Bright Angel Trail and River Trail Corridor: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Grand Canyon National Park

Regions 6, 7, & 8 Park Cultural Landscapes Program

Inventory Unit Description: This document constitutes a Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) for the Bright Angel Trail Corridor, a component landscape of Grand Canyon National Park. For the purposes of this CLI, the component landscape is further divided into two Landscape Areas. They are the Bright Angel Trail Landscape Area and the Indian Garden Landscape Area. The information for the Bright Angel Trail Landscape Area contained herein was developed from research and a field visit completed in 2009. The information for the Indian Garden Landscape Area contained in this CLI was adapted from the Indian Garden Cultural Landscape Report, prepared in June 2005 by John Milner Associates, Inc. (JMA) for the Grand Canyon National Park’s Indian Garden, a rest stop and campground along the Bright Angel Trail located approximately 3,200 feet below the South Rim. In addition, basic information on the Bright Angel Trail Corridor from the existing Bright Angel Trail National Register Nomination has been incorporated. National Park Service (NPS) trails historian, Mike Anderson, and others prepared the nomination in 1991 and revised it in 2002. BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL LANDSCAPE AREA The Bright Angel Trail is approximately 7.8 miles in length and traverses almost 4,800 feet of elevational change from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. At the Colorado River, the Bright Angel Trail converges with the River Trail and continues 1.8 miles to its terminus at Phantom Ranch. From its inception, it has functioned as a transportation corridor for the Native Americans, north and south rim residents, miners and prospectors, and tourists and recreationists. For this reason, the Bright Angel Trail remains the Grand Canyon National Park’s most travelled trail and considered the safest because of its regular maintenance and comfort stations that supply shade, potable water, emergency phones, and a ranger presence. According to the National Register of Historic Places criteria, the Bright Angel Trail Landscape Area is significant to an understanding of American History at the national level under Criteria A, B, and C. Under Criterion A, the Bright Angel Trail is significant within the areas of Recreation and Tourism and Politics and Government, and for the landscape’s association with the CCC. Under Criterion B, the Bright Angel Trail is significant because of its association with Arizona entrepreneur and politician, Ralph Henry Cameron. Under Criterion C, the Bright Angel Trail is significant within the area of Architecture, for its collection of NPS rustic-style buildings. INDIAN GARDEN LANDSCAPE AREA Indian Garden is located nearly 4.5 miles along the Bright Angel Trail and can also be accessed by the Tonto Trail. The site of Indian Garden has been continually used as a stopping point for hikers, campers, and mule riders for over 100 years, although the fertile landscape of water-bearing creeks, springs, and seeps was used by Native Americans and miners for many years prior to the beginning of tourism. Although Indian Garden may not retain integrity sufficient for NRHP eligibility, it is still an important historic landscape. According to guidelines provided by the NHRP, Indian Garden draws its significance in American history under Criteria A, B, and C. Under Criterion A, Indian Garden is significant within the areas of Recreation, for the landscape’s association with tourism-related activities and Politics/Government, and for the landscape’s association with the CCC. Under Criterion B, Indian Garden is significant because of its association with Arizona entrepreneur and politician, Ralph Henry Cameron. Under Criterion C, Indian Garden is significant within the area of Architecture, for its collection of rustic-style buildings.

Bright Angel Trail and River Trail Corridor: Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Grand Canyon National Park

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