New & Improved Yavapai Observation Station Opens

The National Park Service recently rededicated the historic Yavapai Observation Station (YOS) upon the completion of major interior renovations. Newly-installed interpretive exhibits focus on the geology of the Grand Canyon, and demonstrate the powerful geologic processes responsible for the carving (past and present) of the fabled chasm. Others serve to make the canyon’s ancient rock strata, nearly two billion years old by most accounts, comprehensible to both the scientific and lay audience alike.

Originally built in 1928, what was then called the Yavapai Point Trailside Museum was designed by architect Herbert C. Maier. In the tradition of the famed architect Mary Jane Colter, Maier took pains to blend the structure with the surrounding landscape. Located on the South Rim at the outer edge of Grand Canyon Village, YOS has since been visited by countless park visitors. Parking and admission are free, and a small bookstore operated by the Grand Canyon Association can be found within.

In a press release issued by the NPS, park superintendent Steve Martin said, “We are extremely excited about the renovation of Yavapai Observation Station, along with the new exhibits that tell the story of Grand Canyon’s geology. This is but the first step, as we continue to forge opportunities for connections between our park visitors and the incredible Grand Canyon.”

“The Man Who Walked Through Time” Reaches the End of the Trail

Another Grand Canyon hiking legend has passed away. In recent years canyon enthusiasts bid farewell to George Steck and Harvey Butchart, two intrepid backcountry travelers that wrote at length about their respective experiences. Joining them in that great wilderness in the sky is Colin Fletcher, author of “The Man Who Walked Through Time.” Fletcher’s account of his 1963 walk from one end of Grand Canyon National Park to the other fired the imaginations of readers at a time when camping and backpacking were gaining popularity across the country.

Perhaps ironically, Fletcher was severely injured in 2001 when he was struck by a car while crossing a rural road. These injuries plagued him until his death on June 12, 2007, at the age of 85. Since his Grand Canyon trek in 1963, the park has been expanded dramatically by absorbing Grand Canyon National Monument and Marble Canyon National Monument. End-to-end hikes are as rare now as they were in Fletcher’s time, with only a few dozen people having accomplished the feat. He will be missed.

Park Visitation Trending Higher

The latest statistics show that Grand Canyon visitation is trending higher, bucking a trend at other National Park Service (NPS) units nationwide. Through April, official reports showed that 1,086,992 people visited Grand Canyon National Park year-to-date, a .35% increase vs. the same period in 2006.

The same report indicated that, system wide, the National Park System received 63.8 million recreation visits from January through April. This was a 3.6% decrease in recreation visits, or 2.4 million fewer visits than in 2006.
Approximately 50% of the nation’s park units reported a year-to-date decrease in visits. The lingering winter-like weather has affected the Midwest Region (-10% or -350,000 visits), National Capital Region (-13% or -1.8 million visits) and the Northeast Region (-5% or -500,000 visits).

At Grand Canyon, no statistics were immediately available on the place of origin of the myriad park visitors. But as a thirteen year resident of I have noticed a large increase in the annual influx of international visitors. In particular, the Europeans seem to be flocking to the park in greater numbers—no doubt aided by the weak U.S. dollar vs. cross-Atlantic currencies of late.