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

Hermit Road

Grand Canyon

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

Hermit Road Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

1. Hermit Road Marker

Inscription. Today, most visitors will travel the Hermit Road by shuttle, but in 1912 when the road first opened, you would have traveled by horse or buggy. The Santa Fe Railway and U.S. Forest Service built the buggy road so early visitors had a choice in experiencing the canyon. Until then, the easiest option for entering the canyon was by Ralph Cameron's trail (today's Bright Angel Trail), which had a dollar toll, equal to about $20 today. Hermit Road enabled visitors to reach the Hermit Trail, where they could hike into the canyon or stay overnight at Hermit Camp.

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.

Location. 36° 3.432′ N, 112° 8.685′ W. Marker is in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, in Coconino County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Hermit Road and Village Loop Drive, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located along the West Rim Trail, near the west end of the Hermit's Rest/Village Loop shuttle transfer station. 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 walking distance of this marker. Bright Angel Trail (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mules and the Canyon

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(about 300 feet away); Grand Canyon Village (about 500 feet away); Bright Angel Cabin 88 & 89 (about 600 feet away); Kolb Studio (about 600 feet away); Historic Kolb Studio (about 700 feet away); Buckey O'Neill Cabin (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lookout Studio (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Grand Canyon National Park.

Also see . . . The Scenic and Historic Hermit Road. Hermit Road and most of its associated overlooks and parking areas are historic, designed and constructed in 1934-1935 by the Bureau of Public Roads and the National Park Service. (Submitted on October 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Buggy Rides to Hopi Hill, 1913 image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Buggy Rides to Hopi Hill, 1913

The Fred Harvey Company offered buggy rides to Hopi Hill ($1.50), Mohave Point ($2), and Hermits Rest ($3).

Marker detail: Vintage view from Hermit Rim Road image. Click for full size.

3. Marker detail: Vintage view from Hermit Rim Road

Likened to a "boulevard in the wilderness," Hermit Road was considered "the most unique scenic highway in the world" for a time.

Marker detail: Hermits Rest image. Click for full size.

4. Marker detail: Hermits Rest

The little-changed Hermits Rest is as popular today as it was in 1918.

Marker detail: The Automobile Era image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: The Automobile Era

When Grand Canyon became a national park in 1919, the National Park Service opened Hermit Road to automobiles. The road was rerouted and rebuilt to highway standards in 1935 and again in 2008.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

6. Hermit Road Marker

Grand Canyon view from near marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2015

7. Grand Canyon view from near marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on October 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.