Sleep in the Canyon (South Rim) | Grand Canyon Sherpa

SLEEP IN THE HEART OF THE CANYON

SOUTH RIM, PHANTOM RANCH AND BRIGHT ANGEL CAMPGROUND

When it comes to accommodation when you’re hiking, do you prefer to rough-it a little in a campsite, upgrade your comfort and stay in a lodge/ranch or lie under the starts cowboy style? All options are available in the Grand Canyon.

There are 33 campsites in the Grand Canyon National Park, 31 small group sites (1-6 people) and 2 large group sites (7-11 people). For camping anywhere in the Inner Canyon including Bright Angel, Indian Garden and Cottonwood Campgrounds, a backcountry permit is required. The Canyon is divided into “Use Areas“, and these use areas must be specified when filling out the permit which is available from the back country office (download form here). To actually sleep in the Canyon should be on your ‘to-do’ list. There are 3 campsites and 1 ranch to choose from.

Do you have any questions?

INDIAN GARDEN CAMPSITE (IGC)

To get to IGC, you have to hike two-thirds of the way into the Grand Canyon with all your gear. Canyon views of the multicoloured rock layers, verdant grasses and cottonwood trees provide the perfect setting for relaxing and spending the night here before your trip down to the river and beyond, or even just back up to the rim. A creek runs through the campground so this oasis stands out as a perfect contrast to the surrounding arid desert. The name derives from the fact that native Americans inhabited this land for thousands of years before its discovery by hikers and backpackers. It is located just along the Bright Angel trail, and a convenient stop-off for both hikers and mule trains because of its water and shade breaks. At night, foot traffic subsides and you’re left with the milky way to gaze up at. It’s almost magical. From here you might consider the 3 mile round trip to Plateau Point to see views of the Colorado River before hiking back to the rim or continuing down to the river.

Name: Indian Garden Campground

Location: Grand Canyon National Park, 65 miles northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona

Elevation: 3,800 ft (1,160 m)

Distance: 4.8 miles from the South Rim on the Bright Angel Trail

Number of sites: 15

Facilities: Drinking water, pit toilets, picnic tables, pack pole and food storage cans, shade cover, no trash collection, phones

Water stations: available seasonally (1.5 mile resthouse/3 mile resthouse) and year-round in Indian Garden

When to go: Open all year round

How to get there: see Bright Angel trail

Permit required: Back Country office permit required

Price: Fee required to camp in addition to permit (around $20 per campsite, but check).

Pets: Not allowed

Opening hours: April 1st to October 30

BRIGHT ANGEL CAMPGROUND (BAC)

The BAC is the only established campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It is located over the silver suspension bridge and about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) further on, half a mile north of the Colorado River on the banks of the Bright Angel Creek, one of the Colorado’s tributaries. The campsites either sit at the base of the imposing cliff walls or line the creek. The campground is shaded by Cottonwood trees which create a lush oasis. It is a very popular campsite so get your permit early. A few walk-in permits are available daily at the backcountry permit office, but don’t rely on this.

Name: Bright Angel Campground

Location: Bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park

Elevation: 2,480 ft / 756 m

Distance: .9 m miles from the South Rim and 14 miles from the North Rim. The elevation is 3,800 ft (1,160 m)

Number of sites: 33

Facilities: 2 ammo boxes to store food, area to pitch tent, ranger station, flush toilets, camp stores, campsite tables, café, shade, snack bar. No showers

Water stations: no potable water at River Resthouse but you will find free filling stations at the Bright Angel Campground

When to go: Open all year round

How to get there: Via the North Kaibab, South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trails. From September 2020 the Silver suspension bridge is closed undergoing repairs. Hikers need to take the Black suspension bridge over the river.

Permit required: Back Country office permit required

Price: Fee required to camp in addition to permit, (around $20 per campsite, but double check beforehand

Pets: Not allowed

PHANTOM RANCH

The hike to Phantom Ranch is approximately 7.5 miles down the South Kaibab trail (average hiking time is 4-5 hours down) and 10 miles on the Bright Angel trail (average hiking time down is 4-6 hours, average hiking time up is 6-10 hours or double what it took you to get down). From the Bright Angel campground, about a half mile upstream of the Bright Angel Creek is Phantom Ranch which can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River. It is a historic oasis at the bottom of Grand Canyon on the North side of the Colorado River and the only lodging below the canyon rim.

At Phantom Ranch, there’s a canteen where you could treat yourself to a cold soda or beer after your gruelling hike but this will not be accessible to hikers in the near future (written Sept 2020). Instead, alcohol sales will be limited to 2 drinks per person and only available to purchase during reserved dinner service if you are staying in the cabins. Alcohol can be consumed in your cabin but not the picnic tables outside the canteen. To-go breakfasts, sack lunches, snacks and drinks will be available for purchase from the side window of the canteen from 8 am to 4 pm.

History of Phantom Ranch

In the 1920’s, Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was commissioned to draw up plans for a tourist facility for the Fred Harvey company, which was selected by the National Park Service to build it. Sketches for a series of rustic cabins built of wood and native stone to blend with the natural beauty of the setting were drawn up which gained approval and were to be named Roosevelt’s Chalets. On hearing this, Colter gathered up her blueprints and declared, “Not if you are going to be using my work”. She had already chosen the name: Phantom Ranch.

Accommodation

Space is extremely limited so all Phantom Ranch reservations must be made in advance. Rules are strict, additional guests cannot stay under your reservation, and are prohibited from doubling-up in the bunks or sleeping on the floors. Accommodation consists of dormitory spaces and cabins which are heated in winter and cooled during the summer months.

Cabins and dorms do not have phones or televisions, but a pay phone is available roughly ½ mile from Phantom Ranch, at the south end of the Bright Angel Campground (payment by credit card or phone card only). Most credit cards are accepted at Phantom Ranch.

Children are welcome at Phantom Ranch however; young children are discouraged from hiking there due to extremes in temperatures in the summer and winter, and the remoteness of the location.

Dormitories – currently unavailable

Dormitories are available to hikers only. There are 2 male and 2 female dorms. Each dorm has 5 bunk beds, a shower, and a shared restroom. Bedding and towels are provided for each guest. Children must be at least 6 years old to stay in a dormitory.

Cabins

Cabins vary in size and accommodate from 2 to 10 guests. They are equipped with bedding, cold water sink, toilet, liquid soap, and hand towels. Showers, bath towels, hot water sinks, and liquid soap-shampoo are provided at a central location. Cabin prices are based on double occupancy; additional guests may stay with an additional charge.

If you are hiking the canyon or meeting/departing on a white-water rafting trip, and wish to stay at Phantom Ranch in a cabin or a dorm, you must call the Central Reservations Office :

Daily – 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Mountain Time
Toll-free within the U.S. 888-29-PARKS (888-297-2757)
Outside the U.S. 303-29-PARKS (303-297-2757)

NB: The reservations office is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Each caller is limited to making one new reservation per phone call. Additionally, each reservation may include up to a maximum of nine guests for up to a maximum of four consecutive nights. Additionally, if a caller/guest has reserved multiple reservations via multiple phone calls, the maximum consecutive nights cannot be exceeded for that guest. Phantom Ranch requests will be processed using an online lottery system.

Groups

For overnight stays at Phantom Ranch, a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 20 hikers is designated as a Group. For overnight mule rides, parties of 10 may book their reservation by calling the Central Reservations office at 888-297-2757, or by entering the lottery online.

Mule Rides

One night or two night mule trips can be booked with the Central Reservations Office and are sold as a package. You can pay to have mules carry your gear in and out of the canyon but you will need to contact the Bright Angel Lodge on the South Rim to make arrangements.