 |
Home |
| Parks | |
| About the Site | |
| News |
|
Grand Canyon National Park (2)
|
West Rim Drive (South Rim)
Some of the most beautiful views of the canyon can be seen from the south rim east of the Grand Canyon Village area. West Rim Drive (originally known as Hermit Rim Road) runs for about 8 miles from the South Entrance Road to Hermit's Rest. The road was originally built in 1912 by the Santa Fe Company, and was rebuilt in 1919 by the National Park Service and renamed. The rim drive is closed to private traffic in the summer but is served by shuttles and a trail system.
For many park visitors Mather Point provides the first view of the magnificent view of the canyon itself. This is because the road from the south entrance leads directly to this overview.The point is named for Stephen T. Mather, the first director of the National Park Service. In the picture below a group of visitors can be seen standing on the railed viewing area at Mather Overlook.
The startling thing about the visitor's first view of the canyon is how suddenly it appears. Driving across the flat Coconino Plateau south of the rim provides little preparation for the first view of the massive gash in the earth which is like nothing any first time visitor has ever seen before, anywhere. An example of that "first view" from Mather Overlook can be seen in the photograph below.
Mather Point lies at 7120 feet above sea level. The view northeast from Mather Point (shown below) looks out across O'Neill Butte on the south side of the river across to Zoroaster Temple on the other side. The north rim is about 10 miles across the canyon from this point.
In the twilight the shapes of the buttes and canyons are accentuated by the shadows which fall across them.
More shadows can be seen here.
The depth of the canyon provides a progressive range of climates which supports different kinds of life. The temperature on the floor of the canyon may reach 120 degrees in the summer. Four of the North American continent's "life zones" are represented within the park.
West of Mather Point is a popular site for viewing the canyon--Yavapai Point, named for the Yavapai Indians. The view from this overlook is shown below. The major foot paths for crossing the canyon, and the suspension bridge which crosses the river, are found below this point.
Another view from Yavapai Pint is shown here. The point lies at 7040 feet and provides a spectacular view of the canyon.
There is a stone building on the edge of the canyon, a portion of which can be seen on the right. This building contains a gallery for viewing the canyon as well as an natural history museum. It was originally constructed in 1928 and renovated in 1978.
Another view of the building can be seen below. The Rim Trail, also seen below, runs along the rim next to the building and can also be seen in this picture.
The Grand Canyon is usually considered one of the "seven natural wonders of the world", along with another of feature of a national park, Crater Lake. Below is a shot of Grandeur Point and the Yavapai Point area.
Maricopa Point, at 7050 feet, is another overlook located just to the west of Grand Canyon Village. In this view the village itself is seen looking east across the side canyon carved by Garden Creek. The bright line running diagonally across the center of the picture is Bright Angel Trail, the major route which descends to the floor of the canyon and the Colorado River.
Hopi Point is on the same outcropping of land over the canyon as Maricopa Point, but just a short distance to the west. The point provides a beautiful view of western sections of the canyon in the village area as well as a glimpse of the Colorado River. In the picture below the river is just visible as a spot of green in the middle of the picture. The area immediately below the rim here is known as "The Inferno."
Below is a closer (but not close) view of the river from Hopi Point. Some whitewater is clearly visible in this picture. From Hopi Point the river runs through Horn Creek, Hermit, and Granite Rapids. Although the river looks relatively peaceful from this distance that little bit of whitewater is rather intimidating up close.
The picture below looks back across the canyon toward the east. Maricopa Point is just off the photograph to the right. On a clear day it is possible to see about 45 miles in both directions (east and west) down the canyon from Hopi Point.
Hopi Point itself is pictured here. An example of the incredible dropoff below many of these vantage points is clearly visible in this shot. Although there are railings at many of the most popular vantage points, including Hopi Point, many visitors seek more excitement by crawling out onto precipices which aren't similarly protected.
Just west of Hopi Point on the south rim is Mohave Point, lying at 6974 feet. The point lies on an outcropping of land between Salt Creek on the east and Monument Creek on the west..
Another shot of Mohave Point is shown below. The south canyon rim has many juniper and pinyon pine trees, described in more detail later.
Mohave Point lies at the northern point of a side canyon which penetrates the south rim. This steep canyon and its 3000 foot depth is known as "The Abyss" and is pictured below. The east walls of this canyon (a section of which are visible on the right side of the photograph) is known as the "Great Mohave Wall."
Mohave Point, The Abyss, and the Great Mohave Wall are also visible in the picture below, taken from Pima Point (6798 feet). The lower section of the point, seen in the center of the picture, is called "The Alligator." Monument Creek flows through the bottom of this side canyon and empties into the Colorado River. At one point in time there was a tramway leading to the lower rim from this point.
The western view from Pima Point is bleak but spectacular. There is scant vegetation but a series of spectacularly eroded formations. The Colorado River can be seen is this photograph where it turns temporarily to the north. The Boucher Rapids can also be viewed from this point. The difference in temperature between the rim at about 7000 feet and the canyon floor, where summer temperatures may reach 118 degrees, can be quite striking.
Below is a view directly to the north of Pima Point, across the canyon toward the Tower of Ra.
The "end of the road" for the West Rim Drive is Hermit's Rest. This location is named for the "hermit"--Louis D. Boucher who came to the canyon in 1891 and operated a copper mine and tourist camp.This view north looks out across the side canyon through which Hermit Creek flows. The promontory on the left side of the picture is Yuma Point, reached only by a hike along Boucher trail. The Grand Canyon itself actually continues for another 180 miles to the west of this point.
Another view from Hermit's Rest at an elevation of 6640 feet can be seen below. The area also includes a small visitor's center with refreshments and information.
The building here is another of Mary Jane Colter's designs, this one constructed in 1914. It was constructed to look like the dwelling of a mountain man rather than a typical store or shelter. Colter did not want the building to detract from the grandeur of natural scenery of the canyon. This area also features the trailhead for the Hermit Trail which will take the hiker down into the canyon all the way to the Colorado River.
| - Next Page for Grand Canyon National Park - |
|