The Grand Canyon exceeds the hype. It is breathtaking, and there’s no other way to put it. The park is also great for all ages and fitness levels, as it has some truly intense hikes into the canyon as well as easily accessible viewpoints and walking trails along the rim.
Bright Angel Trail
This trail is one of the most famous in the park for good reason. As you head down into the canyon, you’ll be greeted by some truly fantastic views, and the look back up will make it hard to believe what you’ve just done. Eventually, this trail descends all the way down to the Colorado River at the canyon floor. The amount of time you have, your fitness level, and the weather, though, will determine how far down you can and should go. Here a few things to keep in mind if you plan to do the Bright Angel Trail:
It’s a long way back to the top
What goes down, must come back up. Hiking downhill, it is easy to get lost in the beauty of the views and the ease of the trail. Don’t get too relaxed, though – it’s a trap! The hike back up is difficult and steep. The general rule of thumb is that takes two times longer to hike up than it does to hike down. Budget your time as such.
Plan your hike in advance. Because the hike down can be deceiving, it is best to have a point in mind for where you intend to turn around and hike back up. Luckily, the National Park Service details a number of popular end points along with their distance, elevation gain, and facilities (toilets, drinking water, etc.). We intended to hike to the 3-mile rest house and back, and we were very happy we stuck to that plan.
If you plan to hike in the summer as we did, start your hike as early as possible. It can get dangerously hot at the canyon floor. People have died of heat stroke. We started our hike at 6:00am, and we were feeling the heat by the time we returned to the summit just after 10:00am. Getting an early start will also help you avoid some crowds, enjoy some shade, and make the most of the daylight.
If you’re very adventurous and have some time on your hands, you can plan to camp overnight on the canyon floor at Phantom Ranch. The National Park Service states that nobody should plan to hike down to the ranch and back to the summit in a single day, though. Please abide by this recommendation and stay safe.
Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat. While there is usually water at the 1.5-mile and 3-mile rest houses (check local and seasonal information to confirm), you don’t want to get down there and run into some hard luck. Keep in mind that you’ll need water more on your way back up than on your way down.
View from the 1.5-mile rest house
View from the 3-mile rest house
If you’re debating whether to turn around at the 3-mile house or the 1.5-mile house, know that we liked the view from the 3-mile house quite a bit better. Just past the rest area is a plateau-like platform that allows you to step out and get a good view into the canyon as well as back up to the summit. There’s nothing like that at the 1.5-mile house. Always put safety first and be honest with yourself regarding whether or not you can handle the hike back from the 3-mile house, but keep in mind that the reward is greater if you can make it down and back that extra 1.5 miles.
Desert View Drive
This self-drive scenic road to the western edge of the park is different from a lot of scenic drives in that you can’t really appreciate any views from the road. However, there are a number of spectacular viewpoints along the way that don’t require any hiking and are just off the main road. If you don’t want to take the shuttle on Hermit Road that heads east from the visitor center, this route is a great alternative.
One of many unmarked pulloutson Desert View Drive
Yaki Point
Duck on a Rock
Grandview point
Lipan Point
We unfortunately couldn’t visit the Desert View Watchtower due to closures from COVID-19, but that viewpoint definitely seems worth doing if it’s open. Just check the park’s website in advance to learn of any temporary closures.
Horseshoe Bend
Other Tips & Tricks
Horseshoe Bend: If your route to the Grand Canyon takes you through Page, Arizona, we highly recommend stopping to visit Horseshoe Bend. It is one of the most picturesque spots we’ve visited. The colors are amazing and unexpected, and the main viewpoint is only 0.5 miles from the parking lot. Taking 1-2 hours to enjoy the scenery is well worth the $10 private vehicle entrance fee (note that national park passes are not accepted here).
How Long to Visit: The answer to this question really depends on what you plan to do at the Grand Canyon. If you only plan to drive along the scenic roads, go to the visitor center, and stop at viewpoints, you can do the park in as little as a half day. If, however, you plan to do a longer hike or even camp at Phantom Ranch, then you’ll need at least 1-2 days. We spent about 24 hours in the park, and we would have loved more time to make it further along the Bright Angel Trail.
Yavapai Point
Sunset Views: We chose to watch the sunset from Yavapai Point near the visitor center. I’d say we arrived just a bit late (a couple minutes before Apple weather’s sunset time), but the views were still great. Only issue is that the dust in the air created a hazy look that muted the colors a bit and made it hard to capture the lighting in photos. That is likely more an indictment of the conditions at the time than the viewpoint itself, and we’d still highly recommend this spot for sunset.
Where to Stay: We stayed at the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, which is the tourist town immediately south of the park. Overall, it was meh. The best things about the lodge were the cost and the proximity to a solid Mexican restaurant (Plaza Bonita). If we had a do-over, we would probably choose to camp in the park. Tusayan itself is fine and has some decent dining options (jacked-up tourist prices included), but unless you’re willing to splurge, roughing it seems like the way to go.
Don’t be a Hero: Instagram isn’t worth falling off a cliff. Please be careful when taking photos. Watch your step, and stay on safe trail areas.