The trailhead is located at the rim between the Bright Angel Lodge and the Hermit Road interchange. Parking can be found within 1/2 mile of the trailhead in parking lots D and E.
Drinking water is available (subject to pipeline breaks) throughout the year at Bright Angel Campground and Indian Gardens Campground. Water is available seasonally (May-September) at 1.5 mile and 3 mile rest houses.
Indian Gardens Campground is located 4.5 miles down the Bright Angel Trail. Drinking water, toilets, and a ranger station with medical facility and phones are located here. Bright Angel Campground is located 9.6 miles down the Bright Angel Trail and is accessed by the silver bridge over the Colorado River. Drinking water, flush toilets, a ranger station with a medical facility and an emergency phone are located here. A permit is required for all camping, and camping is in designated sites only.
Bright Angel is a steep and well-defined trail with a little shade, mostly in the morning and evening. It is the preferred trail for hiking to the South Rim from Bright Angel Campground . There is a toilet at the 1.5 mile rest house, and seasonal water is available at 1.5 mile and 3.0 mile rest houses. Indian Gardens is located 4.5 miles down the trail, there is water available here year round, as well as a ranger station. Plateau Point is an overlook 1.5 miles from Indian Gardens with little elevation change. It is the furthest recommended day hike from the South Rim. From Indian Gardens , the Bright Angel Trail continues down 4.5 miles to the silver bridge over the river to Bright Angel Campground . There is a rest house and emergency phone at Pipe Creek, before you reach the bridge. Drinking water is available year round at Bright Angel Campground.
