Most of the day this simple small corral sits empty, but stop by early in the morning and you'll have a chance to see the chaos of wranglers, mules, and eager mule riders as everyone gets ready for a once in a lifetime trip into the depths of Grand Canyon for an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch.

This staging area gives the wranglers a chance to meet the people they will be guiding into the canyon, fit riders to mules, adjust tackle, and one last chance for the eager riders to consider the wisdom in the long, arduous trip they are about to take. Once everything is ready they'll start the long windy path down the Bright Angel Canyon and trail to the Colorado River and the overnight lodging at Phantom Ranch. 

Start times will vary by the time of year, shifting with sunrise and sunset, and to avoid the heat of the canyon during the summer, but as long as there are riders the mules will go down every day, all year long.