Bright Angel Campground Permit: Route and Dates
Bright Angel Campground permits are drawn by lottery in Grand Canyon National Park. The route covers 9.5 miles.
The park's own words: Bright Angel Campground is by far the most requested below-rim backpacking destination in Grand Canyon National Park.
This guide covers the Bright Angel Campground permit.
$10 permit/lottery application + $15 per person per night
Permit Cost
2-3 days
Duration
9.5 miles
Distance
4,380'
Elevation Gain
strenuous
Difficulty
About Bright Angel Campground
Bright Angel Campground is the campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, half a mile north of the Colorado River along Bright Angel Creek and next door to Phantom Ranch. NPS lists it as 9.5 miles from the South Rim and 14 miles from the North Rim, with a ranger station, emergency phone, toilets and piped water. That tap is fed by the Transcanyon Waterline, and the park's Key Hiking Messages page publishes a live per-location status because, in its own words, these statuses are current but can change suddenly due to breaks in the waterline - it read water OFF due to pipeline break at this campground on August 9, 2026. It is also, in the park's own description, by far the most requested below-rim backpacking destination in the park. Getting a night here means a Grand Canyon backcountry permit, which since January 2024 is run through Recreation.gov on a monthly early access lottery. Applications close at 5 pm MST on the 1st, four months before your start month; the draw happens late on the 2nd and hands the top 750 applicants a timeslot to build an itinerary. You can hold a maximum of two nights per campground per hike, or four from November 15 to February 28. Most trips come down the South Kaibab (7 miles, no water, no shade) and climb out the Bright Angel (9.5 miles, and the only corridor trail with taps - all of them waterline-dependent). Adding a night at Havasupai Gardens on the way out is the standard way to make the climb humane - and Havasupai Gardens is usually easier to get than Bright Angel.
This is the campground at the bottom. It sits half a mile north of the Colorado River along Bright Angel Creek, next to Phantom Ranch, at the point where the North Kaibab, South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails all converge on the only two footbridges across the river in the entire Grand Canyon backcountry. Every rim-to-rim, every rim-to-river, and every corridor itinerary wants a night here, which is why it is the hardest single reservation in the park to get.
The Bright Angel Campground route
- Distance
- 9.5 miles
- Route type
- out-and-back
- Elevation gain
- 4,380 ft
- High point
- 6,860 ft
- Low point
- 2,480 ft
- Trip length
- 2-3 days
- Difficulty
- strenuous
Entry points: South Kaibab Trailhead, Bright Angel Trailhead, North Kaibab Trailhead
Colorado Plateau. Nearest town: Grand Canyon Village, AZ
Points along the route
- South Kaibab TrailheadMile 0, 7,260 ft
- Cedar RidgeMile 1.5, 6,120 ft
- Skeleton PointMile 3, 5,220 ft
- The Tip OffMile 4.4, 4,000 ft
- Bright Angel CampgroundMile 7, 2,480 ft
- Phantom RanchMile 7.4, 2,546 ft
- Havasupai Gardens CampgroundMile 4.5, 3,800 ft
Bright Angel Campground permit detailsandAll Grand Canyon National Park permits
The Experience
Cottonwoods, running water, and walls so high the sky is a strip. You come down through rock that gets older with every hour of walking and end up at a creek you can put your feet in. There is a ranger station, there are toilets, and there is a tap that works whenever the Transcanyon Waterline does - and none of that makes the 4,380 feet back up feel any shorter the next morning.
Two ways down from the South Rim. The South Kaibab is 7 miles from a 7,260-foot trailhead: a ridgeline route with big views, no water, and no shade, past Cedar Ridge at 1.5 miles, Skeleton Point at 3, and the Tip Off at 4.4. The Bright Angel is 9.5 miles from 6,860 feet, tucked into a side canyon along a fault, past Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Resthouses and Havasupai Gardens at 4.5 miles - the only taps on any corridor trail, and all three run off the Transcanyon Waterline.
Most people go down the South Kaibab and climb out the Bright Angel, which is the shortest descent paired with the only climb that has taps on it. From the North Rim, the North Kaibab reaches the campground in 14 miles.
What to Expect
9.5 miles from the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail, or 7 miles via the South Kaibab
14 miles from the North Rim via the North Kaibab Trail
Camp elevation 2,480 feet - a 4,380-foot climb back to the Bright Angel Trailhead
Ranger station, emergency phone, toilets, and a tap that depends on the Transcanyon Waterline
Phantom Ranch canteen next door, booked separately from your permit
Two nights maximum per campground per hike; four from November 15 to February 28
Summer at the river is genuinely dangerous, not just uncomfortable
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Permit Requirements
A backcountry permit is required and must be in your possession while below the rim
Groups larger than eleven people may not camp in the same campground or use area
Two nights maximum per campground per hike (four from November 15 to February 28)
Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited; fossil-fuel backpacking stoves are allowed
Quiet hours 8 pm to 6 am; no smoking within 100 feet of the campground
Pack out all trash including toilet paper
Your permit is void if another group affiliated with yours camps here the same night
Pets are not allowed below the rim
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •3-4 litres of water capacity minimum, and more if you descend the South Kaibab
- •Electrolytes - NPS names hyponatremia as a seizure-producing risk on this trail
- •Sun hat, long sleeves and sunscreen for the exposed South Kaibab
- •Headlamp for pre-dawn starts, which is the only sane way to do this in summer
- •Traction devices for the upper switchbacks in late fall, winter and early spring
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles - the descent is where knees get destroyed
- •A soakable sun shirt or bandana; the park's own advice is to get wet and cool off
- •Camp sandals for Bright Angel Creek
- •Backup water treatment for pipeline outages
- •Rain shell for the July-September monsoon
Hazards & Safety
Heat. Shade temperatures at the rim routinely pass 100°F in summer and it is hotter at the river; NPS advises against hiking 10 am to 4 pm
Hyponatremia from drinking water without replacing salt
No water at all on the South Kaibab Trail
Monsoon thunderstorms and flash flooding in side canyons, July to September
Ice on the upper Bright Angel and South Kaibab switchbacks in winter
The climb out takes roughly twice as long as the descent
Best Time to Visit
March-May and September-November. The river camp is comfortable and the climb out is survivable. Summer at 2,480 feet is the version of this hike that generates rescues. Winter is quiet and the four-night limit applies from November 15 to February 28, but the upper switchbacks ice up and the North Rim approach is closed December 1 to May 15.
Pro Tips
Book Havasupai Gardens as your climb-out night. It splits 4,380 feet into two days and it clears far more often than Bright Angel does.
Cancelled corridor space reappears within 24 hours of the cancellation, and the refund deadline 30 days out is when most of it happens.
Down the South Kaibab, out the Bright Angel. Shortest descent, and the only climb with taps on it - waterline permitting.
Ammo cans and the campground's food storage exist for a reason - ringtail cats and squirrels will get into an unsecured pack.
In winter, take traction devices. The upper switchbacks on both South Rim trails ice over and NPS specifically recommends them.
Check the Key Hiking Messages page the morning you leave the rim - it carries the live water status for the corridor.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Bright Angel Campground permit?
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Bright Angel Campground permits are distributed through a lottery system. Apply during the lottery window, and if you're not selected, check for cancellations as they become available.
When is the best time to visit Bright Angel Campground?
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March-May and September-November. The river camp is comfortable and the climb out is survivable. Summer at 2,480 feet is the version of this hike that generates rescues. Winter is quiet and the four-night limit applies from November 15 to February 28, but the upper switchbacks ice up and the North Rim approach is closed December 1 to May 15.
How long is the Bright Angel Campground route?
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The route is 9.5 miles, as an out-and-back. Plan on 2-3 days.
How difficult is the Bright Angel Campground route?
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Fit hikers ready for their first Grand Canyon backcountry trip. The park describes the corridor as exactly that. The trails are wide and well maintained - the work is the 4,380-foot climb out.
Where does the Bright Angel Campground route start?
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The permit covers 3 entry points: South Kaibab Trailhead, Bright Angel Trailhead, North Kaibab Trailhead.
What if I don't win the Bright Angel Campground lottery?
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Cancellations happen regularly. Use PermitSnag to monitor availability and get alerts when spots open up. You can also check for walk-up permits or consider similar alternatives in the area.
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