Plant Guide to Bright Angel Trail

Plant Guide to Bright Angel Trail

Mile S # id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all
0.00 Begin plant guide heading to the Rim at the lower end of Indian Gardens at the Plateau Point Trail Jct (right); the mule staging area (right); and the bathrooms (left), CP #36, elevation 3763'. The plant guide only begins to be more complete 0.25 miles from here.
r 1 sacred Datura Datura meteloides⁺ 1 / 1
l 2 common reed Phragmites australis 10 / 1
0.25 l 3 Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa 20 / 9
0.25 b 4 catclaw Acacia Acacia greggii var. arizonica 30 / 5
0.25 b 5 sp tulip pricklypear Opuntia phaeacantha /
0.26 r 6 sp mormon tea Ephedra viridis 30 / 9
0.26 r 7 button brittlebush Encelia frutescens 10 / 5
0.27 r Sign: "The plants you see here are the living desert. They grow by the inch and die by the foot".
0.27 r 8 sp broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae 99 / 9
0.28 r 9 sp rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus sp. 99 / 9
0.28 r 10 ? unk shrub ? /
0.28 r Sign: "Indian Gardens" (arrow pointing to the right, downhill)
0.29 l 11 ? Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora 10 / 5
0.32 Cross creekbed; CP #34, elevation 3884'.
0.32 r 12 ? tarragon look-alike with Brickellia flowers. ?⁺ 99 / 9
0.33 r 13 sp fragrant ash Fraxinus cuspidata var. macropetala 50 / 9
0.34 r 14 ? unk shrub ? /
0.37 r Creekbed is now close.
0.42 15 silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium 10 / 2
0.43 r 16 sp Native American pipeweed Eriogonum inflatum var. inflatum⁺ 1 / 1
0.46 b 17 ? tarweed with 3 ~reflexed wide ligules ? 30 / 5
0.48 l 18 sp dollarjoint pricklypear Opuntia chlorotica 1 / 1
0.48 l 19 one-sided grass ? 5 / 5
0.51 20 sp granite gilia Leptodactylon pungens ssp. brevifolium 10 / 5
0.51 l 21 slender buckwheat Eriogonum microthecum var. laxiflorum 99 / 9
0.53 l 22 ? needlegrass? Stipa sp.? 20 / 9
0.55 l 23 sp like ripgut Bromus sp. 5 / 1
0.55 r 24 ? tall tumblemustard Sisymbrium altissimum 5 / 1
0.56 Switchback left.
0.59 Curve right 90°, cross streambed, then turn left 90°; CP #33, elevation 4029'.
0.70 l 25 ? unk shrub like scrub oak ?⁺ 30 / 9
0.76 Cross creekbed, with high-pressure water pipe elevated on right; CP #32, 4093'.
0.77 r 26 ? saltbush? ? 1 / 1
0.78 r 27 Utah agave Agave utahensis 1 / 1
0.78 28 ? dead annual like sweet alyssum ?⁺ 99 / 9
0.86 l 29 sp yucca Yucca sp. /
0.87 r 30 Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma 10 / 5
0.87 r 31 ? tree with lvs like alder x fremont cottonwood ? /
0.87 r 32 ? per. mallow? ? 30 / 9
0.99 Long switchback right, cross streambed; CP #31, 4208'.
1.06 Switchback left; CP #30, 4255'.
1.13 l 33 ? like hedge nettle ? 10 / 3
1.14 r 34 ? unk dead annual like mentzelia or goldenrod ? 1 / 1
1.20 l (twoneedle pinyon?, Pinus edulis?)
1.20 r (Gambel's oak?, Quercus gambelii?)
1.23 Trail curves right 90°.
1.24 Switchback left; CP #29, 4396'.
1.27 Switchback right.
Curve left 90°.
Switchback left.
Curve right 90°.
Switchback right.
Curve left 90°.
1.38 r 35 sp Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii 5 / 2
1.39 Switchback left at the closest part of the trail to the "Petrified Snow" (caused by falling rocks chipping off the red coat on the Redwall Limestone due to the Supai Group above, exposing the natural gray/white color). CP #28, 4512'.
1.42 Curve right 90°.
1.42 Switchback right.
1.42 b 36 *cheatgrass Bromus tectorum 99 / 9
1.43 r 37 ? low shrub with a leaf like a honking coffeeberry leaf ? /
1.45 l 38 ? asteraceae with alt leaves like gutierrezia X galium ? /
1.45 l 39 sp thistle Cirsium sp. 5 / 3
Curve left 90°.
1.47 Switchback left.
1.47 l 40 ? like morning glory or wild cucumber, lvs both opp and alternate ? 3 / 1
1.47 r 41 sp Munz's bedstraw or Watson's bedstraw Galium munzii or Galium watsonii⁺ 5 / 3
1.52 42 ? like matchweed but with no ligules; lvs petioled with wedge-shaped bases ? /
1.52 Switchback right.
1.53 Switchback left.
1.55 Switchback right.
1.59 Switchback left; CP #27, 4663'.
1.65 r 43 *red brome Bromus madritensis 20 / 2
1.67 Switchback right.
1.68 l Jct. short path to 3 mile Resthouse; CP "(3 mile) Resthouse", elevation 4721'.
Curve left 90°.
Curve right 90°.
1.83 44 white prairie daisy Virgulus falcatus 99 / 9
1.84 Switchback left; CP #26, elevation 4855'.
1.88 l 45 twoneedle pinyon Pinus edulis 10 / 9
1.89 r 46 sp California brickellbush Brickellia californica 20 / 9
1.90 Switchback right, CP #25, elevation 4897'.
Curve left 90°.
Curve right 90°.
1.94 r 47 sp grass with panicle infl with spikelets at end of branchlets ? 30 / 5
1.97 Switchback left; CP #24, elevation 4955'.
2.00 Switchback right, CP #23, elevation 4978'.
2.00 l 48 ? radiate daisy with 8 well-spaced 3-lobed ligules like Hymenoxys ? 3 / 1
2.10 Trail turns right 90°.
2.16 Switchback left; CP #22, 5056'.
2.20 Switchback right; CP #20, elevation 5133'.
2.25 Switchback left; CP #19, elevation 5165'.
2.28 49 sp small prickly pear with very long spines like on Tonto platform. Opuntia sp. /
2.29 Switchback right; CP #18, elevation 5197'.
2.31 l 50 sp trumpet gooseberry Ribes leptanthum 30 / 9
2.31 l 51 skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata 1 / 1
2.33 l 52 ? like wormwood, Artemisia ludoviciana. ? /
2.35 Switchback left; CP #17, elevation 5244'.
2.43 Switchback right; CP #16, elevation 5305'.
Trail turns right 90°; CP #15, elevation 5407'.
2.67 Switchback left at 2 mile corner; CP #14, elevation 5443'.
Long switchback left; CP #13, elevation 5518'.
2.80 r 53 sp snowberry Symphoricarpos sp. 30 / 9
2.84 l 54 Gambel's oak Quercus gambelii 99 / 9
2.87 r 55 ? old infl like California plantain ? 5 / 1
2.87 r 56 sp Wright's bedstraw Galium wrightii Gray⁺ 1 / 1
Trail curves right 90°; CP #12, elevation 5582'.
2.91 r "Shade View" - overhanging boulders giving shade with a great view.
Trail curves right 90°; CP #11, elevation 5644'.
3.06 Switchback right at the 1.5 mile restrooms; CP #10, elevation 5692'.
3.08 l 57 ? desert phlox Phlox austromontana 1 / 1
3.10 1.5 mile Resthouse; CP "(1.5 mile) resthouse", elevation 5714'.
3.12 r 58 ? spiny shrub with small round petioled lvs Ceanothus greggii? 1 / 1
Trail bends left 90°.
3.18 l 59 Palmer's penstemon Penstemon palmeri 10 / 5
Trail bends left 90°; CP #9, elevation 5780'.
3.22 l 60 ? unk ~vine with alt lvs ? 5 / 1
3.24 r 61 ? like olive but a shrub. ? 1 / 1
3.27 l 62 ? larger grass ? 5 / 1
3.27 r 63 ? grass similar to Agropyron ? 5 / 1
3.37 Switchback left.
3.38 Switchback right; CP #8, elevation 5900'.
3.41 l Check if the more scapose penstemon here is the same as earlier.
3.44 Switchback left; CP #7, elevation 5946'.
3.46 r 64 ? spherical head of small white to blue-purple flowers with 4 petals interspersed between 4 green sepals; linear serrate leaves, fr linear. ? 10 / 2
3.47 r 65 ? unk similar to spreading dogbane ? 5 / 1
3.48 Switchback right.
3.51 r Check for different yucca sp. here.
3.52 Switchback left; CP #6, elevation 6007'.
3.53 r 66 ~ hoary aster Machaeranthera canescens 20 / 3
3.56 Switchback right.
3.60 Switchback left; CP #5, elevation 6073'.
3.63 Switchback right.
3.67 Trail curves left 90°.
3.70 Switchback left; CP #4, elevation 6153'.
3.71 r 67 ? unk shrub like alder with alternate large elliptic lvs ? /
3.73 Long switchback right.
3.74 r 68 ~ smooth spreading four o'clock Mirabilis oxybaphoides 5 / 1
3.78 r 69 ssp coral bells Heuchera versicolor var. versicolor⁺ 5 / 1
3.78 Switchback left; CP #3, elevation 6218'.
3.79 r 70 Fendler's meadowrue Thalictrum fendleri 10 / 2
3.81 Tunnel #2; CP "Tunnel (#2)", elevation 6248'.
3.90 r 71 sp squirrel tail Sitanion hystrix⁺ 10 / 1
3.95 Switchback right; CP #2, elevation 6364'.
3.96 l 72 ? grass with carex-like infl with ~6 closely-spaced spikelets ? 5 / 1
3.96 l Kolb Drip Spring
4.00 r Jct. path.
4.13 l Signposts that formerly held the sign indicating the contact between the Kaibab and Toroweap Formations.
4.28 Switchback left; CP #1, elevation 6630'. Guide incomplete past this point due to darkness.
4.51 Tunnel #1; CP "Tunnel (#1)", elevation 6761'.
4.59 Switchback right.
4.68 Bright Angel Trailhead; CP "S. Rim", elevation 6845'.
http://tchester.org/gc/plants/guides/bright_angel.html
Updated 16 September 2003.

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here
0.00				Begin plant guide heading to the Rim at the lower end of Indian Gardens at the Plateau Point Trail Jct (right); the mule staging area (right); and the bathrooms (left), CP #36, elevation 3763'. The plant guide only begins to be more complete 0.25 miles from here.
	r	1		sacred Datura	Datura meteloides⁺	1 / 1
	l	2		common reed	Phragmites australis	10 / 1
0.25	l	3		Apache plume	Fallugia paradoxa	20 / 9
0.25	b	4		catclaw Acacia	Acacia greggii var. arizonica	30 / 5
0.25	b	5	sp	tulip pricklypear	Opuntia phaeacantha	/
0.26	r	6	sp	mormon tea	Ephedra viridis	30 / 9
0.26	r	7		button brittlebush	Encelia frutescens	10 / 5
0.27	r			Sign: "The plants you see here are the living desert. They grow by the inch and die by the foot".
0.27	r	8	sp	broom snakeweed	Gutierrezia sarothrae	99 / 9
0.28	r	9	sp	rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus sp.	99 / 9
0.28	r	10	?	unk shrub	?	/
0.28	r			Sign: "Indian Gardens" (arrow pointing to the right, downhill)
0.29	l	11	?	Colorado four o'clock	Mirabilis multiflora	10 / 5
0.32				Cross creekbed; CP #34, elevation 3884'.
0.32	r	12	?	tarragon look-alike with Brickellia flowers.	?⁺	99 / 9
0.33	r	13	sp	fragrant ash	Fraxinus cuspidata var. macropetala	50 / 9
0.34	r	14	?	unk shrub	?	/
0.37	r			Creekbed is now close.
0.42		15		silverleaf nightshade	Solanum elaeagnifolium	10 / 2
0.43	r	16	sp	Native American pipeweed	Eriogonum inflatum var. inflatum⁺	1 / 1
0.46	b	17	?	tarweed with 3 ~reflexed wide ligules	?	30 / 5
0.48	l	18	sp	dollarjoint pricklypear	Opuntia chlorotica	1 / 1
0.48	l	19		one-sided grass	?	5 / 5
0.51		20	sp	granite gilia	Leptodactylon pungens ssp. brevifolium	10 / 5
0.51	l	21		slender buckwheat	Eriogonum microthecum var. laxiflorum	99 / 9
0.53	l	22	?	needlegrass?	Stipa sp.?	20 / 9
0.55	l	23	sp	like ripgut	Bromus sp.	5 / 1
0.55	r	24	?	tall tumblemustard	Sisymbrium altissimum	5 / 1
0.56				Switchback left.
0.59				Curve right 90°, cross streambed, then turn left 90°; CP #33, elevation 4029'.
0.70	l	25	?	unk shrub like scrub oak	?⁺	30 / 9
0.76				Cross creekbed, with high-pressure water pipe elevated on right; CP #32, 4093'.
0.77	r	26	?	saltbush?	?	1 / 1
0.78	r	27		Utah agave	Agave utahensis	1 / 1
0.78		28	?	dead annual like sweet alyssum	?⁺	99 / 9
0.86	l	29	sp	yucca	Yucca sp.	/
0.87	r	30		Utah juniper	Juniperus osteosperma	10 / 5
0.87	r	31	?	tree with lvs like alder x fremont cottonwood	?	/
0.87	r	32	?	per. mallow?	?	30 / 9
0.99				Long switchback right, cross streambed; CP #31, 4208'.
1.06				Switchback left; CP #30, 4255'.
1.13	l	33	?	like hedge nettle	?	10 / 3
1.14	r	34	?	unk dead annual like mentzelia or goldenrod	?	1 / 1
1.20	l			(twoneedle pinyon?, Pinus edulis?)
1.20	r			(Gambel's oak?, Quercus gambelii?)
1.23				Trail curves right 90°.
1.24				Switchback left; CP #29, 4396'.
1.27				Switchback right.
				Curve left 90°.
				Switchback left.
				Curve right 90°.
				Switchback right.
				Curve left 90°.
1.38	r	35	sp	Fremont's goosefoot	Chenopodium fremontii	5 / 2
1.39				Switchback left at the closest part of the trail to the "Petrified Snow" (caused by falling rocks chipping off the red coat on the Redwall Limestone due to the Supai Group above, exposing the natural gray/white color). CP #28, 4512'.
1.42				Curve right 90°.
1.42				Switchback right.
1.42	b	36		*cheatgrass	Bromus tectorum	99 / 9
1.43	r	37	?	low shrub with a leaf like a honking coffeeberry leaf	?	/
1.45	l	38	?	asteraceae with alt leaves like gutierrezia X galium	?	/
1.45	l	39	sp	thistle	Cirsium sp.	5 / 3
				Curve left 90°.
1.47				Switchback left.
1.47	l	40	?	like morning glory or wild cucumber, lvs both opp and alternate	?	3 / 1
1.47	r	41	sp	Munz's bedstraw or Watson's bedstraw	Galium munzii or Galium watsonii⁺	5 / 3
1.52		42	?	like matchweed but with no ligules; lvs petioled with wedge-shaped bases	?	/
1.52				Switchback right.
1.53				Switchback left.
1.55				Switchback right.
1.59				Switchback left; CP #27, 4663'.
1.65	r	43		*red brome	Bromus madritensis	20 / 2
1.67				Switchback right.
1.68	l			Jct. short path to 3 mile Resthouse; CP "(3 mile) Resthouse", elevation 4721'.
				Curve left 90°.
				Curve right 90°.
1.83		44		white prairie daisy	Virgulus falcatus	99 / 9
1.84				Switchback left; CP #26, elevation 4855'.
1.88	l	45		twoneedle pinyon	Pinus edulis	10 / 9
1.89	r	46	sp	California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	20 / 9
1.90				Switchback right, CP #25, elevation 4897'.
				Curve left 90°.
				Curve right 90°.
1.94	r	47	sp	grass with panicle infl with spikelets at end of branchlets	?	30 / 5
1.97				Switchback left; CP #24, elevation 4955'.
2.00				Switchback right, CP #23, elevation 4978'.
2.00	l	48	?	radiate daisy with 8 well-spaced 3-lobed ligules like Hymenoxys	?	3 / 1
2.10				Trail turns right 90°.
2.16				Switchback left; CP #22, 5056'.
2.20				Switchback right; CP #20, elevation 5133'.
2.25				Switchback left; CP #19, elevation 5165'.
2.28		49	sp	small prickly pear with very long spines like on Tonto platform.	Opuntia sp.	/
2.29				Switchback right; CP #18, elevation 5197'.
2.31	l	50	sp	trumpet gooseberry	Ribes leptanthum	30 / 9
2.31	l	51		skunkbush sumac	Rhus trilobata	1 / 1
2.33	l	52	?	like wormwood, Artemisia ludoviciana.	?	/
2.35				Switchback left; CP #17, elevation 5244'.
2.43				Switchback right; CP #16, elevation 5305'.
				Trail turns right 90°; CP #15, elevation 5407'.
2.67				Switchback left at 2 mile corner; CP #14, elevation 5443'.
				Long switchback left; CP #13, elevation 5518'.
2.80	r	53	sp	snowberry	Symphoricarpos sp.	30 / 9
2.84	l	54		Gambel's oak	Quercus gambelii	99 / 9
2.87	r	55	?	old infl like California plantain	?	5 / 1
2.87	r	56	sp	Wright's bedstraw	Galium wrightii Gray⁺	1 / 1
				Trail curves right 90°; CP #12, elevation 5582'.
2.91	r			"Shade View" - overhanging boulders giving shade with a great view.
				Trail curves right 90°; CP #11, elevation 5644'.
3.06				Switchback right at the 1.5 mile restrooms; CP #10, elevation 5692'.
3.08	l	57	?	desert phlox	Phlox austromontana	1 / 1
3.10				1.5 mile Resthouse; CP "(1.5 mile) resthouse", elevation 5714'.
3.12	r	58	?	spiny shrub with small round petioled lvs	Ceanothus greggii?	1 / 1
				Trail bends left 90°.
3.18	l	59		Palmer's penstemon	Penstemon palmeri	10 / 5
				Trail bends left 90°; CP #9, elevation 5780'.
3.22	l	60	?	unk ~vine with alt lvs	?	5 / 1
3.24	r	61	?	like olive but a shrub.	?	1 / 1
3.27	l	62	?	larger grass	?	5 / 1
3.27	r	63	?	grass similar to Agropyron	?	5 / 1
3.37				Switchback left.
3.38				Switchback right; CP #8, elevation 5900'.
3.41	l			Check if the more scapose penstemon here is the same as earlier.
3.44				Switchback left; CP #7, elevation 5946'.
3.46	r	64	?	spherical head of small white to blue-purple flowers with 4 petals interspersed between 4 green sepals; linear serrate leaves, fr linear.	?	10 / 2
3.47	r	65	?	unk similar to spreading dogbane	?	5 / 1
3.48				Switchback right.
3.51	r			Check for different yucca sp. here.
3.52				Switchback left; CP #6, elevation 6007'.
3.53	r	66	~	hoary aster	Machaeranthera canescens	20 / 3
3.56				Switchback right.
3.60				Switchback left; CP #5, elevation 6073'.
3.63				Switchback right.
3.67				Trail curves left 90°.
3.70				Switchback left; CP #4, elevation 6153'.
3.71	r	67	?	unk shrub like alder with alternate large elliptic lvs	?	/
3.73				Long switchback right.
3.74	r	68	~	smooth spreading four o'clock	Mirabilis oxybaphoides	5 / 1
3.78	r	69	ssp	coral bells	Heuchera versicolor var. versicolor⁺	5 / 1
3.78				Switchback left; CP #3, elevation 6218'.
3.79	r	70		Fendler's meadowrue	Thalictrum fendleri	10 / 2
3.81				Tunnel #2; CP "Tunnel (#2)", elevation 6248'.
3.90	r	71	sp	squirrel tail	Sitanion hystrix⁺	10 / 1
3.95				Switchback right; CP #2, elevation 6364'.
3.96	l	72	?	grass with carex-like infl with ~6 closely-spaced spikelets	?	5 / 1
3.96	l			Kolb Drip Spring
4.00	r			Jct. path.
4.13	l			Signposts that formerly held the sign indicating the contact between the Kaibab and Toroweap Formations.
4.28				Switchback left; CP #1, elevation 6630'. Guide incomplete past this point due to darkness.
4.51				Tunnel #1; CP "Tunnel (#1)", elevation 6761'.
4.59				Switchback right.
4.68				Bright Angel Trailhead; CP "S. Rim", elevation 6845'.