Moran Point - Grand Canyon National Park

Continuing our May 2015 visit to Grand Canyon National Park, we stopped at Moran Point for more spectacular views from the South Rim. A very short paved trail leads to the overlook from the parking area. The parking area has spaces for two handicap placarded vehicles, two RVs and about two dozen standard vehicles.

Horseshoe Mesa (5246' 3.2 miles) with Yaki Point (7262' 9.7 mi) and Havasupai Point (6802' 27 mi) on the horizon

Granite Gorge (2518' 5 mi)

Angels Gate and Wotans Throne

Asbestos Canyon on the north side of Granite Gorge

Confluence of two dry streams in Red Canyon

Hance Rapids at the end of Red Canyon

Vishnu Temple (7533' 5.8 mi) and Rama Shrine (6406' 5.1 mi)

Cape Final (7916' 9.5 mi), Jupiter Temple (7084' 9.1 mi), Venus Temple (6281' 8.5 mi) and Apollo Temple (6252' 8 mi)

Palisades of the Desert (13 mi) and Zuni Point

A tree stands in the gap

An entry fee of $30 per private vehicle is collected at three entrance stations and is good for seven consecutive days at both the South and North Rims. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.

Navajo Point - Grand Canyon National Park

The second stop of our May 2015 visit to Grand Canyon National Park was at Navajo Point (7461'). A very short paved loop trail leads to the overlook from the paved parking area. There are no amenities at this location as it is about a mile from the facilities at Desert View.

Desert View Watchtower is dwarfed by the size of the canyon

Colorado River and Palisades of the Desert

Comanche Point (7073' 4.2 miles)

Atoko Point (8402' 13 miles) on the North Rim, Siegfried Pyre (7922' 11.6 miles) and Gunther Castle (7199' 12 miles)

Gunther Castle

Solomon Temple (5121') and The Tabernacle (4802') in the foreground with twin peaked Angels Gate (6761') above

Colorado River (2625'), Basalt Cliffs to Ochoa Point (4761') and Jupiter Temple (7084')

Cardenas Butte (6281')

An entry fee of $30 per private vehicle is collected at three entrance stations and is good for seven consecutive days at both the South and North Rims. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.

Desert View - Grand Canyon National Park

Our May 2015 trip to the southwest continued with a visit to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. We entered the park from the east and our first stop after the fee station was Desert View, elevation 7438 feet. The Desert View visitor center was recently moved into the ground floor of the 70 foot high Watchtower. This National Historic Landmark was designed by architect Mary Colter and constructed in 1932. In addition to an information desk in the great room, a bookstore is also located on the ground floor. A narrow set of stairs lead up to an enclosed observation level in the tower. A side door at the top of the first flight of stairs leads to an observation deck above the great room. A paved ¼ mile path leads from the large parking area to the tower. The parking area has 8 handicap parking spaces, 15 bus spaces, 22 RV spaces and 278 spaces for standard sized vehicles. Other amenities at the site include a snack bar, restrooms with running water, gas and diesel fuel station and a 48-space campground.

The Watchtower

Another view

Watchtower from the observation deck

Escalante Butte in the foreground with Krishna Shrine (6131') and Wotans Throne (7721')

Ochoa Point (4761'), Sigfried Pyre (7922' 11½ miles) and Gunther Castle (7199' 11¾ miles)

Tanner Rapids between the sand bars and Lava Canyon Rapids upstream

Cedar Mountain (7061')

Granite Gorge

Hopi Point (7065' 18½ miles) and Diana Temple (6688' 25¼ miles)

Colorado River below Comanche Point and Palisades of the Desert
(Shinumo Altar on the horizon, 6520' 27 miles distant)

An entry fee of $30 per private vehicle is collected at three entrance stations and is good for seven consecutive days at both the South and North Rims. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($10 for lifetime), Access Pass (free with documented disability) and Military Annual Pass (free for active duty personnel).

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm.

Doney Trail - Coconino National Forest

The Doney Picnic Area is located on Sunset Crater - Wupatki Loop Road 9.3 miles from its northern terminus on US 89 north of Flagstaff, Arizona. While the picnic area is located in Coconino National Forest, you have to go through the Wupatki National Monument to reach it by paved road. We stopped during our May 2015 visit to the Southwest. The picnic area has vault toilets as well as trash and recycling receptacles. While there, I hiked the one mile round-trip trail to a vista point on 5512 foot high Doney Hill. There is no shade along this trail, so use sunscreen and drink lots of water. The wind carries cinder dust and increases as you climb. The trail is rated as easy. Several benches have been placed along the way as well as interpretive signs.

Topographic map with GPS hiking route

Trail elevation profile

The initial trail surface is loose cinders

As the trail climbs up to a saddle between cinder cones, the trail surface is much firmer

Painted Desert from the saddle

Turn right at the saddle to climb the higher cinder cone

Remains of a Wupatki farmstead

More of the ruins

Wildflowers in bloom

Hard packed cinder path

Continuing the climb

Merriam Crater (6813' 14 miles)

The top is in sight

Bench and sign at the end of the trail

Loop Road, Red Hill and S P Mountain

San Francisco Peaks

Fault line

Wupatki National Monument Visitor Center and Wupatki pueblo

Painted Desert

Gray Mountain, part of the Coconino Rim

Doney Mountain (5534')

Pinyon Pine

Another view of the Painted Desert

There is no entry fee for this portion of the Coconino National Forest.

The trail webpage is http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=55086&actid=50.
The forest website is http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/coconino/home.