Old Bright Angel Trail Loop

Old Bright Angel Trail Loop is a roughly 14-mile loop from the North Kaibab Trailhead. It follows Ken Patrick to the historic Old Bright Angel descent, crosses Bright Angel Canyon to North Kaibab near Manzanita Creek, then climbs back to the rim. Allow about 10 to 12 hours. It suits experienced Grand Canyon hikers prepared for a strenuous day and an unmaintained route-finding section. Flash floods can rise quickly in the canyon, so check the weather before committing to the descent.

Follow Ken Patrick for about 3.3 miles to the signed Old Bright Angel route: about 0.8 mile to the Uncle Jim junction, then another 2.5 miles. Stay on the left-hand Ken Patrick branch at Uncle Jim. This approach is easier to follow than the historic trail below, but the whole loop is a long commitment before the difficult descent even begins.

The first several miles of Old Bright Angel are overgrown, with thorny Mexican locust and stretches where the tread is hard to see. Farther down, cairns help mark the route along the canyon. The old path reaches Bright Angel Creek; stay on the west side until the route climbs over a low rise to its crossing. The tread can be difficult to pick up again on the east side, so slow down and look for the continuation instead of following the creek.

Below the crossing, the trail passes exposed sections and views of Bright Angel Creek before joining North Kaibab at the bridge over normally dry Manzanita Creek. The last roughly 5.4 miles follow North Kaibab uphill to the trailhead. That return makes this a full canyon loop, not an out-and-back to the old trail junction.

Old Bright Angel was built in the early 1900s and served as the main North Rim route into the canyon until North Kaibab replaced it in the 1920s. Its appeal is the historic line and remote canyon travel; the overgrowth, thorns and route-finding are part of the commitment.