Bright Angel to Plateau Point

The route starts and ends at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon after reaching Plateau Point on the Tonto Platform. From the trailhead, descend north along the Bright Angel Trail. Switchback down through the rock layers, passing through the first tunnel at 0.18 miles and the second tunnel at 0.75 miles. Reach the 1.5-Mile Resthouse at 1.5 miles. Continue descending the switchbacks to reach the 3-Mile Resthouse at 3.0 miles. Crux: Below the 3-Mile Resthouse, the trail drops through Jacob's Ladder, the Redwall Limestone cliff band on a set of short, steep switchbacks — the most exposed and demanding section of the descent and the hardest climbing on the return. Once through Jacob's Ladder, the gradient mellows and the trail follows Garden Creek to Havasupai Gardens at 4.5 miles. At 4.7 miles, turn left at the junction onto the Plateau Point Trail. At 5.4 miles, keep right at the junction to continue on the Plateau Point Trail. Follow this trail across the Tonto Platform to the viewpoint at Plateau Point, 6.0 miles from the trailhead. Turn around at Plateau Point and retrace the path across the Tonto Platform to Havasupai Gardens. Turn right onto the Bright Angel Trail and climb 3,330 vertical feet back to the South Rim trailhead.