(Mellow Wanderer-Grand Canyon, AZ) To truly embed yourself in the American West, stay at the Bright Angel Lodge for a unique experience on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel is a Registered National Historic Landmark. Originally built in the late 1800s and expanded in the 1930s by renowned architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, Bright Angel Lodge is constructed of logs and indigenous stone. Colter was a pioneer in an era overwhelmingly dominated by men. She designed and built many of the Grand Canyon landmarks in the historic district at a time when women didn’t even have the right to vote.
Rustic and charming, Bright Angel Lodge served as a template for all other early architecture in the national parks. In the main lodge, the Bright Angel History Room has a timeline of significant events, as well as artifacts dating back more than a hundred years. Colter even designed the lodge’s fireplace, which was built to mirror a section of the canyon’s geology: Kaibab Limestone, Vishnu Schist stone, and other rock layers dating back more than a billion years. Bright Angel History Room has quite a story to tell and is well worth the time to browse the various displays and artifacts.
When Mellow Wanderer planned a South Rim stay a year before our visit, Bright Angel Lodge was our choice. The cabins are right on the rim. We reserved one with a partial rim view. To our surprise, we got more than we expected.
The main cabin window looks-out directly to the rim. Plus, a second door led us to a small patio and sitting area, which was just a few steps to the rim trail (See the video below). The location was ideal and within walking distance to everything: lodge restaurants, overlooks, Grand Canyon Railroad Depot, Bright Angel Trail and the bus terminals where tourists take free shuttles to the numerous points of interest.
During one early morning stroll close to the cabin, we came upon several deer feeding on plants and berries on the canyon ledge. Cabin rooms are spacious and airy, and that’s good because there’s no air conditioning. Summer is quite toasty here, but during our June two-night stay, we were quite comfortable. Even with the cozy rustic feel, there are modern conveniences such as an electronic safe, small refrigerator, bathroom hair dryer and cable TV. Bedding was adequate and needs upgrading, as does the mattress, which lacked support and left us with a few backaches.
The Bright Angel front desk staff was friendly, knowledgable and helped us navigate this massive park. Several dining options are available. Bright Angel Restaurant serves up moderately priced meals. The Arizona Room is more expensive, has views of the canyon, and southwestern cuisine dominates the menu. There’s also Bright Angel Fountain for quick walk-up meals, snacks, and ice cream.
Overall, Bright Angel Lodge is a good home base to launch your Grand Canyon South Rim adventure.
