The Grand Canyon, one of the most iconic national parks, is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. It is 446 km long and up to 29 km wide, but not the biggest canyon in the world at all. And yet it’s so big it leaves you speechless.
If you are not a serious hiker you will probably stay there just for a day or two, and explore places that are easy to access. But otherwise, you’ll need to prepare and do proper research for a longer stay, because there are so many things to see.

Our 3-week road trip through 4 states was tightly scheduled, so we limited our days in Grand Canyon, and had to miss some things. We started in Page and entered Grand Canyon from the east side, driving on Desert View Drive. We spent half a day in Grand Canyon viewpoints. In the afternoon we headed to our motel in Ash Fork. Next day we went further to the West Canyon where the famous Skywalk is. Again we spent half a day around there and then headed to Laughlin to our hotel.

GRAND CANYON

As said, Grand Canyon is one of the world’s biggest canyons and there sure are many places and things to see. When I started to plan our visit to Grand Canyon, I got really confused and it was hard for me to plan. I made a perfect plan for all the other National Parks easily, but this one offers just to many things.

There are 4 general destinations, the South Rim, Grand Canyon West, Grand Canyon East, and the North Rim. The West is owned and managed by the Hualapai Nation.

1. GRAND CANYON EAST

The most famous place that counts as Grand Canyon East is Horseshoe Bend, which is located just around 11 km from the actual beginning of Grand Canyon National Park. And it’s free. The other place is, of course, Antelope Canyon. About both those places, you can read in my previous post about Page, Arizona.
If you are entering the park from the east, you will drive on Desert View Drive. This is a scenic road where you can stop by at many places to enjoy a view. The road runs all the way to Grand Canyon Village.

2. NORTH RIM

The Grand Canyon North Rim is very close to the Utah Border. It’s more remote so you will need a lot more time to get there, but it’s less crowded and there are more great hikes on this side. If you are going for the first time, it’s best that you choose South Rim. But if you want to explore more and are experienced hiker, you can find really great descriptions of hikes in Ben Adkinson Guidebook. And remember, North Rim is only open seasonally from May 15th through October.

3. SOUTH RIM

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the most visited location at Grand Canyon National Park and is open all year round. There are also several historic buildings located along the South Rim. On a drive from Desert view to Hermit’s Rest, there are so many viewpoints along the way. You can easily just drive along and stop where you like. Some require a short hike. There are many viewpoints located near the Grand Canyon Village, and you can also use a shuttle bus to get between them. Or hike a rim trail between the viewpoints.
If you don’t know where to start, just go to the Visitor Center and you can get a lot of information there. And it’s best to park your car and use a free shuttle bus to get around all the important stops.

4. GRAND CANYON WEST

Grand Canyon West lays on the Hualapai Tribal lands. There is Skywalk, a glass bridge suspended above the canyon. There are also some other viewpoints around worth visiting, Eagle Point, Guano Point, and Hualapai Ranch. You can’t buy a ticket just for Skywalk, you have to buy a package. To Buy Tickets online (or to find more info about them) check GrandCanyon, but you can wait and purchase them when you arrive at Grand Canyon West. I would recommend booking a short helicopter tour, so you can see the canyon from above. It’s pretty amazing! It’s not necessary to book in advance. It’s best to wait there a little bit.

→BEFORE YOU GO

RESEARCH – Before you go, search for the places you want to see, things you want to do… Most important pieces of information you can find on a U.S. National Park Service site, a lot of interesting stuff and personal experiences from fellow travelers and bloggers, and my favorite, travel guidebooks. You never know whether you’ll have a reception on your phone, so it’s good to have some paper maps in your hand. I get most of my books from Book Depository.

ENTRANCE FEE – Like in other National Parks, there is also an entrance fee, 35$ per vehicle for 7 days. The admission includes both the North Rim and South Rim. If you are planning to visit more National Parks or even some recreation areas, I recommend buying an Annual Pass, America the Beautiful. It costs 80$, valid for a year and covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults. You can buy it when entering the park, or online at USGS Store or at Rei.

TRANSPORTATION – Most people arrive in their own car. In summer can get crowded so take advantage of the park’s free shuttle buses, which stop at all of the major sights and trailheads. It’s best to come early to park in some of the bigger parking spots.

WHEN TO GO – The South Rim of the park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All services are available year-round. Reservations are strongly recommended during spring, summer, and fall. Some facilities close during winter months. North Rim season is from May 15th through October 15th of each year.

→WHERE TO STAY

If you are staying longer it’s best to book something in the park, so you have everything closer. There are some campgrounds and a lot of lodges to choose from.
We started our trip from Page, which was around 2 hours driving to our first stop, Desert View Watchtower. You can find some hotel options in Page in my previous post.
Between visits of South Rim and Grand Canyon West, we slept one night in the cheapest motel we could find on the road, Ash Fork Inn, in Ash Fork. It’s 1 hour 20 minutes driving from Grand Canyon Village. Nothing special, but it was clean and quiet. Perfect for one night to rest.


Booking.com

→WHAT TO DO & SEE

• HORSESHOE BEND & ANTELOPE CANYON – on the Grand Canyon East, near Page (find out more about PAGE)
• DESERT VIEW DRIVE – perfect drive if you enter the park from the East, you can stop and enjoy at many of the amazing viewpoints on the road
• VIEWPOINTS (16 amazing South Rim viewpoints)
• GRAND CANYON VILLAGE
• HIKING
• SKYWALK – on the Grand Canyon West
• HELICOPTER & AIRPLANE TOURS
• COLORADO RIVER RAFTING
• HAVASU FALLS – a beautiful desert oasis. The falls lie just south of the national park on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. This requires a reservation and you need to plan really good and in advance. You can get all the info on The Canyon, National Park Service, and The Havasupai Tribe.
• GRAND CANYON RAILWAY
• …