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Spring · Arizona

Santa Maria Spring

Santa Maria Spring, seen from above at true elevation

Santa Maria Spring is a spring in Arizona, at a modelled elevation of 1,531 m. Dragon Head stands 2,362 m to the north-northeast, 9.8 miles off. The nearest named place is Hermit’s Rest, a historic site 0.6 miles away. Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Parkway passes 13 miles off.

Visiting

What to expect

Seasonal
Yes
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates36.06010, -112.22168

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Cliffs
Peaks
  • Eremita Mesa: 1.2 mi
  • Eremita Mesa: 1.6 mi
  • Cope Butte: 2.3 mi
  • Whites Butte: 2.7 mi
  • The Alligator: 3.2 mi
Springs: 36
Attractions: 19
Historic sites: 5
Museums: 4
Parks: 4
Waterfalls: 4
Picnic sites: 2
Beaches: 2
  • Pipe Creek Beach: 6.7 mi
  • Boat Beach: 7.8 mi
Rest areas: 1
  • Manzanita Rest Area: 13.7 mi
Ghost towns: 1
Nature reserves: 1
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 14.0 miles of Santa Maria Spring. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Dragon HeadNNE 14°2,362 m9.8 mi
Oza ButteNE 45°2,346 m12.1 mi
Shiva TempleNNE 25°2,321 m8.0 mi
Brahma TempleENE 65°2,275 m11.3 mi
Deva TempleENE 59°2,224 m12.3 mi
Guinevere CastleN 350°2,203 m14.0 mi
Buddha TempleNE 47°2,175 m9.3 mi
Zoroaster TempleENE 68°2,172 m10.6 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox06:3318:0718:41
June solstice05:1319:1219:50
September equinox06:1817:5318:27
December solstice07:3716:3917:19

Local time (America/Phoenix).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F323439455363686660493931
Precip in1.81.21.90.60.40.22.32.21.51.20.81.3

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Grand Canyon NP 2, 4 mi away.

Streamflow

Months at or above the year’s average flow: year-round — fullest in Jan, leanest in Jan.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean cfs0.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.1

USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Pump House Wash Spring Near Grand Canyon, AZ, 6 mi away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.

In the park

Inside the official boundary of Grand Canyon National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Jan and Feb; busiest: Jul.

NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).

Wildlife nearby
  • Common Side-blotched Lizard75 obs
  • Rock Squirrel74 obs
  • Common Raven65 obs
  • Stansbury's Cliffrose46 obs
  • Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay44 obs
  • Wapiti43 obs
  • Plateau Fence Lizard31 obs
  • Banana Yucca30 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element node/2006093026

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