Desert View Watchtower, also known as the Indian Watchtower at Desert View, is a 70-foot high stone building located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The tower is located at Desert View, more than 20 miles to the east of the main developed area at Grand Canyon Village, toward the east entrance to the park. The four-story structure, completed in 1932, was designed by American architect Mary Colter. The tower was designed to resemble an Ancient Pueblo Peoples watchtower, but its size dwarfs any known Pueblan-built tower. The tower rises as an open shaft lined by circular balconies overlooking the central space. Access from balcony to balcony is provided by small stairways. At the top the space is decked over, creating an enclosed observation level with large glazed windows. An open observation area on the roof of this space is now closed to visitors and is used for radio equipment. The steel and concrete structure of the observation level is concealed behind plaster, stone and wood. The tower is decorated by bold murals by Fred Kabotie, with other, petroglyph-style decorations by Fred Greer. Small windows in the tower's shaft let beams of light into the lower space. The tower also features a number of "reflectoscopes" (black mirrors) to reflect the view of the canyon in a more abstract style, providing visitors an alternative view of the Canyon.
The bottom floor of the tower now contains a gift shop while the upper floors serve as an observation deck from which visitors to the national park can view eastern portions of the Grand Canyon.
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