Grand Canyon Loop - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 454

er cake of theEarth's history preserved in rock. Its deepest point, in the black-walled Inner
Gorge, reveals rocks nearly 2 billion years old.
ThemuseumatYavapaiPointisthebestplacetolearnaboutthedepositionanderosion
processes that created the canyon; as a bonus, the museum's windows make it a fine view-
point during summer storms and on cold winter days. On nice days visitors can take an
easy hike on the South Rim Nature Trail west from the museum to Hermits Rest.
5. West Rim Drive
West Rim Drive, an eight-mile road west of Grand Canyon Village, also ends at Hermits
Rest. The road is closed to private vehicles in summer, but shuttle buses make it easy to
visit the drive's many overlooks. A memorial here honors Major John Wesley Powell, the
courageous one-armed Civil War veteran who led expeditions down the Colorado River in
1869 and 1871 to survey the river and take photographs.
As you near the end of the drive, Pima Point offers views into what Powell called the
“grand, gloomy depths” of the canyon bottom. From the rim the Colorado seems only a
narrow creek; in reality, the river is between 200 and 300 feet wide, and what appear to
be gentle ripples are in fact roaring rapids that toss river-runners' 20-foot rafts about like
corks in a whirlpool.
6. Yaki Point
ThedrivedoublesbacktoGrandCanyonVillageandheadseastonEastRimDrivetoYaki
Point. Prominent in the view here are the switchbacks of the South Kaibab Trail, which in
6.3 miles drops steeply to the Colorado River. Hiking into the canyon can be an exhilarat-
ing experience, but be sure to carry plenty of water and allow adequate time (twice as long
to come back up as you spend going down). Descending below the rim is like entering a
desert—and the lower you go, the hotter it gets. In summer, temperatures on the canyon
floor often exceed 105°F.
7. Grandview Point
Trying to choose a favorite view of the Grand Canyon can prove as frustrating as counting
thestarsinthesky.Everyvista,everyvisit,revealssomethingnewandextraordinary.Non-
etheless, Grandview is a favorite of many who know the park well, with Horseshoe Mesa,
Angels Gate, and Vishnu Temple among the majestic formations arrayed below.