Grand Canyon's Desert View Watchtower
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Millions of people visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona each year, but far fewer make the 30-mile trek out to the far end of the park's East Rim. If they do make the trip, they'll be rewarded with beautiful vistas of the canyon from the picturesque and historic Desert View Watchtower.
Mary Colter's Masterpiece
The Watchtower was designed by famous Southwest designer Mary Colter, who designed many other rustic buildings at the Grand Canyon and around the region. Her work is noted for its quiet elegance and how it blends into the surrounding environment, and the Watchtower is one of the best examples of her work. It is built out of native sandstone, and literally melts into the cliff where it stands on the rim of the canyon.
The Building
The building is more than five stories tall, with most of the tower open to the public. The main area at ground level is a gift shop and storage, but the "kiva" area is notable for the excellent flagstone floor, massive fireplace, and log beamed ceiling (the logs came from the old Grandview Hotel, one of the first built at the Grand Canyon). There are stairways on the side of the tower that take the visitor up to balconies and an outside observation deck, where the views of the Little Colorado and Grand Canyon area are magnificent. Visitors should take note of the authentic Hopi murals painted on the inside walls of the building by Hopi artist Fred Kaboti. His paintings mimic petroglyphs found in the area as well as traditonal Hopi symbols.
The Desert View Watchtower is a bit out of the way for many canyon visitors, but the short drive is worth it to see this outstanding example of Colter's distinctive Southwestern architecture. Oh, the views along the way aren't bad, either!