At Bright Angel PointArrival at Bright Angel Point places you on the edge of a vastness of scenery, time, and oppor-tunity. The view confirms the tremendous uplift that has occurred, leaving the canyon’s North Rim 1,000 feet/300 meters higher than the South Rim.

The dark depths of the inner canyon, barely visiblefrom this point, record events that stretch ourunderstanding nearly halfway back in the earth’s4.6-billion-year history. Multicolored rock layersrecord the rise and fall of oceans and continents,and the evolution of plants and animals. Theyrecord the appearance of trilobites (the firstcreatures in the fossil record that have eyes), thepassing of giant dragonflies, and tales of the pursuitsand wanderings of reptiles on ancient sand dunes.The walls of the canyon are much more than layersof rock. They are pages in the earth’s journal,written over a period of nearly two billion years.

Though invisible at Bright Angel Point, the ColoradoRiver is the erosive force responsible for the depth ofGrand Canyon. Over the past 5 million years or so, ithas carved a canyon one mile deep. The rate atwhich the Colorado River accomplishes this variesgreatly depending upon many factors, including rocktype and the volume of water the river carries at anygiven time. The flood of 1884 left debris 40 feet/12meters above the current river level.

The Colorado River is not directly responsible forthe canyon’s width. The ten-mile gap between theNorth and South Rims is the result of erosion fromother sources. Freezing and thawing, heating andcooling, and gravity all play a role in breaking downthe rocks that the Colorado River has exposed.

Very little movement occurs until weather condi-tions conspire to produce canyon-widening flashfloods.

In 1966 an unusual storm dropped 14 inches/36 cmof rain on the North Rim in thirty-six hours,sending a 40-foot/12-meter debris flow rampagingdown Bright Angel Canyon. The flow in nearbyCrystal Creek exceeded the normal flow of theColorado River itself. This flood washed away a1,000-year-old pueblo and created a new rapid onthe Colorado by dumping house-size boulders intoit. Floods wash debris from side canyons into theriver. The river carries it to sea.

There is no such thing as a finished landscape; it isconstantly being reshaped by cycles of slow changepunctuated by cataclysm.

Understanding geologic time brings us to therealization that human activities are a remarkablysmall part of the canyon’s story and are by no meansthe end of it. What of future rock layers? They willcertainly come, but on a time scale that verifies ourtenuous place in geologic time. To humans, long-term planning means 50 to 100 years, not 50 to 100million years. Will the trends of environmentalchange unleashed by human impact have a conse-quence in geologic time?

Returning to the LodgePeople have chosen to build in and use this area,and it is ours for a time. Environmentally sensitiveplanning on the North Rim resulted in buildingsthat complement rather than conflict with theirsetting. Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed a rusticlodge and cabins rather than a single hotel unit. Acrew of 125 men, earning between 50 and 85 centsper hour, worked throughout the harsh winter of1927-28 to build the lodge. When it opened to thepublic in 1928, staff would line up at the door tosing a song of welcome. In the evening they put ona talent show followed by a dance. Visitors woulddepart to strains of a farewell song sung by theaccommodating staff.

On September 1, 1932, fire razed the four-year-oldGrand Canyon Lodge. Rebuilding began in 1936.The design was altered somewhat: steepened roofsreplaced flat rooftop observation decks, more stonewas used, and less wood. Interior space becamemore massive with high, gabled ceilings andexposed beams; durability under snow load andresistance to fire were improved. The tower, with itsmuseum and natural history exhibits painstakinglyassembled by park naturalist Eddie McKee, wasnever replaced.

When the Union Pacific Railroad, builder of thelodge, ceased passenger operations in 1971, it hadno incentive to promote accommodations likeGrand Canyon Lodge. The lodge and cabins weredonated to the National Park Service, which nowleases the buildings to a concessioner. The lodge ison the National Register of Historic Places, ensuringthat this aesthetically appealing structure will bemaintained in its present condition until, millenniafrom now, canyon erosion returns it to theenvironment from which it came.

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Grand Canyon National Park Arizona

Photo Right: The original North Rim lodge, circa 1928. Gilbert Stanley Underwood designed the rustic lodge andcabins to complement rather than conflict with their setting.NPS photo

Published by Grand Canyon National Park in cooperation withGrand Canyon Association. Dale Schmidt, NPS Writer; Tom Pittenger, NPS Editor; Faith Marcovecchio, GCA ProjectEditor; Ron Short, GCA Art Director. Copyright 2001 GrandCanyon Association, Post Office Box 399, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023.Printed on recycled paper.

Bright Angel Point

The Trail to Bright Angel PointThe large tributary canyon to the east (on your leftas you walk out to the point) is Roaring SpringsCanyon, a major tributary to Bright Angel Creek.The main source of water for both of these drainagesis Roaring Springs. Water from rain and snowmeltseeps deep into the North Rim’s Kaibab Plateau,migrating gradually southward due to the southwardtilt of the plateau. Channeled by fault zones, caves,and impermeable rock layers, the water emergesspectacularly from cave-sized openings in thecanyon wall.

Water from Roaring Springs has been pumped to theNorth Rim since 1928 and currently supplies boththe North and South Rims. Power lines seen belowthis trail provide power to pump the water. On quietdays, you can hear Roaring Springs gushing out of acliff 3,100 feet/950 meters below the rim.

The short walk to Bright Angel Point dramatizes theeffect Grand Canyon has on its surroundings. Atransition from the cool green forest of the plateauto a stunted forest of pinyon and juniper on theslope occurs within a very short distance. On flatland you would have to travel several hundred milesto experience this variation, but because of canyontopography the transition is compressed into a fewhundred yards.

Warm air surges out of the canyon. Hot sun anddrying winds draw moisture from soil and rock,creating inhospitable conditions for large trees.Plants that are adapted to this dynamic environmentflourish, but they are shaped by its rigors.

Midway to the PointFarther out toward the point, plants give way tobare rock. The rocks appear worn and in someplaces precarious. Chances of the rocks giving waybeneath you on any particular day are exceedinglysmall, yet you can feel and see agents of erosion—sun, water, and wind—slowly wearing the rockaway. These forces shape the canyon every day. Willthe rocks on which you stand be here tomorrow?Probably. One thousand years from now? Maybe.Ten thousand years from now? It’s not likely.

A timely example of Grand Canyon’s dynamic forcesoccurred on January 3, 1991, in The Transept, thelarge tributary canyon to your right as you walkout to the point. A massive section of CoconinoSandstone (the light-colored layer of rock near thetop) succumbed to gravity and erosion, cascadinginto the canyon and trailing debris along thousandsof feet of canyon wall. In 1992 similar landslidesclosed several major trails. The Grand Canyon areahas been eroding since regional uplift began about70 million years ago. As long as the area remainsabove sea level, erosion will continue.

As the slide in The Transept attests, dramatic eventscan make a greater change in a few minutes than thecumulative changes of a century before. Somedaythe spot on which you are standing will be thin air.Deva, Brahma, and Zoroaster Temples to thesoutheast foreshadow the future of ridges like BrightAngel Peninsula. These buttes are islands of canyonwall isolated by erosion. The bridge near this trail’send is a reminder of the ultimate fate of BrightAngel Point.

Bright Angel PointGrand Canyon National Park

P

P

TT HH ET

R

AANN

SE

PT

RO

AAR

IN

GSS

PPRR

IINN

GGS

CA

NNYY

OON

Juniper tree Juniper tree Juniper tree Juniper tree(over 600 years old)(over 600 years old)(over 600 years old)(over 600 years old)

No vehicles beyond this point

Visitor Center

Lodge

Log ShelterLog ShelterLog Shelter

Marine fossils Marine fossils Marine fossils in the rocks in the rocks in the rocks on right of trail on right of trail on right of trail (2-8 ft/(2-8 ft/0.6-2.4 m0.6-2.4 m0.6-2.4 mabove path)above path)above path)

Crinoid fossils near first stepCrinoid fossils near first stepCrinoid fossils near first stepCrinoid fossils near first stepViewpoint:Viewpoint:Roaring SpringsRoaring SpringsRoaring Springs(3,100 ft./(3,100 ft./945 m945 mbelow the rim)below the rim)

Parking

Visitor Center

Restroom

Interpretive Trailhead

Trail

Bright Angel Point Trail

BridgeBridge

Steps

Crinoid fossils near benchCrinoid fossils near benchCrinoid fossils near benchCrinoid fossils near bench

Bright Angel Point Bright Angel Point Bright Angel Point Bright Angel Point 8,148 ft/ 2,484 m

N

Br i g

ht

AAnn

ggee

llPP

ooii nn

ttTTr a

i l

Trr

aan

se

ptt

TTrr

aaiill

Viewpoint:Viewpoint:Viewpoint:Viewpoint:Recent rockslideRecent rockslideRecent rockslideRecent rockslideacross Transept Canyonacross Transept Canyonacross Transept Canyonacross Transept Canyon

The paved trail to Bright Angel Point (0.25 mile/0.4 km) provides one of the North Rim’s most spec-tacular views. Walk slowly and pace yourself; BrightAngel Point is 8,148 feet/2,484 meters above sealevel (5,780 feet/1,762 meters above the ColoradoRiver). High altitude and an elevation change of 200feet/60 meters warrant extra caution for those withheart or respiratory conditions. The trail also followsa narrow, steep ridge and is exposed to lightningduring storms. Stay on the trail and away from theedge. If a thunderstorm should pass through, seekshelter at the lodge.

The name Bright Angel originated on Major JohnWesley Powell’s pioneering exploration of theColorado River in 1869. Powell regretted havingnamed a muddy creek upstream the “Dirty Devil.”Later, when he found a creek with sparkling clearwater, he gave it the more reverent name, “BrightAngel,” after a character in Milton’s Paradise Lost.The name has since spread, adding its charm toseveral Grand Canyon features.

Photo Above: The trail to Bright Angel point affordsspectacular scenic views. NPS photo