Zoroaster Temple
A cream-colored spire towering 4,600 feet above the Colorado River
About
Zoroaster Temple is one of the great free-standing formations of the inner canyon, a cream-colored spire of Coconino Sandstone rising to 7,123 feet and standing roughly 4,600 feet above the Colorado River. You don't hike to it in the ordinary sense — you see it, from South Rim viewpoints including Yavapai Point, Yaki Point, and Shoshone Point, or from stretches of the South Kaibab Trail, where it dominates the skyline northeast across the gorge.
Naming and geology
The name comes from the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster, part of the tradition Clarence Dutton started in the 1880s of naming canyon formations after religious and mythological figures; the U.S. Board on Geographic Names made it official in 1906. The summit block is capped Kaibab Limestone and Toroweap Formation over Coconino Sandstone laid down as desert dunes some 265 million years ago, with Vishnu basement rock exposed far below at river level.
- Reaching the base requires a serious backcountry trip — the Clear Creek Trail skirts its south side
- The summit itself is a technical rock climb (first ascended in 1958) requiring ropes and a wilderness permit, not a hike
Best Time to View It
These South Rim overlooks are accessible year-round, so timing follows your broader South Rim visit rather than a season specific to this formation.
Good to Know
- The name comes from the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster, part of the tradition Clarence Dutton started in the 1880s of naming canyon formations after religious and mythological figures; officially adopted in 1906.
- The summit itself is a technical rock climb, first ascended in 1958, requiring ropes and a wilderness permit, not a hike.
- Look for it dominating the skyline from South Kaibab Trail hikers heading down toward Cedar Ridge.
Where to See Zoroaster Temple
View it from Yavapai Point, Yaki Point, Shoshone Point, or stretches of the South Kaibab Trail. Reaching the base requires a serious backcountry trip — the Clear Creek Trail skirts its south side.
What You're Looking At: Zoroaster Temple
Zoroaster Temple is one of the great free-standing formations of the inner canyon, a cream-colored spire of Coconino Sandstone rising to 7,123 feet and standing roughly 4,600 feet above the Colorado River. You don't hike to it in the ordinary sense — you see it, from South Rim viewpoints including Yavapai Point, Yaki Point, and Shoshone Point, or from stretches of the South Kaibab Trail, where it dominates the skyline northeast across the gorge.
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