The 2. Bright Angel Trailhead 3. Transcanyon Telephone Line 4. A Rock Wall with Heart building. Colter Hall has served as housing for Civilian Conservation Corps Ascend the stairway and walk to the right (west), Reverse your direction and walk east back along the Walk east along the rim to between Kachina Lodge single women concession employees since it was built in the 1930s. Did a c c c boy carve the stone A Legacy Preserved at Grand Canyon Village following the rim a few hundred feet to the stone- rim. Descend the c c c steps and continue past Kolb and El Tovar Hotel. Look for the heart-shaped and-pipe mule corral. Studio, Lookout Studio, and Bright Angel Lodge. stone in the guard wall. heart and place it in the wall as a symbol to his Look for the bronze plaque on the stone wall. beloved in Colter Hall? Or is this just an inter- Severe economic depression projects that would benefit the country. Early American Indians used the route followed by the Civilian Conservation Corps crews completely esting natural rock? No one knows. 1933 challenged the confidence of the in its existence, however, the program added Bright Angel Trail long before the first pioneers Because communication between the North rebuilt the rock wall along the rim from people of the United States. One in four people was emphasis to teach “the boys” skills and trades. arrived in the 1880s. Walk 800 feet (250 m) down and South Rims was frequently difficult and Verkamps Curios to Lookout While the c c c crews were unemployed. Many were homeless. Serious drought At Grand Canyon some men learned typing and the trail to just past the first tunnel and look high unreliable, the c c c began construction of a Studio in 1934–35, replacing refurbishing the rock wall, gripped large areas of the West and Midwest. bookkeeping, while others acquired carpentry, up on the cliff to see pictographs dating from telephone line across the canyon in November a deteriorated, poorly they also constructed truck driving, plumbing, masonry, drafting, centuries ago. 1934. A group started from each side of the constructed dry-laid new log benches. Watch The nation’s leaders felt that the economic and welding, and blacksmithing skills. In addition, canyon, stringing telephone line on metal poles wall and a section of for the log benches social problems demanded immediate action. the c c c educational advisor taught classes In 1891 local entrepreneur Ralph Cameron and down steep cliffs and wooden fence. Project as you walk along the Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into the in mathematics, reading, history, grammar, his partners improved the trail and charged a over narrow gullies. planners standardized rim. Pause to enjoy presidency on March 4. He called Congress photography, and “Laying Out and Planning a toll of $1 per horse; hikers traveled for free. The Not only was the terrain dimensions at 27 the view. Are these into emergency session on March 9, introduced Job” after the days work. Over nine years more trail was transferred to the National Park Service rugged, but also inner inches (69 cm) high the original benches? legislation for the Civilian Conservation Corps than 40,000 previously illiterate men nation- (n p s ) in 1928. The following year the n p s began a canyon temperatures in and 18 inches (46 cm) Again, no one is certain (c c c ) on March 27, and he signed the bill on wide learned to read, while 400,000 completed major reconstruction of the trail. With help from the summer frequently wide. Although the crews as documentation is March 31. On April 7 the first enrollee took the high school requirements and others worked the c c c , the n p s completed the work in 1939. exceeded 100°F (40°C)! built the walls for safety, lacking. c c c oath! By the end of 1935 the c c c employed on college credits. The early trail was only two to three feet (less When completed in they present a very pleasing more than 500,000 men at over 2,650 camps in than one meter) wide in spots. With pick, shovel, September 1935, the appearance. Can you find the spot During the summer of 1935, the c c c every state. The creation of the c c c was a model drill, and dynamite contractors and the c c c boys line stretched from the where the men in the picture below were working? resurfaced the path along the rim in this area ƒ of speediness. It became the most popular of The CCC Walking Tour 1. Stairway rerouted and reconstructed the trail to its present North Rim along the Hint: look on the rim by Hopi House. and improved the trail to the east as far as Yava- Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Area Information four to six foot (1.2 – 2 m) width. North Kaibab Trail to The walking tour travels a circular route of From Kolb Studio walk the short distance to the pai Observation Station. Re s t ro o m s : Restrooms are surprisingly rare in Cottonwood Camp and Look between Kachina Lodge and El Tovar approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km), although you can stairs going up. Unemployed young men (women were not Grand Canyon Village, a reminder of the scarcity Phantom Ranch. From Hotel to see Colter Hall, a two-story rock begin at any point and walk as much of the loop eligible) signed up for a six-month “hitch.” The of water and proximity of the bedrock. Public Crew members from the Civilian Conservation Phantom Ranch the line as you wish. Directions to each stop are in italics. government provided enrollees with barracks- restrooms are available at the train depot (when Corps completed the stairs leading up from Kolb crossed the Colorado Features are identified by name or description as style sleeping space, meals, basic health care, the train is at the station), El Tovar Hotel, Bright Studio in 1936. Compare the historic photograph River to a spur line on there are no numbers. and $30 per month, of which $25 went home to Angel Lodge, and the Backcountry Information to the stairway as it looks today. How many dif- the South Kaibab Trail assist their families. The c c c assigned enrollees Center in Parking Lot E. ferences can you find? Can you locate the tree in at the Tipoff. The main The full tour takes approximately one to two to companies of about 200 men, supervised the photo? Notice how much it has grown. line continued along hours. Carry water with you during the summer. by regular and reserve military officers. The Accessibility : People with mobility restrictions the Bright Angel Trail The National Park Service recommends sun pro- enrollees completed conservation work on lands may find the Grand Canyon Village area difficult connecting Phantom tection, a hat and sunscreen, during the warmer across the United States. to explore. The walk between Kolb Studio and Ranch to Indian Garden, the resthouses, and months. Do not stand on exposed areas of the stop 2 (Bright Angel Trailhead) rises steeply and the South Rim developed area. The line was rim during thunderstorms. After winter storms, Grand Canyon National Park’s first c c c contin- is not wheelchair accessible. The route between used so extensively for administrative purposes walkways may be slippery. gent arrived on May 29, 1933. Ccc crews worked stops 5 (North Rim View) and 6 (Navajo Street) and rescues that another circuit was added in on the South Rim, North Rim, and in the inner contains multiple flights of stairs. Consider During the same period, the c c c completed rustic 1938-39. The Transcanyon Telephone Line has The text starts at the stairway near Kolb Studio. canyon until 1942. Companies 818, 819, 847, reaching stops 1 through 5 from the accessible rock and timber shelters at 1.5-mile, 3-mile, Indian been used frequently to aid hikers, mule riders, You can reach Kolb Studio by walking along the 2543, 2833, 3318, and 4814 served not only at parking spaces near Hopi House. Accessible Garden, and Pipe Creek near the Colorado River. and river rafters. When completed, the line was rim from El Tovar Hotel or Bright Angel Lodge. Grand Canyon, but a few companies also under- restrooms are available in Bright Angel Lodge, El These pleasing shelters are still protecting tens 25 miles (40 km) long, later reduced to 18 (29 Or ride the free shuttle bus to the Bright Angel took projects near Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona Tovar Hotel, and the Community Building (Stop of thousands of trail users from inclement weather km), with a total of 592 metal poles. Although Lodge stop and walk out to the rim. Or begin the during the winter months. 9, weekdays only). Reach the Bright Angel Lodge each year. All of these resthouses have emergency ƒ microwave transmissions, satellite phones, and tour at any convenient stop. restrooms from the rim side of the building and telephones connected to the Transcanyon radios have replaced line transmissions (cell The original purpose of the c c c was to put only after obtaining a key from the front desk. Telephone Line and most have water, although the ƒ phones do not work within the canyon), small young men to work on worthwhile conservation water is turned off in the colder months. ƒ portions of the original line are still used today. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior 5. North Rim View 8. Culvert Building a Legacy North Rim and Inner Canyon Projects Follow the sidewalk a few hundred feet farther The Civilian Conservation Corps remains the youth programs for questionable political “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he Grand Canyon National Park Walk east along the rim to the wooden bench west. The culvert is slightly below the paved path most successful and best remembered of President ends. By the late 1930s, the threat of war stands in moments of comfort and convenience, Arizona between Hopi House and Verkamp’s Curios. on the right. Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression era programs. convinced c c c leaders to allow some military but where he stands at times of challenge and Was it because it involved willing and enthu- components, such as marching and radio controversy.” Nearly nine miles (14 km) away on the North Civilian Conservation Corps crews installed this siastic young men working in an outdoor communication, in the training for the Rim of Grand Canyon sits the Grand Canyon culvert and made many roadside improvements setting constructing essential and long- program. Ccc enrollees, experienced In your travels to other parks, both state and Lodge, barely visible from here. Company 818 in the area from 1933 to 1937. This culvert has lasting projects? in a military-like regimen, were federal, look for projects accomplished by the worked on the higher and cooler North Rim required little maintenance over the last 65 years. some of the first to serve in World Civilian Conservation Corps boys. A lowly culvert, Civilian during the summer months. Projects completed The Civilian Conservation Corps exhib- War II. picturesque footbridge, much used picnic shelter, included buildings, fences, and roads. The crews 9. Community Building ited a model of cooperation, with several or imposing museum serve as reminders of the Conservation also helped fight forest fires when necessary. Continue west along Village Loop Road passing federal agencies working together for a The legacy of the Civilian Conserva- many accomplishments of these young men. the mule barn and corral, home of the mules that common goal. The Department of Labor, in tion Corps rests on the tremendous Perhaps your grandfather or great uncle served on The men moved carry visitors into the canyon. The two-story conjunction with local relief agencies, selected number of projects completed a c c c or other Depression era agency crew. Have Corps to inner canyon wooden building just to the west of the corral is the the enrollees. Personnel from the Departments throughout the United States: you heard his stories? Many can tell of experi- areas such as Stop 5 is the last stop along the rim. If you would 7. Wooden Bridge Community Building. of Interior and Agriculture provided training for • more than 28,000 miles (45,000 km) of new trails encing a journey from despair to hopefulness. Phantom Ranch like to continue on the full tour, walk away from Walk west on the sidewalk along Village Loop Road the enrollees, as well as planned and supervised the constructed and 114,000 miles (184,000 km) of at Grand Canyon Village during the winter the rim and follow the sidewalk past the El Tovar a few hundred feet, passing the former hospital that The Public Works Administration funded the work. The Department of War, along with other existing trails rebuilt, Additional Information months. Today’s Hotel front porch. Descend the stairway toward now serves as headquarters for the Grand Canyon construction of the Community Building, while military agencies, provided medical examinations • 3,000,000,000 trees planted, Bright Angel the Railroad Depot. Follow the sidewalk along the Association. Cross the road in the crosswalk and the c c c and the National Park Service provided and transported the men from induction centers • 89,000 miles (143,000 km) of telephone line strung, The Civilian Conservation Corps in northern Campground road east to the multilevel rock building at the foot look for the wooden bridge on the right. the labor. Begun in 1934 and completed in 1935, to work camps. Military personnel supervised the • 800 new state parks developed, Arizona: at Phantom of the hill, the first National Park Service admin- it replaced a structure in another location that men while in camp, coordinated the work projects, • 40,000,000 acres (16,000,000 ha) of farm lands Purvis, Louis, The Ace in the Hole; A Brief History A Walking Tour Ranch sits on istration building. Use the crosswalk to go around The c c c built two bridges across this normally had burned the year before. Over the years provided medical care, fed, clothed, and paid the benefited through erosion control, and the footprint of the railroad tracks and past the General Offices of dry drainage leading to the railroad tracks. The the Community Building has housed a public of Company 818 of the Civilian Conservation enrollees. The Director of the c c c , guided by an • in excess of 63,000 buildings constructed— Corps. Turner Publishing, 1989. the Company the park concessioner. The next stop is by the rock remaining bridge dates to 1937. A close look library, hosted plays and community meetings, advisory council, reported directly to the President. picnic shelters, trail shelters, restrooms, cabins, This history of one of the c c c companies at 818 camp. More pillars at the entrance to Navajo Street. reveals that some of the timbers have been and offered movies. A carbon-arc projector still lookout towers, and museums. challenging replaced recently, including adding metal beams resides in the upstairs loft, but it is not available Grand Canyon is available at all Grand Canyon When the Civilian Conservation Corps Association outlets. projects included 6. Navajo Street Rock Wall underneath. The National Park Service mission for inspection. The second floor was the lodge program began, some people objected to A greater legacy resides in the men who a number of inner The c c c constructed these rock pillars and walls includes the preservation or stabilization of meeting room, but also served as a day care any military influence in the rganization.o In participated in the program. These young men Moore, Robert J., The Civilian Conservation canyon trails. The in 1934 as a visual barrier between the public historic structures. When the original structure center and classrooms. Europe unscrupulous leaders used similar exhibited bravery in the face of unseen difficul- Corps in Arizona’s Rim Country: Working in the Ribbon Falls Trail, area and the residential area up Navajo Street. became unsafe, the n p s reconstructed it with the ties. As soon as the government Woods. University of Nevada Press, 2006. a half-mile (0.8 Historians believe that this is c c c work, although aid of historical photographs. In 1996 the building underwent a substantial announced the program, The following titles appear to be out of print and km) spur off the North Kaibab Trail, still leads documentation is lacking. The recessed cement rehabilitation. The Community Building young men enrolled. Some difficult to find, but perhaps you can locate them hikers to a beautiful waterfall. Even more ambi- between the stones was a common c c c tech- currently is used for community cultural, traveled long distances from in your library or through interlibrary loan: tious was the nine-mile (14 km) Clear Creek Trail nique. Civilian Conservation Corps rock work educational, and informational events, as well home to work among others of (1933-36) on the cover panel of this brochure. has proven to be durable. Notice the extensive as housing offices. Although the Community different backgrounds. Some Nolte, M. Chester, ed., The Civilian Conservation growth of lichens on the stone—a clue to the age Building is open to the public, please be consid- lived in environments they had Corps, The Way We Remember It, 1933-1942; The Colorado River Trail (also 1933-36), of these structures. erate of those working and learning and limit any never experienced before. Yet Personal Stories of Life in the Ccc. Brentwood connecting the Bright Angel Trail and the South inside visits to the first floor. they persevered. While the Christian Press, 1990. Kaibab Trail along the south side of the Colorado Civilian Conservation Corps workers accom- legacy of the c c c includes the Salmond, John A., The Civilian Conservation River, is only two miles (3 km) long, but has plished many of the improvements in this vicinity lasting improvements to this This is the last stop on the tour. To return to Kolb Corps, 1933-1942: A New Deal Case Study. Duke the reputation of being the most difficult and in 1935—curbing, landscaping, culverts, and park, the determination of Studio, follow the service road north to the rail- University Press, 1967. hazardous trail construction ever attempted in headwalls. Civil Works Administration crews, both the boys and their leaders however, completed this path in 1934. The short- road tracks. Carefully cross the tracks and use the the canyon. Crew members blasted the trail bed is a model for us all. As Martin Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy (c c c stairs by Bright Angel Lodge to arrive back on the into the schist and granite cliffs directly above the lived Civil Works Administration became part of Luther King, Jr. was to say alumni) Website: www.cccalumni.org rim. Or ride the free shuttle bus from the Center river. Note the “safety” rope on the one worker the Works Progress Administration in 1935. more than a generation later, in the above photo. Road stop east of the Community Building.