Bright Angel itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Bright Angel route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, 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
- Across the markers
- 7.4 mi
- 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 the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
Adding up only the climbs between markers gives 66 ft, which is a floor rather than the total: anything that rises and falls between two markers is invisible to it.
The Bright Angel route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
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.
1.5 miles · 1,140 ft down to Cedar Ridge
Mile 1.5
6,120 ft
Cedar Ridge
Toilets and the first big view down the ridgeline.
1.5 miles · 900 ft down to Skeleton Point
Mile 3.0
5,220 ft
Skeleton Point
First sight of the Colorado River from the South Kaibab.
1.4 miles · 1,220 ft down to The Tip Off
Mile 4.4
4,000 ft
The Tip Off
Tonto Trail junction and emergency phone, where the trail drops into the inner gorge.
0.1 miles · 200 ft down to Havasupai Gardens Campground
Mile 4.5
3,800 ft
Havasupai Gardens Campground
On the Bright Angel Trail. Ranger station, toilets and a waterline-fed tap - the standard extra night if you want to break the climb out.
2.5 miles · 1,320 ft down to Bright Angel Campground
Mile 7.0
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.
0.4 miles · 66 ft up to Phantom Ranch
Mile 7.4
2,546 ft
Phantom Ranch
Canteen and lodge next door. Lodge stays are a separate booking and need no backcountry permit.
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 watches Bright Angel around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.