The Alligator

Best Time to Visit

Mohave Point is also a strong sunset spot, with views down to Salt Creek, Granite, and Hermit rapids on the Colorado River — a good time to combine the formation view with the river view.

Good to Know

• The upper body is banded red-orange Supai Group rock; below that, gray Redwall Limestone carries the curve down toward the inner canyon.
• From the same overlooks, look for Isis Temple, Horus and Osiris Temples, and the Tower of Ra — other named formations across the canyon.
• The tail aims across the river toward a formation called the Tower of Set, worth spotting together.

Where to See The Alligator

Best viewed from Mohave Point, reached via the Hermit Road shuttle (also accessible by car in winter when the road is open to private vehicles). Also visible from nearby Hopi Point.

What You're Looking At: The Alligator

The Alligator isn't a trail — it's a rock formation you spot from the rim, a ridgeline butte that drops below and away from Mohave Point on the South Rim's Hermit Road. Photographer and Grand Canyon pioneer Emery Kolb gave it the name, and once it's pointed out the resemblance holds: the ridge runs north, then a lower cliff band curls off to the northwest like a tail.