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Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon
National Park is located in the northwest section of Arizona. There
are two different sections of the Park – the South Rim and the North
Rim. Although the average distance across the canyon “as the condor
flies” is ten miles, to travel from one rim to the other requires a
five-hour drive of 215 miles. For the more adventurous, the hike
across the canyon from one rim to the other is 21 miles. The entrance
fee is good for 7 days. You can also use the Park Annual Pass,
Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Senior Pass and Interagency
Access Pass available from the National Park Service. You can find
specific information on these passes at
www.nps.gov.
The Park newsletter (“The Guide”) is
available at entrance stations and visitor centers. It contains lots
of useful information, including the shuttle schedule. I recommend
keeping the middle section with the shuttle schedule and routes with
you during your stay in the Park (if not the entire newsletter).
Accessibility permits, allowing access
to some areas closed to public traffic, are available at entrance
gates, the visitor center at Canyon View Information Plaza, Park
Headquarters, Kolb Studio, El Tovar Concierge Desk and Bright Angel
Lodge, Yavapai Lodge and Maswik Lodge transportation desks.
SOUTH RIM – OPEN YEAR-ROUND
Getting There
The South Rim has two entrances: Take
Highway 64 at Williams, Arizona (59 miles) to the South Entrance (1
mile beyond Tusayan). From Cameron, Arizona take Route 89 north to
Route 64 (approximately 32 miles) to the East Entrance.
Commuter lines fly daily from Las Vegas
to Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, eight miles south of Grand Canyon
Village.
Amtrak serves both Williams and
Flagstaff, Arizona and there is connection rail service available from
Williams on the Grand Canyon Railway. Historic Grand Canyon Railway
was completed in 1901 and was the preferred transportation service
into the Canyon until July 1968, when competition with the automobile
forced the Santa Fe to cease operation. In 1988 the line was bought
by a Phoenix, Arizona couple (Max and Thelma Biegert), was restored
and in 1989 began operations as a separate company, independent of
Santa Fe. The first run of the restored railroad was on September 17,
1989 (commemorating the September 17 debut of the original railroad).
Passengers can once again travel the 65 miles from Williams, Arizona
to Grand Canyon in restored 1920s Harrigan coaches in two hours. The
train leaves Williams every morning at 10:00 a.m., except Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day. The railroad adds to the Old West experience
by having actors dressed as bandits stage a mock train robbery during
the return trip. In 2006 the Grand Canyon Railroad was purchased by
Xanterra, who is also the current operator of Grand Canyon National
Park’s hotel, restaurant and store concessions.
Lodging
Advance reservations are highly
recommended for this very popular park, especially for the summer
season. Hotel reservations may be made up to 23 months in advance
through Xanterra or by calling
888-297-2757.
There are six hotels in Grand Canyon
National Park: The deluxe El Tovar Hotel, completed in 1905 (a
Registered National Historic Landmark); Bright Angel Lodge, designed
by Elizabeth Jane Colter, opened in 1935, (also a Registered National
Historic Landmark); Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges, with modern
accommodations; Maswik Lodge, which offers modern rooms and cabins;
and Yavapai Lodge, the largest lodging facility in the Park, featuring
modern, motel-style accommodations.
At the floor of the Canyon, beside
Bright Angel Creek, is Phantom Ranch, which is accessible only by
mule, foot or river raft. Designed by Mary Elizabeth Colter, the
ranch provides cabin accommodations (included with the two-day mule
trip) and dormitory-style lodging for backpackers.
There are three campgrounds along the
rim of the Canyon: Mather Campground; Desert View Campground; and
Trailer Village. Mather requires reservations from March 1 through
November 30; it is first-come, first-served the rest of the year. For
reservations contact Spherix at 800-365-2267. Desert View is open May
to October and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Trailer Village (adjacent to Mather Campground) is open year-round,
but maintains a 7-day limit. Reserve by calling 800-297-2757.
There are also three backcountry
campgrounds: Indian Garden, Cottonwood Campground, and Bright Angel
Campground.
Outside of the Park, the nearest lodging
is at Tusayan, one mile south of the South Entrance. Williams,
Arizona also has several choices, and Cameron, Arizona has the Cameron
Trading Post and Lodge. Lodging outside of the Park is generally less
expensive, and easier to get last minute reservations.
Free Shuttle System
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National
Park has a free shuttle system, which is a great way for getting
around the Park. You can park your car in any of the designated
parking areas and just hop on the bus. In addition to an easy,
relaxing way to get around, the bus drivers are well-informed and
helpful, and give a narrative on the areas along the route. The buses
run often and have many convenient stops. The buses start running
approximately one hour before sunrise and continue until about one
hour after sunset.
There are three bus routes: (1) the
Village route runs between Canyon View Information Plaza (across the
road from Mather Point), Yavapai Point and Grand Canyon Village, with
stops at hotels/restaurants, campgrounds, parking lots, shopping,
etc.; (2) Hermit’s Rest Route runs from the Village Route/Hermit’s
Rest Transfer Point to all eight of the West Rim overlooks, with
Hermit’s Rest at the West end of the route; (3) the Kaibab Trail Route
is the shortest route and runs from Canyon View Information Plaza east
to Yaki Point, the bus provides the only access to Yaki Point. The
shuttle system at this point does not go to overlooks east of Yaki
Point or to the Tusayan Museum.
What To
Do
Grand Canyon Village is a good
starting point for your trip. The Village runs from Yavapai
Observation Station on the East to the Village Route/Hermit’s Rest
Transfer Point on the West. Yavapai Observation Station has large
observation windows which afford spectacular views of the Canyon.
There is lots of activity around the El Tovar/Bright Angel Lodge area
along with a number of interesting buildings, including Hopi House,
Lookout Studio/Kolb Studio and Verkamp’s Curios. There are also
several dining options in this area, ranging from the elegant El Tovar
Dining Room (with a spectacular view of the Canyon), to the Bright
Angel Fountain and the Canyon Coffee House. The Arizona Room (open
for lunch and dinner, April through October) and Bright Angel
Restaurant are also located along this area of the rim.
The Mule Corral for trips into the
Canyon along Bright Angel Trail are located near the Bright Angel
Lodge. Reservations are essential since these trips book well in
advance. To take the mule trip you must be in good shape, not visibly
pregnant, taller than 4 ft. 7 in., weigh under 200 pounds, and speak
and understand English.
Towards the east end of the Village is
Yavapai Point. Yavapai Observation Station displays information about
the geology and history of the Canyon and has one of the best
panoramic views along the South Rim. Panels inside the station
identify many buttes, temples, points and tributary canyons.
Desert View Drive is the road
heading east from Grand Canyon Village to the East Entrance. There
are seven main viewpoints along this route, along with some small
pullouts. They all have wonderful views of the Canyon, each one a
little different.
The first viewpoint heading east from
the Village is Mather Point. This is one of the larger
viewpoints and is good spot for sunrise/sunset. Across the road from
Mather Point is the Canyon View Information Plaza with a
visitor center, bookstore, restrooms and shuttle stops for the Village
Route and the Kaibab Trail Route. Next is Yaki Point which
does not have a large viewing area, but is another wonderful spot for
sunrise/sunset. Yaki Point is only accessible via shuttle, foot or
bicycle. The Kaibab Trail Route does not extend any further east than
Yaki Point at this time.
Continuing east the next main viewpoint
is Grandview Point. Like Mather Point, this has a larger
viewing area and is a very popular spot. Moran Point is next,
and is a popular spot for sunrise/sunset viewing. Thee are a few
smaller viewpoints between Moran Point and the next two main viewing
areas – Lipan Point and Navajo Point. Lipan and Navajo
have smaller viewing areas and are not as crowded as Mather, Grandview
and Moran. The last main viewpoint along Desert View Drive is
Desert View. Desert View is where you will find Mary Colter’s
DesertView Watchtower, one of the highlights of any trip to the
South Rim. Allow plenty of time to visit the Watchtower and go up all
the levels. There is also a wonderful viewing platform which offers a
360-degree panorama of the Canyon. From the viewing platform you can
see the Vermillion Cliffs, San Francisco Peaks, painted Desert and the
Colorado River. There is a gift shop at the base of the Watchtower.
There is also a snack shop nearby, which has another gift shop, and
the only gas station in the Park is located at Desert View.
Tusayan Ruins and Museum is
located between Moran Point and Lipan Point on the opposite side of
the road. This is a small 12th Century Anasazi Pueblo.
The Museum features a display featuring several modern tribes and the
Ranger gives a very interesting narrative inside the Museum.
Hermit’s Rest Road is closed to
private vehicles from March 1 through November 30. The shuttle
provides transportation to the eight overlooks (Trailview Overlook,
Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss,
Pima Point and Hermit’s Rest). All of the viewpoints are
beautiful. Hopi Point is a very popular spot for
sunrise/sunset and can get rather crowded at these times. Powell
Point has a very similar view and is not nearly as crowded. There
is also a memorial to John Wesley Powell at this stop and a view of
the Orphan Mine, one of the last mines in operation in the
Grand Canyon (it ceased operation in the late 1960s). Hermit’s
Rest has a gift shop in a rough hewn cliff house designed by Mary
Colter (another National Historic Landmark). There is also a small
snack bar and restrooms.
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