11/26/2023
Reminder: The Bright Angel Trail closure starts Friday, December 1, 2023, and lasts through Sunday, April 14, 2024. The trail will be closed from approximately ½ mile below the trailhead, all the way down to the Silver Bridge.
Visitors will still be able to hike below the canyon rim to the Bright Angel Trail turnaround point —and back.
The rest of Bright Angel Trail, down to the Silver Bridge, is closed for construction while crews are replacing the water pipeline between the canyon rim and Havasupai Gardens —and replacing the water distribution systems at Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Resthouses.
Also, beginning on December 1, the Tonto Trail will be closed east of Horn Creek to the South Kaibab Trail junction. (at the Tipoff).
In addition, the Plateau Point Trail from Havasupai Gardens to Plateau Point closed on October 12, 2023, and will remain closed until the completion of the waterline, on March 14, 2025.
Where can people day hike when the Bright Angel Trail closes?
Visitors can still have a below the rim experience on the Bright Angel Trail, as it will remain open from the Trailhead to nearly 1/2 mile down the trail to the turnaround point —during the December. 1, 2023 through April 14, 2024, closure period).
Alternatively, there are other day hike options on the South Rim of Grand Canyon. The Canyon Rim Trail stretches nearly 13 miles from the South Kaibab Trailhead to Hermits Rest, featuring numerous overlooks offering panoramic views of the Grand Canyon. It’s wheelchair accessible from Lookout Studio to South Kaibab Trailhead, with various shuttle bus stops along the trail.
Visitors looking for day hikes into the canyon can hike down the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point or Cedar Ridge and back, or down Hermit Trail to Waldron Basin and back, to experience some of the steep and challenging terrain. During the winter months, icy trail conditions are present on the upper reaches of all inner canyon trails. Visitors should not attempt these hikes without assessing conditions and managing risk with foot traction and hiking poles.
Why does Bright Angel Trail have to close? Can I hike around the construction/will there be a detour?
During this closure period, the contractor will be installing water pipe and upgrading the water distribution systems at the Mile-and-a-Half and Three-Mile Rest Houses and Havasupai Gardens. The existing waterline is routed near the Bright Angel Trail through Havasupai Gardens and beyond it by the Plateau Point Trail.
The Bright Angel section of the waterline is going to be sliplined, a trenchless rehabilitation method of installing a smaller pipe through the existing pipe. The trail and facilities will need to be closed for workers to complete the work safely and efficiently.
No hikers will be allowed to pass through this area under any circumstances. Doing so will be in violation of the park’s closure order and may result in considerable fines and even jail time.
For more detailed information about the trail closures and the Transcanyon Waterline Replacement Project visit the FAQ page > https://go.nps.gov/gc-wlf (141)
