Last updated: April 5, 2024
Place
Buggeln Picnic Area
NPS
Quick Facts
Location:
Desert View Drive
Amenities
6 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Toilet - Vault/Composting
The Buggeln picnic area features vault toilets, multiple picnic tables, shade, and exhibit panels describing the local forest habitat; no water. There is no direct view of the canyon from this site, but a few small glimpses can be seen through the gaps in the trees. The small, teardrop-shaped parking area is fine for cars and small RVs, but larger vehicles and those towing trailers will find turning around a bit tight.
History
Prior to using the land for a cattle ranching venture, Martin Buggeln first became involved with Grand Canyon when he moved here in 1901 from Williams, Arizona. After purchasing the Bright Angel Hotel on the South Rim, Buggeln partnered with the newly arrived Santa Fe Railroad to provide tourist accommodations.
In 1902, he became the first postmaster of the Village when he opened a post office in his hotel. As a community gathering place, the post office provided one of the few social outlets for the permanent residents of the developing Village. However, after only a few years in the hotel business, Buggeln sold his interest in Bright Angel Hotel to the Santa Fe Railroad. He had tired of the political infighting between hotel owners, the railroad, and public landholders regarding ownership rights of the Bright Angel Trail.
In 1906, Buggeln bought the 160-acre (65 ha) Hance Ranch property and built a 17-room hotel on the land, although he never operated the hotel for tourists. Instead, he began a cattle operation that continued into the 1930s. Martin Buggeln died in 1939, and in 1948, the National Park Service bought the land from his second wife. At that time, it was the last privately owned property in the park east of Grand Canyon Village. All buildings on the property were removed in 1957.