Grand Canyon Gems: Blacktail Canyon

In our Grand Canyon Gems series we have covered a lot of waterfalls, but today I thought we’d cover a different type of place. A place just as awe inspiring as all the waterfalls we have talked about  and one of my personal favorites: Blacktail Canyon! 

Blacktail is a slot canyon that sits at around river mile 120. This slot canyon is named after the mule deer that live up on the rim of the canyon. These deer have mostly white tails with a black tip that makes them look like they’ve been dipped in ink. 

The canyon is shaded most of the day making it a perfect place to explore and take a break from the hot desert sun! Blacktail is also a favorite among musicians because of the incredible acoustics that the narrow canyon walls create. Some of our musically inclined guests have brought guitars to play in this incredible place. 

While its shade, beauty and phenomenal acoustics are huge hits,  Blacktail’s biggest attraction is its geology. Blacktail Canyon provides an up close and clear view of the Great Unconformity! Rock layers tell us about what our world was once like and each layer is a record of the time it was created. But where the great unconformity lies some of these layers are missing meaning millions of years are missing! More specifically the Tapeats Sandstone sits directly on top of the Vishnu Schist, this means that the entire Grand Canyon Supergroup is gone, that’s nine rock layers or 500 million years missing!

Whether you are geology nerd, musician, or just looking for a place to hide from the hot sun, Blacktail Canyon has a little something for every visitor. 

Check out some of our other Grand Canyon Gems blogs:

Elves Chasm

Deer Creek

Nankoweap Granaries

Stantons Cave