Powell Point is a significant and interesting place to stop along West Rim Drive, and is actually the site where the Grand Canyon National Park was dedicated all the way back in 1920. Here, you’ll also find a statue memorializing John Wesley Powell, for who the stop is named. Powell played an extremely important part in the discovery of the canyon, leading groundbreaking expeditions of the Colorado River in 1869 and 1872. The point itself consists of a 10 minute walk that many people take instead of just waiting for the next shuttlebus. As you walk through the pine path leading away from Maricopa, you’ll pass the historic Orphan Mine and enjoy a vast western vista, obscured only by Hopi Point. Note that eastbound shuttlebuses don’t stop here, and you don’t want to miss this great landmark.
Photo © Courtesy of Grand Canyon National Park and used under the Creative Commons.
