Grand Canyon Village

Entrance to Bright Angel Lodge

This rustic lodge, built of timber and native stone, was designed by architect Mary Colter and opened in 1935. Her intention, under the direction of the Santa Fe Railroad, was to create a hotel that would be a lower cost alternative to El Tovar Hotel. Colter's signature as an architect was to incorporate local flavor into her buildings. Bucky O'Neill Cabin was one of the first buildings in Grand Canyon Village, and Mary Colter not only preserved the cabin but incorporated its design into the design of Bright Angel Lodge. Another historic structure that she preserved and used for inspiration is the Red Horse Station, which was used as the post office for many years. Both buildings are still in use today. Bright Angel Lodge is located west of El Tovar just a few feet from the South Rim and the Bright Angel Trailhead. See Lodging and Restaurants for lodging and dining information.

Lookout Studio

Designed by Mary Colter and built by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1914 for the purpose of competing with Kolb Studio, Lookout Studio is on the edge of the rim in front of Bright Angel Lodge. Colter employed her design philosophy of using local inspiration by constructing the building from native stone and giving it an irregular roof line so that it would blend into the rim. It now serves as a bookstore and has high-powered telescopes on the observation deck so that visitors can view the Grand Canyon in detail.

Verkamps Visitor Center

This building, located next to El Tovar Hotel, was built in 1905 by John Verkamp and was operated as a curio shop until 2008. Verkamps was the most famous souvenir shop at the Grand Canyon and was a must-visit location for many park visitors. It is now a park visitor center and bookstore specializing in the pioneer history of Grand Canyon Village and the experience of living and working on the rim of the Grand Canyon.

Verkamp first arrived at Grand Canyon Village in 1898 and began selling souvenirs from a tent. Business was slow and he moved to Flagstaff until the railroad reached the South Rim and tourism increased dramatically. Verkamp returned to the Grand Canyon and opened his curio business in his new building in 1906.

One of the reasons that Verkamps was so popular was the family tradition of service to the customer as well as their employees. Many of their items for sale were purchased from local artists, and employees were trained in the history and significance of the art work so they could pass that knowledge on to the store's customers.

The Verkamp family was also heavily involved in the Grand Canyon Village community. They helped develop Grand Canyon School and actively supported the Shrine of the Ages and the community library. They also supported the local Boy Scouts and helped found the local Rotary Club.

Mather Point

Accessible via a quarter-mile trail from Canyon View Information Plaza, Mather Point is the first view of the canyon for many visitors. The viewpoint itself is located at the tip of a spectacular fin of Kaibab limestone which projects out into the canyon. Mather Point is an excellent location for sunrise photos. Walk east along the paved Rim Trail to get a view of Mather Point and the sheer, sunlit cliffs below standing in sharp contrast to the early morning shadows of the canyon depths in the background.

To the east, you can see the upper portion of the South Kaibab Trail. The initial portion of the trail where it descends through the Kaibab limestone rim cliffs is hidden from view in a north facing alcove, but then the trail comes into view as it descends below Yaki Point along the sloping terrace eroded from the Toroweap formation. As the trail comes out onto the red slopes of the Hermit shale, it swings around the east side of O'Neill Butte and disappears from view.

Pipe Creek is visible below as well as a portion of the 72-mile long Tonto Trail winding along the greenish-gray shale slopes of the Tonto Plateau. This section of the Tonto Trail is in better shape and more visible from above because it has been used several times as part of the main rim to river route on the Bright Angel Trail. The original route of the Bright Angel Trail was down upper Garden Creek, along the Tonto Plateau across Pipe Creek, and then down to the Colorado River along what is now the lower South Kaibab Trail. After the River Trail was completed to connect lower Pipe Creek to the two footbridges across the Colorado River at the mouth of Bright Angel Creek and the foot of the main route again when the lower Bright Angel Trail in Pipe Creek was closed for reconstruction for several years.

The Plateau Point Trail is also visible leaving the green, spring-fed oasis of Indian Garden and heading out to a viewpoint just west of Garden Creek. Plateau Point is unusually flat for the Tonto plateau and part of the trail crosses a landing strip used by RV Thomas and Ellsworth Kolb to land a plane and take off again, on August 8, 1922. Emory Kolb hiked down to the airstrip to photograph the event.

To the north, on the far side of Granite Gorge, you'll note Bright Angel Canyon. Phantom Ranch, the only resort at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and Bright Angel Campground are located at the mouth of Bright Angel Creek just above the Colorado River on the North Kaibab Trail. The trail continues most of the way up Bright Angel Creek before climbing up Roaring Springs Canyon to North Rim Village.