Guide to Grand Canyon Geology Along Bright Angel Trail

A geology guide along the Bright Angel Trail. This is an introductory presentation of Grand Canyon geology, starting at Bright Angel Trailhead and ending at the Colorado River, with a side trip to Plateau Point. The trail guide may be used backwards by people hiking out, but the information, presented cumulatively, is more readily understandable downhill. At each viewpoint there is a list of visible features explained, a formation described, an essay on an appropriate geologic topic, and explanations of additional features encountered along the trail. Additionally, there are five trail maps that point out features of interest. The Grand Canyon is a perfect place to learn geology. Everything here is Grand - The Bright Angel Fault, the Great Unconformity, the Colorado River. Everything is simple and classical (at least for the beginner)--flat-lying layers, obvious folds and faults, instructive strata with their stories. Because the geology here is bold and elementary, basic principles are easy to learn and apply in other settings. (David Thayer).