Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1936 as a fire tower, the 80ft Grandview Lookout Tower offers great views of the region for those willing and able to climb all those stairs. From the park’s Desert View Dr, turn at the sign for ‘Arizona Trail’ between mileposts 252 and 253, about 2 miles east of Grandview Point. You can hike or bike 1.3 miles on a dirt road to the lookout.
Alternatively, take unpaved Forest Rd 302, just past Grand Canyon National Park Airport, in Tusayan. You can also ride or hike here via the Tusayan Bike Trail, a moderate bike trail on an old logging road. The trailhead is 0.3 miles north of Tusayan on the west side of Hwy 64/180. It’s 16 miles from the trailhead to the lookout. If you don’t want to ride all that way, three interconnected loops offer 3-, 8- and 9-mile round-trips.
From the lookout you can hike or ride part or all of the still-evolving Arizona Trail, a 24-mile one-way ride to the south boundary of the Tusayan Ranger District. This is an excellent and relatively easy ride. The northern segment of the trail unfolds beneath ponderosa pines and gambel oaks; further south, the trail passes piñon-juniper stands, sage and grasslands. Bring plenty of water, as there are no dependable sources along the trail. Ask at the ranger station about other hikes.
In the winter the United States Forest Service (USFS) maintains a groomed cross-country skiing loop 0.3 miles north of Grandview Lookout.
