Three Gateways
There are but three points from which an easy descent may be made of the south wall to the granite gorge of the Grand Canyon:
1. At Grand View, down Berry’s (Grand View) or Hance’s (Red Canyon) trails.
2. At Bright Angel, down Bright Angel Trail.
3. At Bass’ Camp, down Mystic Spring Trail.
While the canyon may be reached over trails at other places outside of the district named (such as Lee’s Ferry Trail, by wagon from Winslow; Moki Indian Trail, by way of Little Colorado Canyon; and Diamond Creek road to Colorado River from Peach Springs station), most tourists prefer the Bright Angel, Grand View, and Bass’ Camp routes, because of the superior facilities and views there offered. The Peach Springs route is the only other one now used by the public to any extent.
It is near Grand View that Marble Canyon ends and the Grand Canyon proper begins. Northward, a few miles away, is the mouth of the Little Colorado Canyon. Here the granite gorge is first seen.
Bright Angel is approximately in the center, and Bass’ Camp at the western end of the granite gorge. By wagon road it is eighteen miles from Bright Angel east to Grand View, and twenty-three miles west to Bass’ Camp.
In a nutshell, the Grand Canyon at Grand View is accounted most sublime—a scene of wide outlooks and brilliant hues; at Bright Angel, deepest and most impressive—a scene that awakens the profoundest emotions; at Bass’ Camp, the most varied—a scene of striking contrasts in form and color.
Each locality has its special charm. All three should be visited, if time permits, as only by long observation can one gain even a superficial knowledge of what the Grand Canyon is. To know it intimately requires a longer stay and more careful study.