Near Grand Canyon Village in Coconino County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Ancient Illusion
Desert View Watchtower
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 26, 2015
1. Ancient Illusion Marker
The weathered stone exterior creates the desired effect of a structure rising from the canyon. Colter and her masons carefully selected stones, insisting "any tool mark [would be] a conspicuous scar on the face of our walls." The 70 foot (21 m) tower and 40 foot (14 m) diameter kiva speak to the knowledge and talent of the ancestral masons.
Erected by National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Parks & Recreational Areas.
Location. 36° 2.608′ N, 111° 49.561′ W. Marker is near Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, in Coconino County. It can be reached from Desert View Drive (Arizona Route 64) 21½ miles east of South Entrance Road. Marker is located along the walkway overlooking the Desert
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Regionally, this marker is in Flagstaff & High Country and in Hopi. It is also in the American Southwest, in the Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Watchtower (within shouting distance of this marker); Revealing Features (within shouting distance of this marker); Tragedy Remembered (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1956 Grand Canyon TWA-United Airlines Aviation Accident Site (about 300 feet away); Like Nowhere Else (about 600 feet away); Tribal Connections (approx. 0.7 miles away); Grand Canyon's Gateway (approx. 0.7 miles away); Delta Farmers (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 26, 2015
2. Ancient Illusion Marker
Also see . . .
1. Mary Colter's Desert View Watchtower. The internal steel framework of the Watchtower was designed and supervised by the bridge builders of the Santa Fe Railway company. Upon this framework, each exterior stone was selected and carefully placed to ensure exactly the look Mary Colter was hoping to obtain for she was a stickler for detail. Her attention to accuracy of detail was amazing. (Submitted on March 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Desert View Watchtower. The Desert View Watchtower in Grand Canyon National Park was designed by architect Mary Colter in the 1930s for the Fred Harvey Company. Colter based her design on prehistoric architecture in Mesa Verde, Hovenweep, Chaco, and Wupatki, using stone native to the Grand Canyon to encase a steel frame. (Submitted on March 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Marker detail: Artistic Influences
Colter paid equal attention to the interior, working with artists to adorn the walls with meaningful images. Hopi artist Chester Dennis created incised petroglyphs on the interior parapets. Another Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie, wove the history of his people into the murals on the first floor. Fred Geary precisely copied drawings found in ancient sites.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 26, 2015
4. Desert View Watchtower
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 26, 2015
5. National Historic Landmark
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 26, 2015
6. Desert View Watchtower
Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 611 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 26, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
