation back to the Grand Canyon. He and Ellsworth began taking photographs of visitors who took the mule rides down Cameron's trail, charging a fee for the pictures. The Cameron family leased a small piece of land nearby to Emery, where the two brothers set up a photography studio in a tent to develop and sell their photos.
The business was profitable and after a few years the Kolb brothers built their permanent studio building on the rim of the canyon. Rock was blasted away to provide the foundation for the building, which is perched slightly below rim level.
Ellsworth left the venture in 1924, but Emery continued operating the studio until his death in 1976. The present-day
Competition with Cameron
To compete with Cameron, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway improved an existing horsethief trail in Hermit Canyon (the Hermit Trail) in 1911. In 1924, the newly created National Park Service began construction of the South Kaibab Trail near Yaki Point as an additional bypass for Cameron's tolls.[16]
National Park Service Control
After a long series of legal battles, the trail was turned over to the National Park Service in 1928.[17]
See also
References
- ^ "Corridor Brochure" (PDF). National Park Service. Sep 2012. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ^ "Backcountry Management Plan, Grand Canyon National Park, Appendix G, Section C, p. 39" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-08-23.
- ^ "Grand Canyon National Park – Hiking FAQ (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov. 2014-08-18. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
- ^ "Backcountry Hiking". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Grand Canyon National Park Use Areas". Kaibab.org. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
- ^ "Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Permit". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
- ^ "The Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ^ "Summer Hiking - Hike Smart". U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "National Park Service" (PDF). Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- ISBN 978-0961464806.
- ^ Biggs, Patricia. "NCGHC: Havasupai". Arizona State University. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
- ^ Marcus, Lilit. "Grand Canyon destination changes 'offensive' name". CNN. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ "Tribe celebrates renaming of Havasupai Gardens". KNAU Arizona Public Radio. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2024-03-10.
- ^ Kolb Brothers Bio Grand Canyon Explorer
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "South Kaibab Trail" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-06-28.
- ^ "Bright Angel Trail". hikearizona.com. 1996-10-20. Archived from the original on 2003-04-12. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
External links
- Grand Canyon National Park, Official site
- Grand Canyon Explorer
- Bright Angel Trail
- Grand Canyon Live Webcams (Bright Angel Trail, Kolb Studio, South Entrance)
- Bright Angel Trail, history and photographs maintained by Arizona State University