Last updated: June 22, 2026
Place
Navajo Point
NPS/T Karlovetz
Quick Facts
Location:
Desert View Drive
Amenities
2 listed
Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot
Just a few minutes west of Desert View on the Desert View Drive, Navajo Point offers a great view of Desert View Watchtower, as well as panoramic vistas to the west and an expansive view north up the Colorado River. Watch for rafts on the Colorado River, winding far below Navajo Point, the highest viewpoint on the South Rim at 7,461 feet (2,275 m).
Navajo Point is the highest overlook on the South Rim - unless one is standing on the top observation deck of the watchtower itself. The top of the tower measures slightly higher.
With a dramatic view to the west, and accessible by car and a very limited number of smaller RVs/Campers, Navajo Point is a popular spot for sunset.
1956 Aviation Accident Memorial
Now located at Navajo Point, is the plaque and stone memorial that commemorates the 1956 Grand Canyon TWA-United Airlines Aviation Accident Site, a horrific airline collision over Grand Canyon that took place on June 30, 1956.
On that day, a Trans World Airlines (TWA) Super Constellation L-1049 and a United Airlines DC-7 collided in uncongested airspace 21,000 feet over the Grand Canyon, and killing all 128 people onboard the two flights. The tragedy spurred an unprecedented effort to modernize and increase safety in America’s postwar airways, culminating in the establishment of the modern Federal Aviation Administration.
National Historic Landmarks Program
The National Historic Landmarks Program, established in 1935, is administered by the National Park Service on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior. The agency works with preservation officials, private property owners, and other partners interested in nominating properties for National Historic Landmark designation. Completed nominations are reviewed by the National Park System Advisory Board, which makes recommendations for designation to the Secretary of the Interior. This site was dedicated as a National Historic Landmarks on Tuesday, July 8, 2014.