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Grand Canyon's Rocks Are Incredibly Old
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Arizona
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Inside Grand Canyon National Park
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Grand Canyon's Rocks Are Incredibly Old
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Geologically speaking, Grand Canyon is considered to be a "young" feature, much of it having been eroded in just the last 5-6 million years. But the ages of Grand Canyon's rocks are a different matter entirely, spanning over 1.5 billion years of Earth's history. The oldest known rock in Grand Canyon, known as the Elves Chasm Gneiss, is located deep in the canyon's depths as part of the Vishnu Basement Rocks and clocks in at an ancient 1.84 billion years old. The youngest of Grand Canyon's rock layers, the Kaibab Formation, forms the rims of the canyon and is a mere 270 million years old. But that's still even older than the dinosaurs! This interpretive exhibit along the Trail of Time discusses some of the methods geologists use to determine the ages of rocks, tools which are part of a field within the science of geology known as geochronology. This stop also offers an opportunity to actually see and touch a piece of the Elves Chasm Gneiss, the oldest known rock in Grand Canyon.
Bright Angel Trail
~1 min drive
The most popular hiking trail into Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Trail lets hikers walk in the footsteps of the canyon's Indigenous peoples, miners, and early tourists, as they descend into the canyon's depths. Offering outstanding views, morning and afternoon shade, resthous…
Rim Trail - Mather Point
~2 min drive
The Rim Trail is a mostly paved path that stretches roughly 13 miles (21 km) along the southern rim of Grand Canyon from South Kaibab Trailhead in the east to Hermits Rest in the west. Most people won't hike the whole trail in one go, but walking short sections of the rim can…
Mohave Point
~4 min drive
Another spectacular point for watching sunset, Mohave Point offers excellent views of the Colorado River deep in the canyon below. From here you can also see the Salt Creek, Granite, and Hermit rapids. Below this viewpoint, 'The Alligator' named by Emery Kolb points across th…
South Kaibab Trail
~5 min drive
Know Before You Go Before heading down into the canyon, consult the signs at the trailhead, and scan the QR code for trip planning, current weather, water availability, and trail information/closures. (or visit our Key Hiking Messages webpage). Trail Reopenings and Current C…
Hermit Trail Grand Canyon
~8 min drive
Louis D. Boucher, the "hermit" of Hermit Creek basin, lived in this area for 20 years. Boucher built the Boucher Trail (west of the Hermit Trail) and seasonal residences at Dripping Springs and near Boucher Creek. Though socially active in the South Rim community, residents la…
Trail of Time: Verkamp's Visitor Center Portal
~0 min drive
From the flagpole outside of Verkamp's Visitor Center, walk to the right along the rim trail and find the Trail of Time bronze markers embedded in the pavement. From the 2,000 million year marker, you can see the western entry portal for the Trail of Time. Walking east from Gr…
Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse
~1 min drive
This popular day-hike destination on the Bright Angel Trail provides relief from the weather and extremes of all seasons, be it the summer heat or storms in the winter and spring. Vault toilets are available year-round. During the summer months, a water filling station at the…
Trail of Time: Headquarters Portal (Parking Lot A)
~1 min drive
To get to this portal, walk the spur trail near Park Headquarters and parking lot A. It is a 0.4 mile (0.65 km) to the portal at the junction with the Canyon Rim Trail, (Trail of Time). This portal sits at 1,000 million (1 billion) years ago along the Trail of Time, a period…
Stone Corral and Mule Power Exhibit
~1 min drive
Most of the day this simple small corral sits empty, but stop by early in the morning and you'll have a chance to see the chaos of wranglers, mules, and eager mule riders as everyone gets ready for a once in a lifetime trip into the depths of Grand Canyon for an overnight stay…
Village Greenway
~1 min drive
4.9 mi · Easy
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