The Trail of Time Hiking Tour

Experience the unending vastness and awesome beauty of the Grand Canyon – on the ground. An open-air Jeep Wrangler will bring you to the trail and your expert guide, brimming with facts about the geological formations and the multi-colored rock layers, will walk you along the paved Trail of Time from Yavapai Point to Grand Canyon Village.

With ample time to take in the expansive views and ever-changing light, you will stop at Yavapai Point Observatory, Hopi House - filled with exquisite Hopi arts and crafts -and the magnificent El Tovar Lodge before arriving at the beginning of the Trail of Time.

So, what is the Trail of Time? The Trail of Time is a paved trail almost 3 miles long that is brimming with hands-on Grand Canyon activities. The trail resembles a geologic timeline of the formation of the Grand Canyon. Each meter of the trail represents one million years of the Grand Canyon’s rich geological history.

Along the trail, you’ll notice bronze markers within the paved path. These markers point out your location in time of the Grand Canyon forming. Go further to find Grand Canyon activities of ancient rocks you can touch. Wayside exhibits explain how these rocks formed within the Grand Canyon as well as key events in history leading up to pivotal Grand Canyon formations. Rocks are placed alongside their “birthdays” of appearing within the Grand Canyon. Keep a lookout for rocks with 1.7-billion-year-old folds, 1.2-billion-year-old mud cracks, 800-million-year-old algal reefs and 270-million-year-old fossils. Viewing tubes along the trail link times on the timeline to landmarks and rocks in the canyon below.

The end of the trail doesn’t mean the end to your Grand Canyon activities. There’s much to explore at the Grand Canyon Village.