Nearly a mile below the Grand Canyon rim, Phantom Ranch — the only lodge within the canyon — sits along Bright Angel Creek, accessible only by foot, mule, or raft. Rescuers searched Monday for people missing after a Saturday flash flood that killed one person. The historic outpost began as David Rust's tent camp in 1907, hosted President Theodore Roosevelt in 1913, and was redesigned by architect Mary Jane Colter in 1922 for the Fred Harvey Company.

It attracted celebrities and dignitaries, including Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1967. The lodge, now owned by the National Park Service and run by a private contractor, accommodates about 90 guests via a lottery system.

Flash floods are a persistent hazard: 14 inches of rain caused catastrophic flooding in 1966, and the 2023 Dragon Bravo fire burned 149,399 acres, increasing flood risk. The Park Service added monitoring, signage, and evacuation plans as trails reopened.