Sight · Grand Canyon National Park
Spot marine fossils in the limestone that forms the rim.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Canyon Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Grand Canyon audio tourRecorded for this place
Trailview Overlook and Rim Fossils“You're nearing Trailview Overlook, where a short flight of stairs leads to a close view of Bright Angel Trail's switchbacks.”
Plays as you drive up to Bright Angel Fault Fossil Beds in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
This is a fossil locality on the South Rim, a short walk west of Hermit Road's first shuttle stop. It is one of the two best places to see Kaibab Formation fossils in place. Stop if you enjoy looking closely at rock; the fossils are tiny and easy to miss against the scale of the canyon.
The Kaibab Formation forms the canyon rim. It is mostly limestone deposited about 270 million years ago, when this area was part of an ancient marine environment. The formation contains fossils of marine invertebrates, including brachiopods, crinoids and horn corals. Scan the exposed limestone rather than expecting a large display.
The Bright Angel Fault reaches the canyon rim near the fossil beds. On the rim trail between the beds and the Village Route Shuttle Stop, look for where the fault meets the canyon edge. There is also a tactile exhibit.
The ground is uneven, with sudden drops and scattered branches, so watch your footing and head. The site is open to the public, and you can explore on your own or with a ranger. You may handle rocks and fossils in place, but leave them there; fossils in the park are protected.
Wildlife
718 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
533 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
169 sightingsAmerican BisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,891 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
59 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
27 sightingsGray FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingBright Angel Trail7.8 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayCanyon layers, mule trains and a 4,400-foot descent to the river.
ChallengingPlateau Point Trail12 mi · 10.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA long descent earns a wide view of the Colorado River.
EasyThe Trail of Time3.3 mi · 2 hr · 1.8 mi awayA paved timeline where every meter spans a million years.
ChallengingMonument Creek Trail3.2 mi · 2 hr · 3 mi awayA steep backcountry descent from Monument Creek to Granite Rapids.
ChallengingSouth Kaibab Trail6.3 mi · 5 hr · 3.6 mi awayA steep ridge descent with a first river view at Skeleton Point.
ModerateRim Trail12.8 mi · 7 hr · 3.6 mi awayThe full 12.8-mile rim walk, easiest to sample by shuttle.
ChallengingRim-to-Rim: South Kaibab to North Kaibab21 mi · 16 hr · 3.6 mi awayA one-way canyon crossing from the South Rim to the North Rim.ChallengingSouth Kaibab–Bright Angel Loop15.8 mi · 14 hr · 3.6 mi awayA 15.8-mile canyon traverse from South Kaibab to the Bright Angel rim.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayKolb StudioA rimside museum with a story that went down the Colorado River.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayTrailview OverlookClose views of Bright Angel’s switchbacks, after a short stair walk.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayBright Angel LodgeA 10-foot fireplace turns canyon geology into a room's centerpiece.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayLookout StudioA stone lookout where Mary Colter framed the rim in 1914.
Lodging · 0.3 mi awayMaswik LodgeA pine-shaded base, with the rim a short walk away.
Restaurant · 0.4 mi awayArizona SteakhouseRegional ingredients give this steakhouse a distinct Arizona streak.
Visitor center · 0.4 mi awayBackcountry Information CenterGet a backcountry plan from staff before you head below the rim.
Lodging · 0.4 mi awayThunderbird LodgeSome rooms have canyon views; the Rim Trail is right outside.Parkwolf’s Grand Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
