• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Hit the Trail

Hit the Trail

Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Sedona, & the Southwest

  • Home
  • Hikers Guide
    • Equipment
      • Backcountry Food
      • Backcountry Kitchen Gear
      • Backpacking Stoves
      • Backpacks
      • Boots & Footwear
      • Clothing
      • Equipment Guide
      • Equipment Rentals/Purchase
      • Flashlights and Lanterns
      • Seat Pads
      • Sleeping Bags
      • Sleeping Pads
      • Socks
      • Tents
      • The Wonder Bucket
      • Walking Sticks
      • Water Purification
    • Trails & Campgrounds
      • Bright Angel Campground
      • Cottonwood Camp
      • Desert View
      • Grand Canyon’s Corridor Trails
      • Grand Canyon Trail Descriptions
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • Indian Garden Campground
      • North Rim Campgrounds
      • North Rim Day Hikes
      • North Rim Yurt
      • Pack Hauling Service
      • Phantom Ranch/BA Day Hikes
      • Phantom Ranch Area Map
      • Phantom Ranch FAQs
      • Phantom Ranch Lodging/Dining
      • South Rim Campgrounds
      • South Rim Day Hikes
      • Sedona/Verde Valley Trails
      • Toroweap & Tuweep
      • Trip Reports and Resources
      • Trip Reports – Baja
    • Safety, Resources & Training
      • Acrophobia/Fear of Heights
      • Arizona Hiking Clubs
      • Backcountry 911
      • Backcountry Etiquette
      • Backcountry Permits
      • Bubonic Plague
      • Heat Strain
      • Hiker FAQs
      • Hiker’s Links/Resources
      • Lightning Strikes/Safety Tips
      • Monsoon Facts
      • Rabies
      • Training/Physical Fitness
    • Tips & Tricks
      • Author’s Tips & Tricks
      • Boot Lacing Technique
      • Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks
      • Readers’ Tips & Tricks
      • Rest Step for Uphill Hiking
      • Summertime Hiking Tips
      • Winter Hiking Tips
      • Women’s Tips & Tricks
  • Visitors Guide
    • General Information
      • Entrance Fees/Park Brochures
      • Events Calendar
      • Fishing Regulations
      • Fires/Smoke in Park
      • Fishing Regulations
      • Grand Canyon Distances
      • Grand Canyon Park Links
      • Grand Canyon Trivia/Facts
      • Grand Canyon Weather
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • Hiking Guides
      • Indian Reservations
      • Photo Galleries
      • Ranger Programs
    • South Rim
      • Desert View
      • Havasu and Mooney Falls
      • South Rim Campgrounds
      • South Rim Day Hikes
      • South Rim Lodging
      • South Rim Mule Rides
      • South Rim Restaurants/Cafés
      • South Rim Services
      • South Rim Transportation
    • Phantom Ranch
      • Pack Hauling/Duffel Service
      • Phantom Ranch Area Map
      • Phantom Ranch/BA Day Hikes
      • Phantom Ranch FAQs
      • Phantom Ranch Human History
      • Phantom Ranch Lodging/Dining
      • Phantom Mule Ride Gallery
      • Phantom Ranch Mule Rides
      • Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks
    • North Rim
      • North Rim Campgrounds
      • North Rim Day Hikes
      • North Rim Dining/Food Service
      • North Rim Lodging
      • North Rim Mule Rides
      • North Rim Services
      • North Rim Yurt
      • Toroweap & Tuweep
    • Sedona
      • Permitted Guide Services
      • Red Rock Pass
      • Sedona Geology
      • Sedona Information
      • Sedona Photography
      • Sedona/Verde Valley Area Trails
      • Visitor Centers
  • Mules, Guides & River Trips
    • Commercial River Trips
    • Hiking Guides
    • Horseback Rides
    • Mule Ride Gallery
    • North Rim Mule Rides
    • Pack Hauling/Duffel Service
    • Phantom Ranch Mule Rides
    • Private River Trips
    • River Trip Safety
    • South Rim Mule Rides
  • Explore
    • Natural History
      • Bats
      • Canyon Treefrogs
      • Condors at Grand Canyon
      • Ravens
      • Scorpions
      • Snakes
      • Squirrels & Rodents
      • Tarantulas/Other Spiders
    • Human History
      • Civilian Conservation Corps
      • Phantom Ranch History
      • Pre-Park Era
      • NPS Era
    • Grand Canyon Geology
      • Intro to Grand Canyon Geology
      • Kaibab Limestone to Supai Formation
      • Redwall Limestone to Tapeats Sandstone
      • The Supergroup
      • The Inner Gorge
    • Lake Powell Geology
      • Introduction
      • The Back Story
      • Rock Layers
      • Monoclines
      • Prominent Rock Units
      • Striking Landscape
      • Laccoliths
      • Future of Lake Powell
    • Sedona Geology
      • Introduction
      • Prelude to the Red Rocks
      • Sedona’s Red Rocks, Part 1
      • Sedona’s Red Rocks, Part 2
      • Deposition, Uplift, and Erosion
      • House Mountain Volcano
      • Verde Valley and Verde Lake
      • Carving Oak Creek Canyon
  • Books & Videos
    • Hiking Guides
      • Apps, Maps & Hiking DVDs
      • Arizona Hiking
      • Canyon Country Hiking
      • Grand Canyon Hiking
      • Utah Hiking
    • Hiker Safety/Skills
      • Backcountry Skills
      • Camper’s Cookbooks
      • Search and Rescue
      • Wilderness First Aid
    • Natural/Human History
      • Grand Canyon Human History
      • Grand Canyon Legends
      • Natural History & Geology Guides
    • Colorado Plateau
      • Exploring Arizona
      • Exploring Utah
      • Regional Guides
      • Scenic Photography Books
  • Blog
    • Canyon Posts
    • Canyon Archives
    • Trip Reports
    • Baja Trip Archive – Baja
    • Site Contributors
Home/Grand Canyon’s Corridor Trails/Phantom Ranch Lodging & Dining/Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks

Phantom Ranch Tips & Tricks

Heading to Phantom Ranch for fun and relaxation? Wondering what to do while there on a layover day? There are some simple but very useful pieces of advice to make your trip to Phantom even more special. Below you will find ideas and tips if you are heading to this little bit of paradise along the banks of Bright Angel Creek. You can view a map here of the Phantom Ranch/Bright Angel Campground area to get your bearings for the topics mentioned below.

  • Bring Credit Card Instead of Cash. Instead of taking cash and having to carry heavy change, bring your debit or credit card. The Ranch takes credit for even the smallest purchases. If you do use cash, leave your change in the tip jar at the cash register. Those folks down there work harder than you could ever imagine, and they certainly deserve more than they make. (And YES, they do walk down. NO, they do not ride mules!) Note: I was reminded that the power can be very fickle at Phantom Ranch, so having some cash might be wise in case it goes down or their internet is running especially slow. Having some cash available is highly recommended!
  • Address Book. Don’t forget to bring your family and friends’ addresses with you. You can mail postcards from the bottom that says “Mailed by Mule from the Bottom of the Grand Canyon” on them! Talk about unique!!! They sell postcards there, but you can also bring your own stationery and use your own stamps. This is also great for international travelers.
  • Mail and Packages. You can mail postcards and letters to and from Phantom Ranch. Please note: packages are no longer accepted in either direction. Stamps are often available for sale at the Canteen, but they do run out at times. So if you want to make sure you can mail a letter or postcard from the Ranch, bring some stamps with you. There is a Post Office on both the South Rim (General Store complex) and the North Rim (Grand Canyon Lodge complex) where you can purchase stamps in advance.
  • Pay Phones. There are payphones at the Phantom Ranch Canteen bathrooms and at the bathrooms near the junction of the Bright Angel and Kaibab Trails south of Bright Angel Campground—right across the trail from the River Ranger Station on the map. I personally never make calls from the “bottom.” It tends to spoil the “getting away from it all” vacation mentality. It’s awful to hear how the kids are fighting each other or other trivial, non-necessary “real life” information. If it is important, your family and/or friends will be able to reach you by calling the Grand Canyon dispatch office.
  • T-Shirts and Souvenirs. Phantom Ranch sells items such as t-shirts, caps, bandannas, and mugs, which can only be purchased at the Canteen. The t-shirt designs change every year, so the design you get will always be associated with the year you were there!
  • Avoid Summer and/or Hike At Night. During the scorching hot months of June, July and August, do yourself a huge favor and DON’T try to hike all the way from the North Rim to Phantom Ranch or Bright Angel Campground in one day. If you have to hike during these summer months, plan on staying at Cottonwood Campground to break your hike up into two halves. It is extremely important to get through the last four miles of the trail, known as the “Box”, before 10:00 AM. If you have to do it in one day during this time, get a start from the trailhead by 1:00 AM to 2:00 AM. No joking! You don’t want to be in the Box once the sun hits the black rock and heats up. It is literally like an oven in there! For those who have never hiked the Canyon, it is nearly impossible to know how hard hiking down (yes, down!) 14 miles will be. It is the longest 14 miles you will ever hike. I guarantee it!
  • Take. Breaks. Often. When hiking down, be diligent at taking breaks and eating and drinking often. One thing happens way too much and needs to be emphasized. If you have dinner reservations at Phantom and find that your hike is taking longer than expected (very common I might add!), DO NOT forego breaks to get down faster. Even if you succeed in making it to Phantom on time for dinner, you’ll be too sick to eat it!!! Phantom Ranch will often save food for someone who comes in late and had dinner reservations. They would rather you not get sick either!

Below is some more useful advice from some readers for those staying at Phantom Ranch.

  • Hike North to South Rim. DOING RIM TO RIM it is much easier to hike down the higher and initially much steeper North Rim to Phantom and then up the comparatively more gradual Bright Angel Trail to the lower South Rim. (The South Kaibab is shorter but steeper and without water.)
  • SURVIVING PHANTOM. Should you hike down from the North Rim to Phantom, make your arrangements to eat at the later of the two meals. You will feel less rushed getting there, signing in, showering, and arriving more civil for supper. In hot weather read the instructions on how to run the evaporative cooling A/C in the bunkrooms and cabins. Be sure that before supper you turn it on and you must have a few windows slightly open otherwise it will not work. The occasional screams that you hear at Phantom are from hikers immersing themselves in the really cold water of Bright Angel Creek—great for foot and knee therapy! FYI, do not bother rushing the dining room door to grab a seat, there are seating assignments for supper and they will call your group by name. “Porter, party of four.” For dessert: “Save your forks, save your forks—lick them clean.”
  • Packing Fewer Clothes. If you are light-packing and wash your socks and shirts in the sink, they will dry very quickly (in about an hour) in the hot, very dry air. The bunkroom railings make a good clothesline, otherwise, bring your own hiker’s clothesline.
  • Phone Locations. There is only one pay phone at Phantom, and if you want a shorter wait to phone home, there is a second pay phone at the south end of the Bright Angel Campground, about 1/2 mi. south of Phantom—if you feel like hiking that far and back.
  • Scorpions. Our evening ranger presentation included a short walk with an ultraviolet light that made the scorpions (that come out at night) fluoresce and glow brightly—we saw an uncomfortable number of them. My first morning at Phantom I panicked, my boots were missing, but near where I had put them, there was another pair, of the exact same brand, model, and size, but a different color (the brown/red of the iron oxide of the dust and dirt in the Canyon).
  • Be on Time. The worst faux pas that we’ve seen done by the guests was when a group of about five arrived about 30 minutes late to the first breakfast seating. We only saw one person setting tables, serving the food—maybe even having done the cooking earlier—then removing the dirty dishes and having to set up for the next sitting. The group’s lateness threw a monkey wrench into this person’s schedule, and he had to hustle even more that morning.
  • Pack the Night Before. The night before hiking out, be packed and ready to go. Have the early breakfast, pick up your trail lunch, and get started as early in the dark as possible. A small penlight helps to check your footing. Later that morning you will be cooler and more comfortable at a higher altitude. For your last, luxurious flush toilet stop after breakfast, plan to visit the toilet just south of the Bright Angel Campground, across the little footbridge.

Annette, Betty, Peggy and Pieter

Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.

Some recommended products below may include affiliate links for which I may receive a commission if purchased when clicking through. Please note that I only recommend products that I feel are worthy, and you will not pay any extra when purchasing through these links. Click here to read the full disclosure statement.

Recommended Products

Sale
Grand Canyon, North and South Rims [Grand Canyon National Park] (National Geographic Trails...
Grand Canyon, North and South Rims [Grand Canyon National Park] (National Geographic Trails...
  • Trails Illustrated Map: Grand Canyon National Park
  • National Geographic Maps
  • National Geographic Maps (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 2 Pages - 01/01/2019 (Publication Date) - National Geographic Maps (Publisher)
$13.11
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Sale
Lonely Planet Grand Canyon National Park 6 (National Parks Guide)
Lonely Planet Grand Canyon National Park 6 (National Parks Guide)
  • Bell, Loren (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 256 Pages - 03/16/2021 (Publication Date) - Lonely Planet (Publisher)
$16.59
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Sale
Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Canyon National Park (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)
Best Easy Day Hikes Grand Canyon National Park (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)
  • Adkison, Ben (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 96 Pages - 05/01/2020 (Publication Date) - Falcon Guides (Publisher)
$7.25
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping
Grand Canyon Trail Map 7th Edition
Grand Canyon Trail Map 7th Edition
  • Sky Terrain (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 2 Pages - 02/16/2020 (Publication Date) - Sky Terrain (Publisher)
$11.95
Buy on Amazon Price incl. tax, excl. shipping

Last update on 2023-01-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Primary Sidebar

Grand Canyon Weather

When most people think of Arizona, they think of heat, sand dunes, cactus, and rattlesnakes. Many do …

Backcountry Permits

Canyon trails are open for day hiking, and overnight backcountry permit requests are being …

Indian Garden Campground

Indian Garden is located on the Bright Angel Trail approximately halfway between the South Rim and …

Bright Angel Campground

This notice is for those planning a stay at Phantom Ranch or Bright Angel Campground through 2021. …

Phantom Ranch Lodging & Dining

This notice is for those planning a stay at Phantom Ranch or Bright Angel Campground through 2021. …

Phantom Ranch / Bright Angel Day Hikes

There are some great day hikes to do from the Phantom Ranch/Bright Angel Campground area. Below are …

Cottonwood Camp

Cottonwood Camp is located on the North Kaibab Trail halfway between the North Rim and the Colorado …

Pack Hauling / Duffel Service

Xanterra, the concessionaire on the South Rim, has a special service that allows you to have your …

Newsletter

Sign up for email updates. You can stop at anytime and your information will never be shared.

Footer

Copyright © 1998–2023 · Hit the Trail: Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Sedona and the Southwest

All Rights Reserved · All photos credit NPS unless stated otherwise

Newsletter

Sign up for email updates. You can stop at any time and your information will never be shared.

  • Contact
  • About
  • Sitemap
  • Affiliate Disclaimer