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| Above, the Desert View Watchtower. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Although now closed due to coronavirus concerns, Grand Canyon National Park's Desert View is now undergoing a major project for visitors when it does reopen.
According to the AZ Big Media:
The Arizona Lottery is teaming up with Grand Canyon Conservancy, Grand Canyon National Park’s official nonprofit partner, in their effort to reimagine the site at Desert View. Desert View represents the physical and cultural gateway from Grand Canyon National Park to tribal lands that surround it. In fact, in 2019 alone, one million park visitors visited Desert View to learn more about the 11 American Indian tribes that call the Grand Canyon home.
Perched on the rim of the canyon, the historic 70’ tall Desert View Watchtower is modeled after the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Four Corners region. Visitors can meet cultural demonstrators to learn about local indigenous cultures, spot the Colorado River turning west, and glimpse the Painted Desert extending towards tribal lands.
The Arizona Lottery’s $100,000 Gives Back Sponsorship (matched by the National Park Foundation’s centennial appropriations for $200,000 in impact) will fund opportunities for this Inter-tribal Cultural Heritage Site to teach visitors about past and present indigenous life and culture in and around Grand Canyon. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact directly with tribal members, listen to their stories, and observe a variety of cultural demonstrations.
On part of the project is an improvement of the arrival experience by creating an Orientation Area, Shade Structure, Picnic Areas, and revision of the parking lots.
To read more, go here.
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