Wide view from Desert View, last light catching the far rim beneath a purple sky.

Purple Gold

Desert View, Grand Canyon, AZ

As the sun had almost disappeared, I caught this last light hitting the far rim and its final reflections on the Colorado River. I waited until the sun was nearly gone so the sky would shift into that band of purple above the warm rim. The purple-and-gold contrast, set against the green trees in the foreground, makes this one of my favorite shots from the whole Grand Canyon trip.

Nikon Z 7_2 · NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S · 50mm · f/11 · 1/25 · ISO 31

May 31, 2026

Back to Grand Canyon

More from Desert View, Grand Canyon, AZ

Telephoto view of layered Grand Canyon ridgelines receding into golden sunset haze, seen from Desert View.

More from Grand Canyon

A barrel cactus in the foreground above the Colorado River, with the Black Bridge and soft evening light on the canyon walls.Black-and-white photo of a mule pack train backlit by the rising sun on the South Kaibab TrailThe Grand Canyon seen from Pima Point, a shaft of sunlight on red buttes above the distant Colorado River.The Grand Canyon at blue hour from Mojave Point, last light on the red buttes fading into cool twilight.A lone juniper at the rim of the Grand Canyon at sunrise, first light striking the cliffs at Moran Point.