Tower of Set
A remote canyon butte named for an Egyptian god, seen from Hopi Point
About
Tower of Set is a 6,012-foot butte deep inside the canyon, rising about 3,600 feet above the Colorado River roughly four miles north of Hopi Point on the South Rim. You don't hike to it — you look at it, most commonly from Hopi Point or other western viewpoints along Hermit Road, where it stands among a cluster of similarly named formations including Tower of Ra and Shiva Temple. Its summit is capped in reddish Supai Group rock, with Redwall Limestone, Tonto Group strata, and ancient Vishnu basement rock exposed in the cliffs below.
Naming
Artist Thomas Moran named it Temple of Sett in 1879 after the Egyptian god Set, saying a niche worn into the rock reminded him of temples along the Nile. The Board on Geographic Names made Tower of Set official in 1906. It's a genuine mountaineering objective, not a trail — the first recorded ascent wasn't until November 1977, by Bruce Grubbs and Jim Haggart, and the easiest route is rated class 5.1.
Best Time to View It
Hermit Road's shuttle runs seasonally; check current access before planning a Hopi Point trip around this formation.
Good to Know
- Artist Thomas Moran named it Temple of Sett in 1879 after the Egyptian god Set, saying a niche worn into the rock reminded him of temples along the Nile; the Board on Geographic Names made Tower of Set official in 1906.
- It's a genuine mountaineering objective, not a trail — the first recorded ascent wasn't until November 1977, by Bruce Grubbs and Jim Haggart, rated class 5.1.
- Its summit is capped in reddish Supai Group rock, with Redwall Limestone, Tonto Group strata, and ancient Vishnu basement rock exposed in the cliffs below.
Where to See Tower of Set
Best viewed from Hopi Point or other western viewpoints along Hermit Road.
What You're Looking At: Tower of Set
Tower of Set is a 6,012-foot butte deep inside the canyon, rising about 3,600 feet above the Colorado River roughly four miles north of Hopi Point on the South Rim. You don't hike to it — you look at it, most commonly from Hopi Point or other western viewpoints along Hermit Road, where it stands among a cluster of similarly named formations including Tower of Ra and Shiva Temple.
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