After seeing the Hermit Road viewpoints and attractions from the Village west to Hermits Rest, it’s time to venture east along the rim.

The 26-mile Desert View Drive (Hwy 64) to at the eastern entrance of the park passes through ponderosa forests with elk and deer and five viewpoints.

Morning

Greet the morning or enjoy a stunning sunset at Yavapai Point and Geology Museum. With an east-west orientation and a canyon-wide panorama, the morning and evening sun paints the formations with brilliant, ever-changing hues. After a rain or snow, or with the summer monsoon cloudscape, the canyon comes alive with rainbows, virga, and dramatic shifting shadows.

After saluting the sunrise, head east on Desert Drive and stop at each of the viewpoints for a different view into and across the magnificent abyss. If sun angle is a consideration for photography, drive straight to Lipan Point, Navajo Point, and Desert View, which face down the length the canyon, often with the river in view. With morning light, the sun’s rays illuminate the inner gorge, which is in shadows most of the day. Then work your way back toward the Village in the afternoon.

Tusayan Pueblo