Desert View

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Aerial view looking northwest at Desert View Point, 7,360 feet / 2,243 meters, and the Desert View developed area. Automobile and RV/bus parking lots are visible left of center, with the  visitor service buildings to the right of the parking lots. The nearby peaks on the right are Escalante Butte  6,536 feet/ 1,992 meters, and Cardenas Butte 6.281 feet/ 1,914 meters.

 

Most Desert View Facilities Are Open

Updated August 15, 2021

The East Entrance to the park at Desert View is open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.

Visitors traveling through the Navajo Nation on US 89, turn west at Cameron, Arizona onto State Route 64, then drive 25 miles (40 km) to the park's East Entrance. A stop at Desert View provides their first views of Grand Canyon.

Note: when traveling through the Navajo Nation, wearing a mask is still mandatory in public, whether a person is vaccinated or unvaccinated.

The second way to reach Desert View is by driving east from Grand Canyon Village on Desert View Drive, a 23 mile/ 37 km scenic road that is open to all vehicles throughout the year.

The following Desert View areas and services are open for visitors:
• Viewpoints in the Desert View vicinity
• Desert View main parking lot and RV parking lot
• Restrooms are located between the main parking lot and the canyon rim.
• Trading Post - Coffee and Ice Cream 9 am - 5 pm
• Desert View Market 9 am - 5 pm
• Pay-at-the-Pump Service Station 24 hours

• Information Table Staffed by Park Rangers: The table is located on the north side of the main parking lot, in front of the buidling on the left side of the Orientation Plaza. Hours: 9 am to 5 pm daily.

• Desert View Watchtower Retail Store (Kiva Room)
Saturday through Wednesday 10 am — 3 pm (closed on Thursday and Friday).
Only the ground level retail shop is open to the public. The tower itself remains closed until further notice.

• Desert View Campground is open for the season. (NO HOOK-UPS). Due to high demand, Desert View Campground now requires advanced reservations. You may book reservations up to 6 months in advance online at recreation.gov, or by phone [phone]). Same Day Reservations may also be made online or by phone. More >

With public health in mind, some facilities remain closed:

• Desert View Watchtower: the tower itself is CLOSED
• Desert View Camping Supply Shop at the Gas Station CLOSED
• Desert View Deli CLOSED
• Tusayan Ruin and Museum CLOSED

 

View north from Desert View Point at the Colorado River. NPS/Kristen M. Caldon

 

Desert View

 

Desert View is a small settlement on the South Rim located 23 miles/ 37 km east of Grand Canyon Village, and near the eastern edge of Grand Canyon. Arizona State Route 64, Also known as Desert View Drive, is a 23 mile (37 km) scenic road that connects Desert View with Grand Canyon Village.

Visitors traveling through the Navajo Nation on US 89, turn east at Cameron, Arizona onto State Route 64, then drive 25 miles (40 km) to the park's East Entrance. A stop at Desert View provides their first views of Grand Canyon.

When traveling through the Navajo Nation:

• Wearing a mask is still mandatory in public on the Navajo Nation, whether a person is vaccinated or unvaccinated.
• There is daily curfew between 11 pm and 5 am MDT.
• Navajo Tribal Parks are open and welcome visitors at 50 percent capacity. For more information about Navajo Tribal Parks, call: 928-871-6647 or visit www.navajonationparks.org

 

Map of Desert View settlement showing parking lots, footpaths and buildings, in relation to the canyon rim.

Attractions

• Some of the finest views of the Colorado River and canyon geology
• Park ranger programs and cultural demonstrations
  Check with park rangers for availability.
• Desert View Watchtower.The tower is closed until further notice. Ground level shop open Saturday through Wednesday 10 am — 3 pm (closed on Thursday and Friday).
• Nearby Tusayan Museum and Pueblo highlighting the story of American Indians of the region Closed until further notice.

Facilities

Restrooms
Outdoor information table staffed by park rangers
Trading Post/Ice Cream and Coffee Bar
Pay-at-the-Pump Gas Station
Desert View Market/General Store
Grand Canyon Conservancy bookstore in the watchtower.

A detailed list of these services and their current hours of operation is at the top of this page.

• NOTE: Overnight Lodging is not available at Desert View
• Seasonal Campground - Advanced reservations are required. Can be made on the day of arrival - if availability exists.
• Desert View Drive, (23 miles/ 37 km) between Desert View and Grand Canyon Village, is the only South Rim scenic drive that is open to personal vehicles all year.

 

Perched on the rim of the canyon, the Watchtower reflects the architecture of the ancestral Puebloans in the Four Corners region. Climb the stairs for views up and down the canyon. . On a clear day, one can see well over 100 miles. (161 km) This photo shows Watchtower Kiva Room after retail shop removed, and partially restored to architect Mary Colter's original design. January 2015.

 

Desert View Watchtower

Watchtower (1932)

An unusual stone tower designed by Mary Colter, in the style of Ancestral Puebloan towers. Watch Video.

• The Watchtower is the official visitor contact station at Desert View.
• The Desert View Watchtower Retail Store (Kiva Room) Saturday through Wednesday 10 am — 3 pm (closed on Thursday and Friday).
• CDC guidelines and physical distancing measures are in place. Face coverings are required to shop in the store.
• Only the ground level retail location is open to the public. The tower itself remains closed until further notice.

 

During the summer, park rangers lead tours of the site

Tusayan Pueblo CLOSED

Tusayan Pueblo is the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village located 3 miles (5 km) west of Desert View. This was a thriving community that created pottery, arrowheads and other household artifacts. Hours: 9 am to 5 pm

• Walk a relatively flat 0.1 mile (200 m) self-guiding trail around the site.
• Imagine Puebloan Indian life some 800 years ago.
• Attend daily ranger-led ruin tours at 11 am and 2 pm (summer season)
• Download: Tusayan Pueblo (Ruin) Trail Guide (821kb PDF file)

 

Tusayan Museum

Tusayan Museum (1928) CLOSED

The museum has exhibits that help bring the pueblo to life. Admission is free. Normal hours: 9 am to 5 pm

• View: 2,000–4,000 year old artifacts along with traditional handicrafts made by regional tribes.
• Learn: about the prehistoric people who once made this place their home.
• Visit: the museum's bookstore/shop.

 

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Duration:

6 minutes, 39 seconds

The Desert View area has been used as a gathering place for thousands of years. Visitors can see a glimpse of the ancient past at the Tusayan Ruin and Museum. The Desert View Watchtower, is modeled after the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau. Today Desert View represents the physical and cultural gateway from Grand Canyon National Park to the Navajo and Hopi reservations.