Grand Canyon National Park in Coconino County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Like Nowhere Else
Photographed by James Hulse, June 21, 2024
1. Like Nowhere Else Marker
Constructed in 1932, the 70-foot tall Desert View Watchtower provides visitors from around the world with magnificent views of the canyon and the Painted Desert beyond.
Colored layers of rock. Yawning gorge. Sliver of river far below. Reminders of ancient culture. What elements make Desert View memorable and inspiring?
Captions
"Nowhere in the world, has the sun a greater chance to set in glory than here where the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon meet." This lyrical description of Desert View accompanied a painting by Gunnar Widforss printed on a postcard.
Inspired by the American West and the national parks, Widforss produced a series of Desert View paintings for the Fred Harvey Company. As postcards, these paintings sought to preserve memories of magnificent views.
Erected by Grand Canyon, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.
Location. 36° 2.532′ N,
this page online
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: Ancient Illusion (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Watchtower (about 700 feet away); Revealing Features (about 700 feet away); 1956 Grand Canyon TWA-United Airlines Aviation Accident Site (about 800 feet away); Tragedy Remembered (approx. 0.2 miles
Photographed by James Hulse, June 21, 2024
2. Like Nowhere Else Marker
Also see . . . Desert View Watchtower. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Desert View is the eastern-most developed area on the South Rim of the park. Starting from the main parking area, a short .25 mile (.4 km) walk takes you past restrooms, the general store/market and the trading post. From there, the Watchtower is in plain view.(Submitted on July 8, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Recognized as a National Historic Landmark, the Watchtower was constructed in 1932. Architect Mary Colters design takes its influences from the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau. This particular tower was patterned after those found at Hovenweep and the Round Tower of Mesa Verde. Colter indicated that it was not a copy of any that she had seen, but rather modeled from several.
The view from the Watchtower provides a unique perspective of the eastern portion of Grand Canyon. From here, looking to the northeast offers a distantglimpse of the Colorado River's transition from the relatively narrow Marble Canyon to the north into the much wider, broader expanse of Grand Canyon.Photographed by James Hulse, June 21, 20243. Desert View Watchtower
Photographed by James Hulse, June 21, 2024
4. The view of the Desert View Watchtower along the Grand Canyon
Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 8, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
