Brady Peak

Best Time to View Brady Peak

Vista Encantada is only accessible during the North Rim's operating season, so plan around current park status before a trip built around this viewpoint. Morning and late-afternoon light tends to bring out the contrast between the pale Coconino cap and the darker rock beneath it.

Tips for Viewing Brady Peak

• Mount Hayden rises two miles to the north as the taller neighbor in this cluster, with Kibbey Butte and Alsap Butte close by — worth pointing out together from the same overlook.
• Brady Peak was officially named in 1932 for Peter Rainsford Brady, a 19th-century Arizona Territory pioneer and politician.
• Bring binoculars for a clearer look at the summit's spire detail from Vista Encantada.

Where to See Brady Peak

Brady Peak is best seen from Vista Encantada on the North Rim's scenic drive, not reached by a maintained trail. The easiest route to the summit itself is a class 5.2 technical climb, not a hike, so this is a viewpoint feature for the vast majority of visitors.

What You're Looking At: Brady Peak

Brady Peak is one of the isolated buttes that punctuate the view east of Vista Encantada on the North Rim, rising about one mile northeast of that overlook and topping out at 8,121 feet. From the rim it reads as a distinct, cream-capped summit standing apart from the canyon wall, with roughly 4,800 feet of relief down to Nankoweap Canyon below it. The pale summit cap is Coconino Sandstone, laid down some 265 million years ago as wind-blown dune fields, over the reddish Hermit Formation and the older Supai Group.