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1962 Map of Bright Angel

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Bright Angel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Grand Canyon village serves as the southern gateway in this early 1960s survey, where the terminal of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad meets the legendary El Tovar Hotel. The map documents the intricate network of canyon descent routes, including the Bright Angel Trail and the Kaibab Trail, which converge at the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch. The verticality of the terrain is defined by dramatic named features like Cheops Pyramid, Shiva Temple, and Zoroaster Temple, illustrating the early 20th-century naming conventions that favored mythological and monumental themes.

On the Kaibab Plateau to the north, the Grand Canyon Lodge sits at Bright Angel Point, overlooking the massive erosional features of The Transept. This edition provides exceptional detail on backcountry water sources vital to early exploration, such as Roaring Springs and Ribbon Falls, while also marking infrastructure like the Yavapai Pt Museum and various Quarries that supported the park's early development.