Grand Canyon Depot

The canyon became reachable for ordinary travelers in 1901, when the Santa Fe's spur line ended the long stagecoach haul up from Williams. This log depot, finished in 1910, greeted passengers stepping off the train a short walk from the rim, and for a quarter century the railroad was the most comfortable way to arrive. It is now the last operating log railroad depot in the country, still receiving trains. Around it grew the planned village that remains the heart of the South Rim, laid out to serve the crowds the tracks delivered.

What the plaque says

Grand Canyon Depot. In 1901, the screech of train brakes and the blast of a train whistle signaled the arrival of a new era in Grand Canyon Village. The railroad provided the most comfortable means of transportation to the canyon for more than a quarter century. This log depot, finished in 1910, welcomed train passengers to a growing village. By 1924, a community development plan was created for the village. Almost a century later, that planned community forms the core of Grand Canyon Village, centering on the last operational log depot in the country. Today, the depot is carefully preserved and still welcomes passengers to the canyon.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Grand Canyon (South Rim) — 0.5 mi
  A mile down through two billion years — and eleven nations' ground

More markers nearby

• Building One — steps away
• El Tovar Hotel — steps away
• Hopi House — steps away
• Grand Canyon Village — steps away