Bright Angel Campground

Description

Spend a night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon surrounded by 2 billion year old granite and Vishnu schist! Bright Angel Campground is just a half mile north of the Colorado River on the banks of Bright Angel Creek, a tributary of the Colorado. Campsites either sit at the base of towering cliff walls or line the creek. Cottonwood trees shade the campground and create a lush oasis. This sought-after campground fills up quickly, so plan ahead and get your permit early. A few walk-in permits are available daily at the backcountry permit office.

From the campground, follow the creek a half mile upstream to the Phantom Ranch Canteen, where you can treat yourself to a cold lemonade or beer after your grueling hike. You can also buy snacks, play games, and mail postcards.

If you’d like to lighten your load, you can pay to have mules carry your gear in and out of the canyon. Contact the Bright Angel Lodge on the South Rim to make the appropriate arrangements.

Bright Angel Campground can be the perfect one-night excursion into the Grand Canyon, but many hikers use it as a stop on extended backpacking trips. From here, you can take the Clear Creek Trail east along the river, or use the corridor trails to make your own transcanyon loop route. Check out our Grand Canyon map for itinerary ideas ›

Reservations/permits

Camping below the rim in the Grand Canyon requires a backcountry permit, which you can get up to four months in advance of your trip. The park receives about 30,000 requests for backcountry permits each year but issues around 13,000 permits — the earlier you start planning, the better!

There are two ways to get a backcountry permit:

1. Fill out the backcountry request form and mail or fax it to the backcountry office (considered four months out).
2. Visit the backcountry office and get a permit in person (considered for start dates one to three months out).

More information ›

Directions

Bright Angel Campground is at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, so accessing the campground requires descending more than 5,000 feet via one of the park’s three corridor trails. Choose between the North Kaibab Trail, which begins on the North Rim, or the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trails on the South Rim.