Explore Arizona | Arizona Highways

Grand Canyon's New Astronomer in Residence

Grand Canyon, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) is excited to welcome Stephen Hummel as the first Astronomer in Residence onsite at Grand Canyon National Park this year. Hummel is the Dark Skies Initiative Coordinator for McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin. His work has focused on preserving dark skies in the Big Bend region of Texas and Mexico. He will be in residence at the South Rim from February 1 to March 14, 2025.

The Healing Power of Wilderness

There are three things that might happen if we consider wilderness a form of alchemy. One: We will be transformed by having experienced it. Two: In the stars we find there, out there in the open, our base metals will turn purer, somehow. Three: The wilderness we find ourselves in will be elixir — tonic to soothe the monotony of the day-to-day, of the slow, brooding ache within the constructs of our humanity.

Biden Designates Grand Canyon National Monument

During a visit to Red Butte, southeast of Tusayan, on August 8, President Joe Biden issued a new national monument designation for the greater Grand Canyon region.

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument is the fifth monument designated by Biden in the past 10 months. It prohibits new uranium mining claims in the region and protects cultural sites on approximately 1 million acres of land outside Grand Canyon National Park.

Q&A: The Grand Canyon's Astronomer in Residence

The unparalleled beauty of the night sky at Grand Canyon National Park — an International Dark Sky Park — attracts stargazers, photographers and astronomers alike.

Trapped in a Fractal

Editor’s Note: This story recounts an attempt by two hikers to record the fastest known time (FKT) on the Tuckup Trail, which is located in the Grand Canyon. There are two very important things to know before you read this: 1) This hike requires a backcountry permit from Grand Canyon National Park and should not be attempted by anyone who does not have extensive backcountry experience and the stamina to go with it. This is a trail best experienced vicariously.

Sacred Temples in a Sacred Place

Vishnu, Shiva, Deva, Zoroaster … from the 1870s to the early 1900s, more than 20 peaks in the Grand Canyon were officially designated as “temples.” For more than 25 years, one lucky resident of the national park got to see them every day.

North Rim Campground

North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

Set among the aspens and pines on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, this campground is, in a word, gorgeous. It’s well loved by the rangers who care for it and the people who visit, and it shows. Shady, spacious sites are suited for families with tents, but RVs also have a place here.

Kaibab Lake Campground

Kaibab National Forest, Williams

One of the larger campgrounds in the area, Kaibab Lake, just east of Williams, features a boat ramp, a huge group area, picnic tables, grills, an amphitheater where rangers host interpretive programs, and about a billion photo opportunities. The campground underwent a major renovation in 2011, and the many upgrades include a new camping loop, new pavement, new parking spurs and additional day-use parking, to name a few.

Jacob Lake Campground

Kaibab National Forest, Fredonia

Jacob Lake was named for Mormon pioneer Jacob Hamblin, who settled in the area in the 19th century. If you saw a photograph of Hamblin, you might not be impressed by his pioneer looks, but you should be impressed by his reputation among the Indians with whom he dealt. You see, Hamblin was known as the “Buckskin Apostle.” Although Hamblin is long gone, the lake and campground that bear his name are fitting tributes.

Mather Campground

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South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

You won’t find a landscape more spectacular than the Grand Canyon anywhere in Arizona. Anywhere in the world, perhaps. Carved over millions of years, its cliffs have long been the subject of photographers, essayists and regular joes who flock to marvel at its grandeur.