One of only two maintained hiking routes into the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, the Bright Angel Trail begins near the main visitor centre complex and follows the course of Garden Creek , reaching the Colorado after 8 miles and a descent of 4,000 feet.
Many people prefer to travel by horse or mule, which requires reservations many months in advance.
Livestock have priority on all trails so hikers have to stop and let them pass - their passengers tend to have rather sheepish looks as they seem a little embarrassed at having chosen the easy way down. Some of the steepest sections are near the start, as the path descends quickly with many switchbacks. The main trail continues steeply down to the river and then alongside for a while before crossing it on a suspension bridge.