Trailside tracks on Bright Angel Trail

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This massive rock formation on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park originates from the Manakacha Formation, a geological deposit linked to the Atokan/Moscovian Age of the Pennsylvanian Epoch. Visible on its surface are ancient fossil tracks of basal reptiles or synapsids embedded in deposits that were once sand dunes. Recent studies have confirmed that these are among the earliest recorded footprints of an early land-dwelling creature to thrive in a desert-like environment. Two distinct trackways can be observed on the surface, possibly indicating separate instances when different animals traversed this location within a short timeframe, potentially even just days apart.