Headquarters to Geology Museum Trail

Best Time to Walk It

Paved and largely flat with canyon views most of the way, this route works well any time of year, including as a break from heat elsewhere on a summer day.

What's Along the Way

• Rock samples on plinths, viewing tubes aimed at matching canyon formations, and wayside panels explaining what you're looking at.
• Wheelchair- and stroller-accessible, with shuttle stops near both ends if you'd rather ride one direction and walk the other.
• Total distance from Lot A to the museum runs about 1.1 miles combining the spur and the Trail of Time segment.

Getting There

Start at Parking Lot A near park headquarters, or from the Yavapai Geology Museum end if you'd rather walk the geologic timeline in reverse.

What to Expect on This Section of the Trail of Time

This stretch links Park Headquarters to the Yavapai Geology Museum along the South Rim. From the Headquarters parking area (Lot A), a 0.4-mile spur trail leads out to the rim, meeting the Canyon Rim Trail at the Trail of Time's "Headquarters Portal." From there it's another 0.7 miles east to the museum, with the route paced geologically — every meter walked equals a million years of canyon history, moving from roughly 1 billion years ago at the portal toward the present near the museum.