Desert View Drive leaves Grand Canyon Village heading east and follows the rim for about 25 miles to Desert View, the park’s east entrance area. Here stands the Desert View Watchtower, a round stone tower 70 feet high that Mary Colter based on ancestral Puebloan towers of the Four Corners. Inside, murals by the Hopi artist Fred Kabotie decorate the Hopi Room.
The view from Desert View is unlike the rest of the South Rim: the canyon widens out, the Colorado River appears clearly as it turns west, and beyond it the colours of the Painted Desert stretch to the horizon. The drive is open to private cars all year, weather permitting.
What to see and do: Desert View & the Watchtower
Climb the Watchtower
Climb the stairs inside the tower (when open) past Kabotie’s murals to the upper floors for wide views. Opening times and access to the upper levels can change; check on arrival.
Stop at Grandview Point
One of the most dramatic viewpoints on the South Rim, about 12 miles east of the village. The steep, unmaintained Grandview Trail drops from here — a serious trail even for experienced hikers.
Moran, Lipan and Navajo Points
Moran Point shows the canyon’s layers especially clearly; Lipan Point has one of the best views of the river and of the “Grand Canyon Supergroup” rock layers; Navajo Point, near the tower, is the highest viewpoint on the South Rim.
Tusayan Ruin
A small ancestral Puebloan village site with a museum, between Lipan Point and Desert View — a reminder that people have lived around the canyon for thousands of years.
How to get to Desert View & the Watchtower
- By car, allow at least half a day for the round trip from the village with stops; the drive alone takes about 45 minutes each way. There is no shuttle on Desert View Drive.
- If you are coming from Page, Horseshoe Bend or Monument Valley, you enter the park at the east entrance near Desert View, which makes it your first stop. Several guided tours drive the route with a guide.
Insider tips
- Lipan Point and Desert View are excellent at sunrise and sunset and much quieter than Mather and Hopi Points.
- There is a general store, snack bar, gas station (seasonal services) and restrooms at Desert View.
- In winter the road can close briefly after snowstorms.
Best tours & tickets for Desert View & the Watchtower
These top-rated experiences pair well with a visit to Desert View & the Watchtower:
Guided jeep tour from US$165 Tusayan: Grand Canyon Desert View & South Rim Pink Jeep Tour
A three-hour guided drive in one of the well-known pink jeeps along Desert View Drive, the scenic road that runs east along the rim to the Desert View Watchtower. Your guide explains the geology on the way and leaves time for photos at the tower.
- Desert View Drive with a guide
- Visit to the Desert View Watchtower designed by Mary Colter
- Geology stops along the eastern rim
Guided sunset tour from US$185 From Tusayan: Grand Canyon Desert View Sunset Tour
An evening tour in an open-air jeep that heads out along the rim to watch the sun go down from sought-after viewpoints. Smaller and more personal than the coach tours, and a relaxing end to a day of hiking or driving.
- Open-air Jeep Wrangler
- Sunset from well-known viewpoints on the South Rim
- Guide helps with photo stops
Guided day tour from US$191 From Sedona or Flagstaff: Grand Canyon Full-Day Tour
A narrated full-day trip to the South Rim from Sedona or Flagstaff, with a scenic drive through changing landscapes on the way and several stops along the rim.
- Fully narrated tour
- Drive along the South Rim
- History and geology of the canyon
Coach day tour from US$398 Las Vegas: Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend
Three of the Southwest’s most famous sights in one very long day from Las Vegas, with over two thousand reviews and a 4.8 rating. Expect a pre-dawn start and a late return; the reward is the South Rim, a guided walk through Antelope Canyon and the view over Horseshoe Bend.
- Grand Canyon South Rim
- Antelope Canyon with a Navajo guide
- Horseshoe Bend overlook
