Grand Canyon History

Bright Angel Trail History

All trails began as toll roads

• 1891 Ralf and Niles Cameron, Pete Berry Build the BA trail to facilitate mining.
• 5 men built the first BA trail in four months, trail was 2ft wide, averaged 40% grade mostly zigzags.
• Original BA trail to the River was 5.5 miles, while the new trail is 7.5 miles to river
• 1897-98 Bucky O’Neil built a cabin and files claim IG toll road and maintained the trail
• First toll trail started in 1901-1928 by Bucky O’Neil was the first than ralph Cameron from 1901 to 1912 Len Sparrow manned the toll till 1906
• Cameron built BA lodge on Rim in 1903 and charged tolls as part of hotel stay
• 1907 the tunnel hole was used to see the trail and 1908 2nd tunnel was built
• The Hermit Road trail was built to get around the BA Trail in 1908
• 1912—1928 county takes over toll and mans the gate
• Cost of toll was 1/5th mans daily wage or $1 per animal not person
• 99.7 % of the new Bright Angel bypassed the old trail. The old trail is still there and can be walked still
• Pete Berry filed the claim for BA Ralph Cameron was in charge while Cameron filed for Grandview and Berry was in Charge
• 1901 Santa Fe Railroad finished building railroad to Grad Canyon from where Bucky O’Neil stopped