At the parking lot at the visitor’s center, I grabbed the camera bag that was hanging from the headrest on the passenger seat. I set off from the car, walking less than 5 minutes. I arrived and swiftly sat down on a huge rock. My destination was Mather’s Point at the Grand Canyon National Park. I had to sit down. The view into the canyon was breath taking. Sitting on the rock, I could steady myself. That feeling that you just need to acclimatize to the situation crept over me. I did not want the people around me to get a glimpse, and think that I might be having a moment of feebleness. I just needed a few minutes. I could not decide if it was acrophobia, agoraphobia or a combination of the two. It did not last long, as I was too excited to be here. Soon I was able to proceed down onto the rocks and then move to the railing on the very edge of the point. The warm air was blowing at me from across the canyon. Below me, birds soared on the thermal currents that were rising from inside the canyon. With an average of 10 miles wide and a mile deep, the scale is hard to take in.
The Grand Canyon National Park is so familiar to us all. Listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the park boasts close to 5 million visitors per year. Is it all hype and marketing? I wanted to see for myself. Would it really look that spectacular? I had the opportunity to detour to the South Rim for a two-day stopover on a recent trip. Travelling up from the town of Williams in Arizona to the South Rim, the distance is approximately 59 miles or just over an hour by car.
Travelling across America over the years I had often seen the Grand Canyon from the comfort of my airline seat. Either on route into Las Vegas or passing over on the way to California. The canyon is quite visible from the air on a clear sky day. On a trip into Las Vegas a couple of years ago, I had journeyed up to the Hoover Dam on a tourist bus excursion. Bus travel is not something that I would ordinarily do, but I really enjoyed the day. At the time, I thought about the Colorado river, and its course through the Grand Canyon and into Lake Mead, behind the Hoover Dam. I had made a mental note of it and promised myself that I would get to the Grand Canyon one day, sometime. Well, that time had come.
I did not spend too much time planning the details. I didn’t know if I was going to have the time to visit, so I had not done my homework. But just in case, I had reserved a spot in the campground. I thought that I could camp, and it could be an easy in and out for me. I would not feel bad if I had to cancel. I know that having a vehicle with camping gear is not an option for everyone. I find that in the process of checking in and out of some hotels, you can lose time, of which I did not have a great deal on this trip.
The Grand Canyon has it all covered though, and there are hotels both inside and outside of the park. Inside the park does get you closer to the Canyon. Being closer is better if you are there to do the trails and activities, since there can be a wait to get in to the park through the gate when the park is busy. Being inside the park is fantastic if you want to catch the sunset and sunrise over the canyon, which I did. ‘Outside the park’ the village is about 9 to 10km (~5.5-6.2 miles) from the rim. There you will find some of the more familiar hotel chains including some of the more luxurious brands. For me, I was willing to forgo a high-end luxury experience in favour of more modest lodge accommodation closer to the rim. I am here looking to explore the Canyon and not the hotel.
The camp site was what you would might expect, and each location had a fire pit and table. Clean fresh water was not far away and the toilet facilities were not far, but far enough away, if you know what I mean. They were nice and clean also and adequately stocked. I had been on the road for a couple of weeks so having access to laundry in the camp ground was a big plus. After my two weeks on the road, I did need the laundry service. Be aware that the local Elk roam through the campsite area constantly. They are generally not aggressive, however, you do need to keep your distance as they are ready to defend themselves if they feel you are too close. For some visitors that are exploring multiple park locations, you might consider renting an RV (Recreational Vehicle or Campervan). Tent camping equipment can also be rented to suit whatever your trip needs.
Inside the park, The Grand Canyon Village has a small village center. There are just over 2,000 residents of the village that keep the park operational for all the visitors to enjoy. The Village facilities are impressive and include the village market, post office, library, cafeteria, restaurant and school. I understand that the school supports around 300 students across all grades, and is for the permanent residents of the village. It felt like a terrific family location and I felt safe. The village market caters to visitors and residents alike, and sells everything from regular grocery supplies to backpacker gear and dehydrated meals. The Market area in the village is a great place to hang out with your coffee and enjoy some people watching. With many groups holding meetings in the Village hotels and conference centre, including scientific working groups, international and national travellers, in addition to local residents, this is a busy place.
Getting to the Canyon the large international airports are really Pheonix, Arizona’s Sky Harbour Airport (~4 hour drive) or Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport (~4 – ¾ hour drive). Bus tours also run out of Las Vegas, as well as air tours either by plane or helicopter. Grand Canyon also has a regional airport for those that want to charter a flight in.
Also worth mentioning is that there is a train service that runs from Williams, Arizona straight into the park. It’s really a historic railway with restored engines and carriages. You can park your car in Williams, and take the train up and back to the Canyon in the same day. At the train depot in Williams, there is also an RV park for campers. They run several packages with the train service, so that you can stay at one of the lodges and return later if you are not keen on the same-day return. For same-day travellers, anticipate having around 3 hours at the Canyon as it takes around 2 – ¾ hours each way on the train. The train service runs a steam locomotive on the first Saturday of the month, otherwise they use renovated Diesel Engines.
Okay, lets address the elephant in the room. Do you have to go down into the canyon and back? No. There is plenty of pavement, and numerous trails and lookouts along the South Rim to keep everyone busy and the accessibility is good. Bicycles can be rented and shuttle buses run all day along the route, so that you can do a hop on, hop off tour of the lookout spots if you prefer. You can also do a combination of walking and riding from point to point by picking up the bus for a ride to the next stop here and here. You do you; it is all good fun. If you are more adventurous, take some of the trails. The Rangers in the park will gladly help to guide you to the right trail for you. For the more advanced hiker, there is the rim-to-rim trail that does require planning. I spoke with a local guide who had done the rim-to-rim trail and back more than once. He felt that to do the rim-to-rim trail you need to be fit enough to run a marathon. Many people train for a couple of years to do the trek. The North Rim is approximately 1,000 ft higher than the South, and the climb is very hard. There are Ultra Marathon Runners that manage to make it to the North Rim and back in the same day, which is just amazing. Backpack camping is an option if you have around 4 days to complete the trip. You will need to plan the trip well in advance as you will need permits from the park, which can take 3-4 months to get if the park is busy. There are also companies that you can hire to give you a guided experience. And mule rides are available if you are under 200lbs in weight and at least 4’ 9” tall. They offer a 2-hour rim tour or an overnight experience into the Canyon. You might want to be booking the trip over a year in advance to get what you want.
For me, I got what I wanted. I sat with some great people, in the darkness with my coffee, waiting to see the sunrise. I walked the South Rim. Rode the buses. Talked to strangers. Watched the sunset. Had dinner at my campfire with a glass of wine. Serenity. Yeah…I have to go back.
The opinions shared are mine based on my first-hand experience. Your experience could be the same or different. Take time to do your own research to see if it is right for you. I was not paid, endorsed or sponsored by anyone, including The Grand Canyon National Park, to visit this location. It was an independent choice and my visit was funded from my personal account. I have included a few links below to help you start your research, however, I have no affiliations with any of these organizations.
Useful Links:
Grand Canyon National Park: https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
South Rim Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitors Bureau: https://grandcanyoncvb.org/area-map/
Camping Gear Rental: https://www.basecampoutdoorgear.com/camping-packages
RV and Campervan Rental: https://www.cruiseamerica.com/
Grand Canyon Railway: https://www.thetrain.com/
Guided Hiking and Camping: https://wildlandtrekking.com/destination/grand-canyon-hiking-tours/
Grand Canyon Mules: https://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/plan/mule-rides/
