Shaded tables, restrooms and canyon vistas make Desert View Picnic Area the perfect spot to refuel while exploring the park’s eastern South Rim. It’s steps from the Watchtower and open year‑round, 24 hours a day.
This uncovered picnic area is located at the north end of the main parking lot, with plenty of picnic tables and recycling bins nearby. Some of the standard-sized picnic tables are under trees, providing some shade during the hot summers. Restrooms for this area can be found north of the area along the Desert View Walkways. To the northwest, there is a visitor center, but it was not open during our visit.
This picnic area is at the eastern end of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were there at mid day in the springtime and we loved the vistas.
Great viewing second time around we Caught the sun rising today.
Awesome sunset spot 🌅 and you can also see the canyon with Colorado river
Sadly, tower was closed due to COVID-19, but you could still access to park area to look around. Its restroom facility was also closed, so you need to use one of those located adjacent to parking area.FYI, if you want to get here using EAST ENTRANCE, you should check their website. It was closed!
Shaded tables, restrooms and canyon vistas make Desert View Picnic Area the perfect spot to refuel while exploring the park’s eastern South Rim. It’s steps from the Watchtower and open year‑round, 24 hours a day.
Located 25 mi/40 km east of Grand Canyon Village, Desert View Picnic Area sits at 7,400 ft (2,255 m) on the South Rim’s Desert View Drive. The grove of pinyon pines and junipers offers welcome shade, while nearby restrooms, water fountains and the Desert View Market make it a convenient lunch stop. The site is free, open 24/7 and large enough for tour groups and families. From the tables it’s a two‑minute stroll to the historic 1932 Watchtower for 360‑degree canyon panoramas and Navajo Point, the South Rim’s highest overlook.
Car: Follow AZ‑64/Desert View Drive 25 mi east of Grand Canyon Village or enter via the East Entrance, 0.5 mi east. Tour Bus: Most South Rim sightseeing buses stop at Desert View Watchtower; the picnic area is adjacent. Bicycle/Foot: Shared‑use path ends at Pipe Creek Vista; cyclists continue on roadway to Desert View. No park shuttle currently serves this point.
Local advice to help you make the most of your visit.
Aug) provide dramatic photo backdrops—keep rain gear handy.
secure food and trash to protect wildlife.
No—tables are first‑come, first‑served and cannot be reserved.
Open fires and charcoal grills are prohibited; use gas stoves only when fire restrictions permit.
Several tables have extended tops and adjoining paved pads; restrooms include accessible stalls.
The Desert View Market & Deli, across the parking lot, sells sandwiches, snacks, and cold drinks.
No shuttle currently serves Desert View; you’ll need your own vehicle, bicycle, or a commercial tour.
Hours may change. Please call ahead to confirm before you visit.
Discover attractions, viewpoints, restaurants and experiences within a short distance.
Centered on Desert View Picnic Area · showing places within 1.9 mi
Visitor Help0.1 miThe National Park Service notes the facility is “Restrooms: located between the main parking lot and the canyon.” Built to support the…
Visitor Help0.1 miOpened with the completion of Desert View Drive in the 1930s, the parking lot anchors the only developed area on the South…
Store0.1 miOperated by Delaware North, the Desert View Camp Store is the only grocery outlet at Grand Canyon’s East Entrance. Inside you’ll find…
Store0.1 miLocated 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village, the market serves day‑trippers, campers, and through‑hikers entering via Desert View Drive. Shelves carry basic…
Store0.1 miBuilt in 1932 beside Mary Colter’s Desert View Watchtower, the Desert View Trading Post continues the Fred Harvey Company tradition of showcasing…
Viewpoint0.2 miDesert View Watchtower was conceived as a “re‑creation” of ancestral Puebloan towers, blending seamlessly with the canyon’s rim. Architect Mary Colter collaborated…
Campground0.3 miSet among pinyon pines and junipers 23 mi (37 km) east of Grand Canyon Village, Desert View Campground sits at the highest elevation on…
Local_government_office0.5 miThe East Entrance Station, often called the Desert View Entrance, sits 25 mi/40 km east of Grand Canyon Village on Arizona State Route 64. It serves…
Parking0.6 miNavajo Point Parking Lot sits 0.6 mi / 1 km west of Desert View Watchtower along Desert View Drive. Roughly 25 vehicles…
Viewpoint0.7 miPerched 25 mi / 40 km east of Grand Canyon Village, Navajo Point takes its name from the neighboring Navajo Nation. A short, paved spur off…
Trailhead1.6 miStarting beside Lipan Point overlook on Desert View Drive, Tanner Trailhead offers a gateway to the wild eastern Grand Canyon. The primitive…
Viewpoint1.6 miLipan Point sits along Desert View Drive, 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Desert View Watchtower. The overlook reveals the Unkar Delta, a broad…
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