(6000 x 1899) View from Navajo Point on the Desert View Drive in Grand Canyon National Park. The Desert View Watchtower is visible in the distance on the right.

Desert View Drive is a scenic route to the east of Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim which follows the rim for 25 miles (40 km) out to the Desert View Watchtower and East Entrance. Along the way, six developed canyon viewpoints, four picnic areas, and five unmarked pullouts are accessible with private vehicles, in addition to the Tusayan Ruin and Museum. Coronado Butte is on the left in this photo (7,108 ft./ 2.166 m)

The Desert View services area includes the Watchtower and gift shop, trading post and snack bar, bookstore and information center, Marketplace, service station, campground, and restrooms.

Learn more here: <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/desert-view-drive.htm" rel="nofollow">www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/desert-view-drive.htm</a>

The Desert View Watchtower is one of the most prominent architectural features on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, underwent major renovations during 2010.

The Watchtower is located at Desert View, the eastern-most developed area on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Recognized as a National Historic Landmark, the tower was constructed in 1932. Architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter’s design takes its influences from the architecture of the ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau. She collaborated on the design with Hope artisans of the day, including well-known Hopi artist Fred Kabotie whose murals adorn much of the second level of the tower.

Today, the 70-foot tower contains a gift store and its upper floors serve as observation decks where visitors from around the world enjoy magnificent views of the canyon and the Painted Desert.

Download the Desert View Trail Guide here: <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Desert_View-b.pdf" rel="nofollow">www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/Desert_View-b.pdf</a>