Sight · Grand Canyon National Park
A long hike earns a sweeping view of the Colorado River.
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
Bright Angel Lodge and Lookout Studio“You're coming up on Bright Angel Lodge, a good stop for architecture as well as the canyon. Step into the Fred Harvey History Room for the ten-foot fireplace built to echo the canyon's rock layers.”
Plays as you drive up to Plateau Point in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Plateau Point is a named overlook on a broad rock ledge below the South Rim. It is a day-hike destination from Havasupai Gardens, known for a wide view into the inner canyon and down to the Colorado River. This is a destination hike, not a quick stop from the rim.
The spur from Havasupai Gardens is comparatively level, but the full outing is long and strenuous because of the climb back to the rim. Treat it as a full-day hike, carry the food and water you need, and check current trail and water conditions before setting out; access depends on which inner-canyon route segments are open.
The viewpoint opens across layered cliffs, with the Colorado River far below. For a photograph, frame the river together with the enclosing gorge so the picture shows the depth of the canyon as well as the water.
The inner gorge exposes rocks nearly 1.8 billion years old beneath much younger sedimentary layers. The Colorado River began cutting downward through the uplifted plateau about five to six million years ago, while tributaries gradually widened the canyon.
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
ModerateRiver Trail1.7 mi · 1 hr · 1.6 mi awayA river-level connector beneath steep inner-canyon walls.
ChallengingClear Creek Trail8.4 mi · 7 hr · 1.8 mi awayAn exposed, full-day traverse across the Tonto Platform to Clear Creek.
EasyThe Trail of Time3.3 mi · 2 hr · 1.9 mi awayA paved timeline where every meter spans a million years.ChallengingPlateau Point Trail12 mi · 10.5 hr · 2.9 mi awayA long descent earns a wide view of the Colorado River.
ChallengingBright Angel Trail7.8 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.9 mi awayCanyon layers, mule trains and a 4,400-foot descent to the river.
ChallengingSouth Kaibab Trail6.3 mi · 5 hr · 3.3 mi awayA steep ridge descent with a first river view at Skeleton Point.
ModerateRim Trail12.8 mi · 7 hr · 3.3 mi awayThe full 12.8-mile rim walk, easiest to sample by shuttle.
ChallengingRim-to-Rim: South Kaibab to North Kaibab21 mi · 16 hr · 3.3 mi awayA one-way canyon crossing from the South Rim to the North Rim.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayBright Angel CampgroundEarn a creekside night in the canyon's cottonwood shade.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayHavasupai GardensA shaded break on the canyon corridor, with Havasupai history.
Lodging · 1.5 mi awayPhantom RanchA rare creekside night at the canyon floor.
Sight · 1.7 mi awaySkeleton PointThe river view is earned on a 6-mile out-and-back.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayYavapai Geology MuseumA geology lesson with the canyon spread out in front of you.
Sight · 2 mi awayGrandeur PointSee Bright Angel Trail’s switchbacks cut across the canyon wall.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayThree-Mile ResthouseA canyon rest stop halfway through a strenuous Bright Angel hike.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayMather PointTwo rim platforms make an easy first look into the canyon.Parkwolf’s Grand Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
