Grand Canyon NP--Mather CG

Tips for Birding

In-depth information is found on the Grand Canyon National Park website.

About this Location

Mather Campground is located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona. Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, draws nearly five million visitors per year to its spectacular scenery.

The facility is large and can accommodate a variety of needs and comfort levels. It is the only campground within Grand Canyon Village. Scenic overlooks, the park’s free shuttle bus system, the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, the general store, and hiking and biking trails are all within a few miles from the facility.

The facility is at an elevation of approximately 7,000 ft. Summers are pleasant with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s, though there are frequent thunderstorms in the afternoons. Fall and spring are mostly sunny and cool with the occasional snow. Weather is variable; visitors should come prepared.

Mather Campground lies beneath a tall canopy of Ponderosa pine trees, providing most campsites with ample shade. The campground is one mile from the rim of the canyon. A visit to the canyon during sunrise and sunset yields spectacular views of yellow, orange, red, and violet hues in the canyon walls. Layers of rock display billions of years of geologic history.

Campers can take a short shuttle bus ride from the campground to the Yavapai Geology Museum, to learn about the forces that formed the canyon. Below, visitors can see the mighty Colorado River, which flows 277 miles through the bottom of the canyon.

Wildlife abounds on the South Rim, including elk, mule deer, coyotes, lizards, songbirds, and the endangered California condor. Although condors nest below the rim, they can often be seen soaring several thousand feet above the canyon in search of carrion.

About Grand Canyon National Park

See all hotspots at Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon is considered one of the finest examples of arid-land erosion in the world. Incised by the Colorado River, the canyon is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point and 18 miles at its widest. However, the significance of Grand Canyon is not limited to its geology.

The Park contains several major ecosystems. Its great biological diversity can be attributed to the presence of five of the seven life zones and three of the four desert types in North America.

The five life zones represented are the Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian. This is equivalent to traveling from Mexico to Canada.

The Park also serves as an ecological refuge, with relatively undisturbed remnants of dwindling ecosystems (such as boreal forest and desert riparian communities). It is home to numerous rare, endemic (found only at Grand Canyon), and specially protected (threatened or endangered) plant and animal species.

Over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species are found in the park.

Content from Mather Campground website and Grand Canyon National Park website

Grand Canyon Panorama Map