Breathtaking Trail of Time
Location: Grand Canyon, South Rim
Round Trip: 2,83 miles
Difficulty: Easy
GPS Coordinates: N 36 3.969 W 112 7.055
Visitor’s Information: Open all year round, No Pass Required
Magnificent and fascinating Grand Canyon astonished and attracted people for hundreds of years. But in spite of all uniqueness and incredible geologic history of Grand Canyon, there was no any program showing, teaching or explaining its geologic significance on a worldwide scale, until in 2007 Yavapai Observation station was rededicated as a Geology Museum, and then three years later an exceptional Trail of Time was opened.
The Trail of Time stretches along a part of the Rim Trail. It’s not just an ordinary paved hiking trail, it’s considered to be the largest scientific geological exhibition which does not just show its visitors the beauty of Grand Canyon, but also explains its geology.
Trail of Time is actually a 1,3 mile timeline. Each meter of it renders one million year time slot. Each meter is marked with a brass ring stamped in the paved path. At each point showing ten million year time period there is a brass medallion, embedded into asphalt, showing the exact amount of years you’ve passed along this timeline. The medallion showing 0 million years is located at the trail’s eastern end near Yavapai Geology Museum, and the last one medallion, showing 2,000 million years, is located at the western end of the Trail of Time, near El Tovar Hotel of Grand Canyon Village.
You may start your walk from two points: Yavapai Geology Museum and Verkamps Visitor Center. Strolling along the Trail of Time you will not just be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon, but you’ll also be able to fasten your eyes on various rock samples (actually not just view them, but also touch them), read the signs, placed along the trail, explaining the key concepts of different geologic processes which led to creation of Grand Canyon, and admire four stone portals, made out of rock samples, arranged in such a way to show the visitors the profile of Grand Canyon. Interesting and very popular monuments to make your pictures with.
There are also viewing tubes, which are placed near the information signs, which help visitors to see the different geologic elements, described in the signs, in the canyon itself.
This trail gives its visitors an idea of what changes the area has undergone, until it became what we see today. Needless to say what a unique opportunity it is to trace the history of the canyon over millions of years!
Photo: Roman Khomlyak
Photo Editing: Juliana Voitsikhovska
Information: Svetlana Baranova
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