Grand Canyon National Park in Coconino County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Down Memory Lane

Grand Canyon

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Down Memory Lane Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

1. Down Memory Lane Marker

Inscription. You are standing on a section of the original Hermit Road, constructed in 1911-1913. It was a road ahead of its time, offering sweeping vistas and gentle grades, at a cost of $250,000 — an unheard of sum for such a short road. It was built for horses and buggies, not automobiles. When Grand Canyon became a national park in 1919, the road opened to cars and was quickly overwhelmed. Repaving and widening in the 1920s was not enough. A major reconstruction, undertaken in 1934-35, eliminated this section of road.

(background image caption)
Hermit Rim Road, 1911

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.

Location. 36° 3.774′ N, 112° 11.44′ W. Marker is in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, in Coconino County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Hermit Road and West Rim Trail. Marker is located in Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim), along the West Rim Trail, about ¾ mile southeast of the Pima Point Overlook. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Grand Canyon AZ 86023, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Best Section (approx. 0.8 miles away); A Trail, a Camp, and a "Hermit"

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(approx. 0.8 miles away); Hermit Camp (approx. 0.8 miles away); Rest House (approx. 1.1 miles away); Hermit's Rest (approx. 1.1 miles away); Colonel Claude Hale Birdseye (approx. 2.1 miles away); Orphan Mine (approx. 2.3 miles away); Early Explorer (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grand Canyon National Park.

Also see . . . Grand Canyon Civilian Conservation Corps. During the 1920s federal agencies, including the National Park Service, fell behind in providing infrastructure for increased visitation. The CCC helped Grand Canyon and other national parks construct streets and roads, trails, picnic shelters, campgrounds, and telephone lines. During 1933-1936 Company 818 worked on the North Rim during the summer and moved to the canyon bottom for the winter. During those years, young men in five other CCC companies worked at Grand Canyon: Companies 847, 2543, 2833, 3318 and 4814. (Submitted on October 2, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Road Construction image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Road Construction

Road fill required gravel; curbing, walls, and culverts required stones. All were quarried from the rubble slopes in front of you or from other quarry sites near the road.

Marker detail: Hide and Seek image. Click for full size.

3. Marker detail: Hide and Seek

Stand completely still… watch for movement amongst the quarry rocks. Perhaps you will spy a plateau lizard scurrying about or basking in the sun. These lizards eat grasshoppers, other insects, and even the occasional centipede.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

4. Down Memory Lane Marker

(West Rim Trail and rubble quarry in background)

Lizard near marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

5. Lizard near marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 154 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 2, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.