Our day following Hermit rive and exploring the Canyon Rim Trail along Grand Canyon National Park’s south rim was pretty incredible and the views of Grand Canyon were breathtaking. But while we had sun and clear blue skies the day before while exploring Desert View Drive and Grand Canyon Village, it was now extra cold and cloudy, and there was a chance of snow.
At our first couple stops of the day, the Hermit’s Rest Transfer Station and Trailview Point, it was overcast and the skies were gray, then we got a little sun between the clouds at Maricopa Point and Powell Point, but during our trek along the Canyon Rim Trail to Hopi Point, the clouds came in faster, and by the time we were hiking to Mohave Point, it began to snow—
Little snow flurries were falling and swirling around us as we hiked at Grand Canyon!
We live just an hour or so from Truckee and going to the snow is easy for us when there is snow, so we never go when it’s actually snowing. We only go on sunny days so we don’t have to deal with chains, bad weathers, and traffic, and the kids have always wanted to be in actual falling snow — who would have guessed their first time in falling snow would have been at Grand Canyon National Park!
Mohave Point boasts several small overlooks clustered together and wondrous views of sandstone mesas, the Colorado River, and the nearly 3,000 foot tall vertical cliffs that make up The Abyss between Mohave Point and Pima Point.
When standing at the Mohave Point scenic overlook, you can see:
- A jagged, red sandstone mesa known as The Alligator
- Multiple sets of rapids on the roughly half mile stretch of the Colorado River, including Boucher Rapids, Hermit Rapids, Granite Rapids, and Salt Creek Rapids.
- Yuma Point, Cocopa Point, and Havasupai Point to the west.
- Bright Angel Canyon with Ninetyone Mile Creek, Trinity Creek, and Ninteyfour Mile Creek across the canyon on the North Rim.
The view isn’t quite as expansive as the view at Hopi Point, because Hopi Point blocks the view to the east), but Mohave Point is a great place to watch the sunrise and sunset at Grand Canyon as it is generally quite a bit less crowded.
Mohave Point was the perfect place to stop for a lunch break. We relaxed on some rocks just above the overlooks for a picnic trail side and as we ate, more snow flurried around us and it got colder and colder! Needless to say, we ate fast and got back on the trail, hoping to make it to Hermit’s Rest before the weather got any worse!
Know Before You Go
- Mohave Point is located on Hermit Road west of Grand Canyon Village, Arizona 86023 in Grand Canyon National Park, Coconino County.
- Hermit Road follows the South Rim for 7.0 miles from Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest. The Canyon Rim Trail also travels from Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest, but over 7.8 miles because it hugs the edge of the canyon rim and runs between Hermit Road and Grand Canyon.
- Don’t want to hike the entire Canyon Rim Trail? No problem? You can walk/hike between scenic overlooks or take the shuttle and mix it up, so you could walk the shorter distances and ride the shuttle for the longer distances.
- In the winter, you can drive your own vehicle from scenic viewpoint to scenic viewpoint, but the rest of the year, you need to ride the free shuttle bus.
- Traveling from Grand Canyon Village, the Hermit Road (Red) Shuttle Route stops at nine overlooks — Trailview Overlook, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss, Monument Creek Vista, Pima Point, and Hermit’s Rest. Traveling from Hermit’s Rest to Grand Canyon Village, the shuttle stops at only four overlooks — Hermits Rest, Pima, Mohave, and Powell Points.
- You can also travel to Hermit’s Rest by bike. If you didn’t bring a bike, you can rent a bike at Bright Angel Bicycles near the South Rim Visitor Center.
- The nearest restrooms are at Hopi Point.
