Mather Point

Stephen Mather spent his directorship arguing that people who love the parks will fight for the parks. The overlook bearing his name puts that theory to work immediately: a short walk from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Mather Point delivers the South Rim's first canyon view for most visitors — east visibility stretching 30-plus miles, west visibility 60-plus. From here you can pick out the Colorado River below and Phantom Ranch at the canyon's bottom. The free Kaibab/Rim shuttle stops here. Arrive before sunrise or linger past sunset; the colors will do the rest.