The Hopi House is one of several historic structures designed by architect Mary Jane Colter. Her work is also behind the Desert View Watchtower, Lookout Studio, Bright Angel Lodge, Hermit’s Rest, and Phantom Ranch.

It was built in 1905 as a place to create, display, and sell Native American merchandise. Tourists gather in the summer months between the Hopi House and the rim to watch traditional Native American dance performances.

Check out this cool photo of Albert Einstein at the Hopi House in 1922.

The breezeway at Bright Angel Lodge – I walked through here the very first time I saw the canyon.

This is the Buckey O’Neill Cabin, the oldest building on the south rim. Buckey constructed it in the 1890s as a prospector in claim of a nearby copper deposit. He was killed a few years later in Cuba while serving with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. O’Neill Butte on the South Kaibab Trail was named in his honor.

Lookout Studio, another one of Mary Colter’s designs. Her intention was that it should blend in to its natural setting, and it does.

The El Tovar Hotel, the outline of which can be seen here on the rim. It was built in 1902, and serves as my place of employment during my stay at the canyon.

Kolb Studio – brothers Ellsworth and Emory Kolb operated a photo studio here in the early 1900′s, shooting photos for tourists on muleback as they descended the Bright Angel Trail. The structure sits precariously on the rim and can be seen from the trail far below. Emory Kolb resided here until his death in 1976 at age 95, and the brothers are prominent figures in the human history of the canyon. The building now serves as bookstore featuring various historic exhibits.

the Bright Angel trailhead
soon…

The Rim Trail gains elevation west of the village to Trail View Overlook – aptly named for its broad view of The Bright Angel Trail from above.

Maricopa Point

West of Maricopa Point lies the site of The Orphan Mine. At one time it was the nation’s richest source of uranium. The area is now fenced off because of potential radioactivity and other hazards.

Maricopa Point as seen from Powell Point

This is the Powell Memorial – in honor of John Wesely Powell, the one-armed Civil War veteran who led the first expedition down the Colorado River through the canyon in 1869.

Powell Point as seen from Hopi Point

fellow tourists at Hopi Point

It’s virtually impossible to visit the south rim without seeing a raven. That goes for squirrels, too.

Powell Point again, to the east

west

In 2008 The Hermit Road was closed for construction beyond Hopi Point, and little did I know that this applied to the rim trail as well. Upon continuing west we were confronted by a construction officer who was stubborn about allowing us to pass, so the hike of the rim trail ended here. With the rest of the afternoon to kill, we chose to drive the east rim out to Desert View…