PHANTOM RANCH

Travel Advisory

Phantom Ranch is now open with limited services. The National Park Service (NPS) will be making critical repairs in the coming months to the waste water treatment facility at the bottom of Grand Canyon. As part of this project the occupancy at Phantom Ranch has to be reduced, in both guest overnight lodging and the campground in order to drastically lower water and wastewater going into the facility until it is repaired. This unfortunately results in the need to close the Phantom Ranch hiker dormitories and reduce the campsites in the campground by 50% at least through September 2022.

The Phantom Ranch Canteen will not be accessible to travelers in the near future. Only to-go breakfasts, sack lunches, and to-go dinners will be available. Beverages and snacks will be available from the Canteen’s side window from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Alcohol sales are limited to two beverages per person and available only during reserved dinner service. Alcohol may only be consumed at your cabin area, and not at the picnic tables outside the Canteen. Only guests staying in cabins may purchase alcohol. Should a cabin guest arrive outside of window hours for check-in, they will need to ring the bell at the side window.

The National Park Service has informed Xanterra Travel Collection that they are moving forward with the planning and eventual execution of major infrastructure rehabilitation projects, and that the projects will impact some of our concessions operations. Hence, we are pausing lottery entries / bookings for Phantom Ranch overnight mule rides beginning January 01, 2023 and hiker cabins for stays arriving May 01, 2023 onward. Portions of the Bright Angel Trail are anticipated to be closed at different times throughout the project. You can find critical updates on the National Park Service website.

We anticipate receiving more information from the National Park Service in autumn of 2022 and may adjust our operations accordingly. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage you to seek lodging at one of our properties on the rim.

Nestled at the Bottom of Grand Canyon

Enter the Phantom Ranch Lottery

Check General Availability

Phantom Ranch is a historic oasis nestled at the bottom of Grand Canyon. It is on the north side of the Colorado River tucked in beside Bright Angel Creek. Phantom Ranch is the only lodging below the canyon rim, and can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River.

Have questions about the lottery process? Visit our FAQ page.

In the 1920’s, the National Park Service selected the Fred Harvey Company to build a tourist facility within the canyon. Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was commissioned to draft the plans for the facility. She produced sketches for a series of cabins. Everyone was pleased, and it was soon announced that the accommodations would be named Roosevelt’s Chalets. Upon which Colter snatched up her blueprints and declared, “Not if you are going to be using my work.” A consummate perfectionist, she had already chosen the name: Phantom Ranch. The rustic cabins and main lodge are built of wood and native stone blending with the natural beauty of the setting.

Accommodations at Phantom Ranch

All Phantom Ranch reservations must be made in advance. Space is extremely limited. Additional individuals cannot  stay under your reservation, and guests are prohibited from doubling-up in the bunks or sleeping on the floors.

Our cabins and dorms do not have phones or televisions.

Children are welcome at Phantom Ranch; however, we discourage young children from hiking to Phantom Ranch due to extremes in temperatures in the summer and winter, and the remoteness of the location. Families with children 5 years of age or younger are limited to cabin use only.

Overnight accommodations at Phantom Ranch consist of dormitory spaces and cabins. Cabins and dormitories are heated in winter and cooled during the summer months.

Dormitories – currently unavailable

These accommodations are available to hikers only. There are 2 male dorms and 2 female dorms. Each dorm has 5 bunk beds, a shower, and a shared restroom. Bedding and towels are provided for each guest occupying a dorm bed. Children must be at least 6 years old to stay in a dormitory.

Cabins

These accommodations vary in size and accommodate from 2 to 10 guests. Cabins are equipped with bedding, cold water sink, toilet, liquid soap, and hand towels. Showers, bath towels, hot water sinks, and liquid soap-shampoo combination are provided at a central location. Pricing for cabins is based on double occupancy; additional guests may stay with an additional charge.

If you are hiking the canyon or meeting/departing on a whitewater trip, and wish to stay at Phantom Ranch in a cabin or a dorm, you must call our Central Reservations Office.

Contact Central Reservations

Central Reservations Hours of Operation
Daily – 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Mountain Time (observing daylight savings time)
Toll-free within the U.S. 888-29-PARKS (888-297-2757)
Outside the U.S. 303-29-PARKS (303-297-2757)

NOTES: The reservations office is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

As of Monday, April 27, 2015 each caller will be limited to making one new reservation per phone call. Additionally, each reservation may include up to a maximum of nine guests for up to a maximum of four consecutive nights. Additionally, if a caller/guest has reserved multiple reservations via multiple phone calls, the maximum consecutive nights cannot be exceeded for that guest. As of Wednesday, November 1, 2017, Phantom Ranch requests will be processed using an online lottery system. Use the buttons above to enter the lottery or check for current availability.

What time is it? Time is confusing out here! Grand Canyon is located in Arizona, and does not follow daylight savings as it is in the Mountain Standard Time Zone. However Denver, Colorado, where our Central Reservations Office is located, does follow DST as it is in the Mountain Time Zone. Click here to check what time it is at our Central Reservations Office.

Groups

For overnight stays at Phantom Ranch, a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 20 Hikers is designated as a Group. Learn more about groups here. For overnight mule rides, parties of 10 Mule Riders may book their reservation by calling our Central Reservations office at 888-297-2757, or by entering the lottery online.

Mule Riders

One night or two night mule trips can be booked with the Central Reservations Office. These trips are sold as a package. For more information, view Mule Trips.

Hikers

Hiking is one of the most rewarding ways to see the Grand Canyon, and is also the most difficult. The walk to Phantom Ranch is approximately 7.5 miles down the South Kaibab Trail (average hiking time is 4-5 hours down) and 10 miles on the Bright Angel Trail (average hiking time down is 4-6 hours, average hiking time up is 6-10 hours). A good rule of thumb is for every hour it takes to hike down, it will take two to hike up. Summer temperatures can reach 120° F (49° C), while winter conditions can be icy and treacherous. Take a hike – but be prepared!

Duffel Service Information

Weight and Dimensions

Weight limit is 30 pounds per duffel. Maximum dimensions per duffel are 36” x 20” x 13”. Gear must be packed inside your own duffel bag with no outside attachments such as walking sticks, fishing poles, canteens, etc. We cannot carry external frame packs. Gear can be transferred to a duffel and the empty pack and frame carried out by hikers. Duffels that weigh over 30 pounds will be charged the full price for a second duffel.

When Packing Food in Your Duffel

• There are wildlife and critters that will try to get to the food packed in backpacks/duffels
• If packing food, we encourage to place food in very sturdy plastic containers
• Please place a label that says “FOOD” on the exterior of the duffel
• Guests may not want to use new backpacks/duffels to pack food, as wildlife/critters may try to get into their bag
• We have limited storage to protect duffels and will not guarantee their protection from wildlife/critters

In-bound Duffel Procedures

In-bound duffels are duffels being taken down to Phantom Ranch. They must be presented at the Xanterra Livery Barn by 3:30 p.m. the day prior to the day they are to go down to Phantom Ranch. (Late Duffels are not encouraged. Duffels can be delivered to Phantom Ranch or to the boat beach (if rafting out).

Out-bound Duffel Procedures

Out-bound duffels are duffels being taken out of the canyon up to Grand Canyon Village. They must be presented at the Phantom Ranch Loading Dock no later than 6:30 a.m. – on the day they are to be taken up out of the canyon. The weighing, measuring and loading occurs only at Phantom Ranch.

Duffels may be claimed between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Xanterra Livery Barn the day they are brought up from the canyon (between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in the winter) or between 6:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. the following day.

Late duffel procedures

Late pickup of duffels coming up from Phantom Ranch is accommodated between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Delivery of late duffels going down to Phantom Ranch must be arranged for prior to midnight the day/evening prior to delivery at Phantom.

A $10 additional charge (late fee) will be collected for late duffels per call (not per duffel). Guests should call the Xanterra switchboard at 928-638-2631 so the operator can arrange for an employee to handle the late duffel request.

Reconfirming your Phantom Ranch hiker reservation

If you have made advance reservations for Phantom Ranch, YOU MUST RECONFIRM YOUR RESERVATION 2 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR HIKE. To reconfirm, call the Bright Angel Transportation Desk at 928-638-3283. This allows us to more effectively deal with any questions or problems you may have. It will also allow us to notify you of any recent changes with trail closures, pipeline breaks, inclement weather, or other items that may impact your hike.

Additional Information:

• Accommodations for rafting trips must be booked through the outside vendors.
• Dorm accommodations are twin size bunk beds. Cabins will have either two sets of twin size bunk beds, or one queen size bed.
• The Phantom Ranch Canteen serves breakfast and dinner, which must be reserved in advance. If you have special dietary needs, such as glucose intolerance or food allergies, please advise the reservation agent at the time of booking. Phantom Ranch will do their best to accommodate all special requests.
• The Canteen is available for all visitors during specific hours, with snacks, beverages and sundries for purchase. For more information view Phantom Ranch Canteen.
• All rates quoted in U.S. Dollars and do not include applicable taxes.
• A National Park Service campground is located nearby and requires a backcountry permit. A backcountry permit is not required for guests staying in Phantom Ranch dorms or cabins. Backcountry permits may be obtained by writing to:

Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Reservations Office
PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
or via fax:
928-638-2125