Desert View Off-Road

Explore the New Grand Canyon National Monument

• Off-Road Trail: Experience the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world
• Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni: Travel through the newly designated Grand Canyon National Monument
• Grandview Lookout Tower: Learn about the U.S. Forest Service’s fire management techniques
• The Arizona Trail: Visit a trailhead for the 807-mile Arizona trail that runs from Mexico to Utah
• Moran Point: See the three rock groups that make up the Canyon's many layers; learn about early expeditions
• Desert View Watchtower: Explore the 70-foot-high watchtower designed by Mary Colter; see the Colorado River
• IMAX® Movie: Free ticket to the IMAX® Movie, "Grand Canyon: Rivers of Time"
• Photo Ops: Stop at up to (3) additional viewpoints along Desert View Drive
  
  

Tour Details

Breaking away from pavement and traffic, the Desert View Off-Road tour cuts across the gentle, densely forested terrain of Kaibab National Forest near the Arizona National Scenic Trail en route to the Grand Canyon’s breathtaking South Rim. Within what is also Arizona’s newest national monument, passengers will be immersed in a remote wilderness habitat of rare and endangered plants and animals. 

You’ll depart Tusayan, located within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, in a heated Pink Jeep® Wrangler. Designated in 2023, the monument encompasses three distinct areas to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park. Totaling nearly one million acres, the lands are sacred to many tribes in the region and renowned for their natural, cultural, scientific and historic resources.

The mild, off-road trail through Kaibab National Forest is flanked by towering trees that are part of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world. This massive belt of evergreens stretches across 2.6 million acres, from the Grand Canyon all the way to the New Mexico state line!

Your expert, local adventure guide will share insights about the unique aspects of the National Park Service, the U.S Forest Service and new national monument. You’ll also learn about The Arizona Trail, a nearby 807-mile non-motorized recreation trail that runs the length of the state from Mexico to Utah.

You’ll emerge from the forest onto the Grand Canyon National Park’s famous Desert View Drive just west of Moran Point, which is the first of several scenic stops. It is one of the few viewpoints where all three distinct rock groups that make up the canyon’s many layers can be seen. Looking out across the tilted strata of the deep canyon, you can almost hear the Colorado River far below. 

At Desert View Watchtower, the eastern-most developed area of the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, you’ll witness the unique and historical architecture of famed Southwest designer Mary J. Colter. Views from surrounding terraces provide unique and expansive perspectives of the canyon stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Winding back along Desert View Drive, the tour will make additional stops at well-loved viewpoints such as Grandview Point or the aptly named Duck on a Rock. In between views and photo ops, your local trained guide will share stories of the people and natural elements that shaped this incredible Wonder of the Natural World.

Your Grand Canyon tour includes park admission fees and a ticket to the new IMAX® Movie, "Grand Canyon: Rivers of Time". This newly released film shares captivating canyon history and geology, complete with in-depth looks at the area’s indigenous tribes, early explorers and places that few have ever seen.

Park admission is for tour only. Re-entry to the Grand Canyon National Park requires the purchase of a park pass.

Know Before You Go

• Children under 2 are not permitted on this tour
• Guests who are expecting cannot take this tour
• Tour travels mild dirt roads. One can expect a few bumps here and there, but no bumpy or rugged climbs.
• Tour includes stops where guests will walk on rocky, uneven terrain
• Guests with limited mobility can stay in the vehicle at stops but this will limit some photo ops
  
  

VIDEO & PHOTO GALLERY