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The Colonnade
A layered rock rampart in the Shiva-Isis-Buddha Temple country of the North Rim.
About
The Colonnade is a long, cliff-banded ridgeline on the North Rim's Kaibab Plateau, its upper layers of pale Kaibab and Toroweap rock sitting atop sheer Coconino sandstone walls. It sits deep in the Phantom Creek drainage, in the same neighborhood as three of the canyon's best-known temples — Shiva, Isis, and Buddha — and its long profile helps anchor that whole cluster of formations when you're trying to sort out what you're looking at from a rim overlook.
Where to see it
There's no maintained trail to The Colonnade itself — it's a backcountry summit that sees only the occasional off-trail scrambler, not a day-hike destination. Most visitors take it in from a distance along the Widforss Trail on the North Rim, where it reads as a broad, layered ridge running back into Haunted Canyon with Isis Temple beyond it and the South Rim's cliffs on the horizon.
- Best viewed from points along the Widforss Trail, North Rim
- Part of the Shiva/Isis/Buddha Temple cluster in the Phantom Creek drainage
- Not accessible by maintained trail — a backcountry scramble, not a hike
Best Time to View It
The Widforss Trail is only accessible during the North Rim's seasonal operating window — confirm current access before planning around this view.
Good to Know
- There's no maintained trail to The Colonnade itself — it's a backcountry summit that sees only the occasional off-trail scrambler.
- Its long profile helps anchor the whole Shiva/Isis/Buddha Temple cluster when you're trying to sort out what you're looking at from a rim overlook.
- Pair a Widforss Trail hike with identifying this formation for a richer North Rim outing.
Where to See The Colonnade
Most visitors take it in from a distance along the Widforss Trail on the North Rim, where it reads as a broad, layered ridge running back into Haunted Canyon with Isis Temple beyond it.
What You're Looking At: The Colonnade
The Colonnade is a long, cliff-banded ridgeline on the North Rim's Kaibab Plateau, its upper layers of pale Kaibab and Toroweap rock sitting atop sheer Coconino sandstone walls. It sits deep in the Phantom Creek drainage, in the same neighborhood as three of the canyon's best-known temples — Shiva, Isis, and Buddha.
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