Mather Point - Your First Big Look

Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Grand Canyon South Rim, a free self-guided tour.

Take your time at the railing. The Grand Canyon runs about 277 river miles, stretches up to 18 miles wide and drops roughly a mile deep, and from here you are looking north across its heart toward the North Rim, about ten miles away. The pale cliff under your feet is Kaibab Limestone, the canyon's top layer and its youngest major rock.

This point honors Stephen Mather, the businessman who became the first director of the National Park Service and pushed to make the Grand Canyon a national park, which happened in 1919. Long before that, this was homeland. Eleven tribes, including the Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, Yavapai-Apache and Southern Paiute, have deep ties to the canyon, and you will meet their stories along the rim.

Stay behind the railings, keep children within arm's reach, and drink water even when the air feels cool. Rim edges can crumble without warning.

Getting here: From the Grand Canyon Visitor Center plaza, follow the paved path north a few minutes to the railed overlook.

Did you know?: Before he ran the national parks, Stephen Mather made his fortune in the borax business, where he helped promote the famous 20 Mule Team brand.

Photo op: Walk to the far end of the railed promontory and frame your group against the layered buttes; morning light from the east brightens the walls to the north and west.

Nearby: Restrooms and water bottle filling stations at the Visitor Center plaza; check nps.gov for current food options nearby.

More on Wikipedia: Mather Point · Stephen Mather · Grand Canyon National Park · Kaibab Limestone

Mather Point - Your First Big Look

Stops on this tour