Grand Canyon South Rim
Follow the eastern rim past layered rock and river bends to a stone tower overlooking the Colorado.
The eastern rim
Arizona 64 runs 23 miles from Grand Canyon Village to Desert View and the East Entrance. Unlike the seasonal shuttle-only section of Hermit Road, this scenic drive is open to private vehicles, subject to weather and closures. Allow about 40 minutes of driving each way, plus time at the viewpoints and Watchtower; return west to the Village or continue east toward Cameron.
The stops below run west to east. You need not visit every pullout: Grandview and Moran make contrasting geology stops, while Navajo Point and Desert View bring the river and tower into view. Yaki Point is a separate shuttle, bicycle or walking excursion—not a private-car turnoff.
Mile 242.5
The first canyon pullout east of the junction can be busy and parking is limited. From here the paved Rim Trail leads 1.3 miles west to Mather Point or 0.8 mile east to the South Kaibab Trailhead. Those distances are one way; return the same way unless you arrange a shuttle.
Mile 246
This small pullout invites a closer look at the canyon’s sculpted forms. Generations of visitors have looked for the duck in the rocks; see what shape you find rather than expecting a signposted monument.
Mile 251
A broad east-to-west panorama includes bends of the Colorado River to the east. The historic Grandview Trail starts here, but it is steep, exposed in summer and potentially icy in winter; the overlook itself is a worthwhile stop without a descent.
Mile 258
Look across a cross-section of canyon geology: layered Paleozoic rocks, remnants of the Grand Canyon Supergroup and much older igneous and metamorphic basement rocks. The point is named for landscape painter Thomas Moran.
Three miles west of Desert View
A self-guided trail circles the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village. The park lists the 2026 season as April 2 through October 31; check the park for current access before building it into the drive. Stay on the designated trail and leave artifacts and stones undisturbed.
Mile 264
Near the end of the drive, look west across the canyon, north along the Colorado and toward the Watchtower. A memorial here commemorates the 1956 collision of two airliners over the canyon.
Lipan Point: The park announced that Lipan Point and its access road are closed for rehabilitation from June 22 through an expected December 23, 2026. Dates may change; use Navajo Point as an alternative and check the park’s current drive information.
Desert View
A roughly quarter-mile walk from the main parking area leads past visitor buildings to the rim. From Desert View Point, the Colorado River bends west below the tower. The 1932 Watchtower was designed by Mary Colter, drawing on Ancestral Puebloan architecture; it is a twentieth-century building, not an ancient ruin.
The View Room and upper floors have separate operating arrangements. Upper-floor access depends on staffing and uses free, limited-capacity tickets obtained in person; visits are limited to 20 minutes. Check the park’s current service page for hours and last admission. The viewpoint remains a reason to stop even when the tower interior is unavailable.
Grand Canyon is ancestral homeland and a sacred place for many Native peoples; eleven federally recognized tribes maintain cultural connections to the canyon today. The Watchtower’s architecture is one interpretation of older forms, while the nearby Pueblo site preserves evidence of a community that lived here long before the tower was built.
The park’s Cultural Demonstration Program brings Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners to Desert View to share their work and perspectives. Programs are free but dates and participants change. Consult the current schedule, and ask before photographing people or their work.
Snow and ice can temporarily close the road; summer thunderstorms bring lightning. Check conditions, stay back from unguarded edges and watch for wildlife on the road.
Bring water and food: the market and deli closed for the winter on October 19, 2026, and other services have seasonal hours. The park lists 24-hour pay-at-the-pump fuel at Desert View; confirm current availability.
Park at designated pullouts. The tower involves a walk from the lot and stairs to its upper floors; check current access with the park. If returning to the Village, allow for the drive back as well as your stops.
For a wider comparison of South Rim overlooks, see the viewpoints guide; for a first visit, start with the South Rim first-timer guide.
Official park resources
The National Park Service updates road conditions, visitor services, closures and cultural program schedules.
