Desert View Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The trail runs along unfenced cliff edges in several sections — the drops are real and fatal. Keep children within arm's reach and stay well back from any crumbling limestone ledges.
There is zero shade on most of this trail. In summer, temperatures on exposed rim sections regularly push past 95 degrees, and the reflected heat off rock makes it feel worse. Carry water even for a short walk.
Trail Details
- 1
Arrive before 9 AM to snag parking at the Desert View lot — it fills fast in summer since it's also the Watchtower parking area, and once it's full you're circling like a vulture.
- 2
Walk the trail first, then climb the Watchtower after — the tower views hit differently once you've already been out on the rim and can orient yourself to what you're seeing from above.
- 3
The best photography overlooks are between the 0.5 and 1-mile marks heading west from the Watchtower, where you get unobstructed shots of the canyon with Unkar Delta and the river bend below — golden hour light here is absurd.