Phantom Ranch

The only lodging below the rim of the Grand Canyon, sitting at the junction of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River at an elevation of 775 metres (2,545 ft). Phantom Ranch is an extraordinary place to spend the night — cabins and dormitory bunkhouses clustered among cottonwood trees, with a cantina serving hot meals. The sound of the creek and the canyon walls towering overhead in every direction makes for an entirely different experience of the Grand Canyon.

Reservations must be made through a lottery system run by the park's lodging concessionaire (Xanterra), typically 13 months in advance. Mule trips to Phantom Ranch are also available but equally booked out. Hiker-only reservations are also scarce. If you get a spot, take it — this is one of the most remote and memorable overnight experiences in any national park.

things to do sight
A story
Phantom Ranch was designed by Mary Colter and opened in 1922 as a hunting lodge — one of the most remote buildings in the United States. It sits at the bottom of the canyon, 1,370 metres below the South Rim, accessible only on foot or by mule. Demand for beds at Phantom Ranch is so fierce that the park service now operates a lottery system a year in advance. The waitlist for a last-minute cancellation can still be years long. The lemonade served at the cantina at the bottom of the canyon is legendary among long-distance hikers.