Bright Angel Trail
The Bright Angel Trail is a hiking trail in the Grand Canyon , Arizona , USA. It leads from Grand Canyon Village on the south rim down to the Colorado River and is the busiest route into the canyon.
Over its entire length it covers an altitude difference of 1360 meters and after 12.9 kilometers it reaches the river, from where, after crossing the river over the Silver Bridge, it leads another 3 kilometers to its end point at the Phantom Ranch . It cuts through all the rock layers of the Grand Canyon and thus geological ages from around 1.2 billion years ago to around 200 million years ago.
The trail is named after Bright Angel Creek , a small, only occasionally water-bearing stream on the north side of the canyon, near the Phantom Ranch.
character
The Bright Angel Trail is the best-developed way down into the canyon and is not only used by hikers, but also by mule caravans with riding guests or to supply the stations in the canyon. Hikers are obliged to give way to the mules. Considerable amounts of dust hang in the air behind a caravan for a long time.
The Bright Angel Trail is the only trail inside the canyon that has drinking water all year round at Indian Garden . Between May and September, drinking water is available through a pipeline at two other locations above Indian Gardens, at one and a half and three miles (2.5 and 5 km). The water must be transported to the water points via a pipeline, so there is no guarantee of availability. The pipelines break several times each season, so that for a few days no water is available outside of Indian Garden.
From the beginning on the south rim of the canyon, the path goes steeply downhill on serpentines until the Tonto Plateau at Indian Garden is reached. There is a year-round spring there, which is why the place has always been used by Indians. When the Grand Canyon development and mining began, the Indian Garden became an important base for miners and prospectors . Today there is one of two National Park Service ranger stations inside the canyon and a simple campsite.
On the Tonto Plateau runs parallel to the slope of the Tonto Trail , on which there is a connection to the South Kaibab Trail (four miles; 7 km) to the east and to the Hermit Trail (twelve miles; 20 km) to the west .
From Indian Garden you can walk almost 2.5 km to the Plateau Point lookout , from where you can see the depths of the canyon and the Colorado River. Or you can follow the Bright Angel Trail further down. The path leads into a very steep incision and below the Tonto Plateau there is a pure desert climate . This can be seen in the sparse vegetation of succulents and yuccas and in the strain on the human body during the strenuous hike.
In contrast to hiking in the mountains, in the Grand Canyon the more strenuous ascent comes after the descent, so you have to calculate more than double the time for the same distance down for the ascent. The National Park Service only runs the Bright Angel Trail as a day tour from the canyon rim via Indian Garden to Plateau Point . Attempting to reach the river and ascend again on the same day is strongly discouraged. Hikers below Indian Garden can be checked by rangers at any time whether they have a backcountry permit for an overnight stay in a campground or a reservation for the only permanent overnight accommodation in the canyon at the Phantom Ranch.
| Distance (km) | Height (m) | Waypoints |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2093 | Starting point, Grand Canyon South Rim |
| 2.6 | 1748 | Mile-and-a-half resthouse |
| 5.0 | 1449 | Three Mile Resthouse |
| 7.7 | 1160 | Indian Garden (campsite, ranger station) |
| 12.9 | 756 | River Resthouse, Colorado River |
| 15.3 | 756 | Bright Angel Campground (via River Trail) |
| 15.9 | 776 | Phantom Ranch |
Web links
- Bright Angel Trail Day Hike - National Park Service
- On the Bright Angel Trail into the depths of the Grand Canyon - feel4nature.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bright Angel Trail . National Park Service. Nov 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ↑ Backcountry Trail Distances . National Park Service. Nov 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ↑ National Park Service: Grand Canyon National Park - Hiking FAQ (accessed January 13, 2020)
- ↑ Bright Angel Trail Day Hiking . National Park Service. Feb 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2016.