The Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

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When living in the "Grand Canyon State" a visit to this State Park is not only a requirement, but mostly a privilege. Last week we went there for the first (and certainly not the last) time.

The drive up there from Southern Arizona takes about 6 hours. We decided to first drive to Flagstaff, a small town that is a gateway to the Canyon's South Entrance, so we could arrive at the Canyon early the following morning. Staying in Flagstaff is much cheaper than in the Village on the park grounds and just a 'short' drive away (little over 1 hour). Since the South Rim of the Canyon is open year round, it is always crowded. Leaving early so you can still park your car near the Visitor Center is recommended.

It must have been our lucky day because the South Rim entrance was extremely quiet when we got there. No lines, no tour buses in sight and plenty of parking spaces. It is apparently extremely busy in the summer months though. Now we were lucky that Spring Break just ended and there was no other holiday coming up. We parked our car at the Visitor Center, after paying the 30 dollar fee, just north of the entrance and got our first view of the Canyon at the Mather Point. Seeing the 1 mile deep, 227 mile long and 10 mile wide Canyon for the first time is an astounding experience. One that only truly can be captured by the word 'Grand'. I guess you really just have to see it for yourself!

Since it wasn't crowded at all we took our car again and drove east on Desert View drive. This 23 mile long road follows the south rim all the way from the East Entrance to Grand Canyon Village, the most western point you can reach by car entering the Canyon on the south side.

When it does get busy at the South Rim (5 million visitors a year!!!) a better option is to leave your car at any available parking spot and take the shuttle bus to the different view points. This way parking and traffic jams are no longer your concern.

About 10 miles east from the Visitor Center is the Grandview Point, one of the most impressive views at the south side. You can walk part of the trail down into the Canyon (steep!) or catch a rare glimpse of the Colorado river from the view point itself.

Another nice stop is the Desert View and Watchtower point. A 70-foot stone watchtower gives you an impressive panoramic view of the east side of the canyon and the river below. There is also a snackbar and a little souvenirshop.

For hikers there are plenty of opportunities at the South Rim as well. The easiest and most popular walking path is the Rim Trail, a paved and relatively flat pathway, that runs along the edge of the Canyon from the first overlook on Desert View drive to Hermits Rest. You can walk just parts of the Trail, from viewpoint to viewpoint, or take all day to walk the whole Trail.

From the Village it is no longer possible to drive the last 11 miles West to Hermits Rest. You can either walk the Rim Trail to Maricopa Point, or if you are really into it, the 11 miles to Hermit's Rest. Or take the shuttle bus to the view points.

A more difficult but still immensely popular trail is the Bright Angel Trail, a well-maintained hiking path from the South Rim to the bottom of the Canyon (9.6 miles each way). The round trip to the Plateau Point (roughly halfway down) will take you 6 to 9 hours. And people tend to forget that it is about 20 degrees warmer at the bottom and that going down also means you will have to go up again...

Our way back to Southern Arizona the day after went through the town of Sedona. And it beautifully surprised us! After driving through Oak Creek Canyon, suddenly big red rock buttes in the weirdest shapes (named Cathedral and Bell Rock, among others) reach up into a blue sky, which intensifies their colors. Next to the fact that this is an amazing side to drive through, it also appeared to be a great hiking spot.

And the latest addition to our (already so long) itinerary list...