Phantom Overlook

Best Time to Visit

Since this is reached only after a full rim-to-river descent, plan the short climb up here during the cooler parts of the day rather than midday heat.

Trail Tips

• The masonry and retaining walls have held up remarkably well for work that's now nine decades old.
• The CCC-built stone bench makes a natural turnaround or rest point.
• Clear Creek Trail continues beyond it for hikers wanting a longer day.

Getting to Phantom Overlook

Starting point is Phantom Ranch or Bright Angel Campground, not the rim — this is an easy add-on for anyone already staying at the ranch or camped nearby, not a standalone hike from the rim.

What to Expect at Phantom Overlook

Phantom Overlook is a short side trip off the Clear Creek Trail, reached by climbing less than half a mile and about 250 vertical feet above Phantom Ranch via a long switchback cut into the schist cliffs. The overlook is a stone landing built by the Civilian Conservation Corps around 1935, including two benches assembled from slabs of local Vishnu Schist. From the bench you get a wraparound view: Phantom Ranch's brown roofs down in the Bright Angel Creek drainage, canyon walls in every direction, and on a clear day hikers visible on the South Kaibab Trail across the way.