Grand Canyon National Park

“The glories and the beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon-forms unrivaled even by the mountains, colors that vie with sunsets, and sounds that span the diapason from tempest to tinkling raindrop, from cataract to bubbling fountain.” 

John Wesley Powell

Grand Canyon became a National Park in 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service.  It receives close to five million visitors each year.  I have visited the Grand Canyon National Park twice, and it overwhelmed my senses with its immense size and beauty.   The park is 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide and is one mile deep.  The Colorado River runs through the canyon and is what carved the canyon.  The average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles, it takes 5 hours to drive the 215 miles between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village.

Me at the Grand Canyon, South Rim

The majority of visitors only visit the South Rim, and most of them see it in one day from their car, or the shuttle bus, and at overlooks along the rim.  The South Rim is the most accessible part of the park and is open all year.  A much smaller number of people see the canyon from the North Rim, which lies just 10 miles directly across the canyon from the South Rim.  The North Rim is closed in the winter months due to weather conditions.  The Inner Canyon includes everything below the rim and is seen mainly by hikers, mule riders, or river runners.



The steam engine on the Grand Canyon Railway

The Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona.  Both times I visited the park, I arrived by the Grand Canyon Railway.  It leaves Williams daily and makes its way to the park.  It is a great way to get to the park, but certainly not the only way.  The most common way to get to the canyon is to drive.  If you live far away, then you will probably fly to either Phoenix or Las Vegas, and then rent a car and drive to the park.  Both places are equally close, about a 3 hour drive.   Once you get to the park there is a free shuttle bus you can ride within the park, which will not only save you money, but is more environmentally friendly than driving your own car to the different lookout places.  To learn more about the Grand Canyon Railway, go to my posting in June: http://havelistwilltravel.blogspot.com/2012/03/grand-canyon-railway.html



TheTrans-Canyon Shuttle runs between the north and south rims of the park once each day, in each direction, and the travel time is about 4 1/2 hours each way. This is the only regularly scheduled service between the north and south rims of the park.

    The shuttle leaves the north rim at 7am and arrives at the south rim at noon.

    The suttle leaves the south rim at 1:30pm and rrives back at the north rim at 6:30pm.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 928-638-2820. Scheduled service is available between May 15th and October 15, with a limited schedule between October 16 and October 31.

Watchtower at the Grand Canyon NP

Once you are in the park, there are many things that you can do.  There are guided tours you can book that will take you to some of the lookout points, as well as the Dessert View Road and the Watchtower.  The Watchtower is a round stone building which was designed by Mary Colter, one of the first woman architects.  She is often referred to as the architect of the southwest.  I have a book on her, and I think she was a fascinating woman.  She also designed the Bright Angel Lodge which is one of the hotels you could stay in if you spend the night (more about that when I talk about accomodations in the park.)



Inside the Watchtower

As you get closer to the building you might see how well it blends into the environment. It is difficult to tell where the rock of the canyon walls end, and the tower begins. From Desert View… aptly named because of the views to the east of the Painted Desert…you can see the Colorado River make a big bend and continue to the west, the North Rim more than 10 miles away, and a panoramic view for well over 100 miles on a clear day.




Also, while in the park, there are many hiking trails, both above and below the rim.  When we were there we took the free shuttle bus out to the last of the lookout points and then hiked the trail back towards the village.  The trail runs along the edge of the canyon and even sometimes dips below the rim.  The trail goes from one lookout point to the next, and at any point you can hop back on the shuttle bus. 

 

Mule trip

There are mule trips to the floor of the canyon if you are feeling adventursome.  There are also some shorter mule trips available.  There are weight limits and age limits.  They say the mules like to hug the outside edge of the trail, so you are hanging over the edge of the canyon on parts of the ride.  Unless you are comfortable with heights, it might not be that much fun.  If you go to the floor of the canyon then you will spend the night at Phantom Ranch and return the next day.  Mule trips should be booked in advance as they are popular and tend to sell out.

 

White-water rafting
the Colorado River

Something I have seriously considered doing is a white-water rafting trip down the Colorado River and through the canyon.  I think seeing the canyon from the bottom up would be quite wonderful.  The rafting trips are anywhere from 3 days to18 days.  They are guided trips with professional guides who know the river.  You camp along the way.  If you do the trip just half way and get out at Phantom Ranch, then you will have to climb the trail back to the rim - a steep climb.  There are no one day rafting trips through the Grand Canyon.  We did, however take a half-day smooth water rafting trip from Glen Canyon Dam, which is north of the Grand Canyon and takes you through a smaller canyon.  That was fun, but not nearly as adventursome.

 

El Tovar Hotel

There are many lodging options for you within the park.  The most luxuious of the hotels is the El Tovar.  Located on the Canyon rim, it features a fine dining room (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), lounge and curio shop with newsstand. El Tovar offers its guests Concierge and room service and is a Registered National Historic Landmark.  Also available is the Bright Angel Lodge which was designed by Mary Colter in 1935.  It has a natural, rustic character, and is also a Registered National Historic Landmark.  It is located just a few feet from the Canyon rim.  Other options include The Kachina Lodge and The Thunderbird Lodge, both of which are conveniently located between El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodge. They are both contemporary hotels.  Maswik Lodge is a modern facility spread over several acres of Ponderosa Pine forest, located just 1/4 mile from the canyon's edge.  It features a cafeteria that is open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Here you will also find a Pizza Pub with wide screen TVs, a curio shop stocked with handicrafts and gifts, and a transportation activities desk.  Yavapai Lodge is Grand Canyon National Park Lodges' largest facility and is surrounded by Pinyon and Juniper woodlands, about 1/2 mile from the rim.  Yavapai Lodge features the Canyon Cafe, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The curio shop has a wide range of gifts and a transportation / activities desk is located in the lobby.  There are also some cabins available, some of which are also on the rim.

 

Phantom Ranch on the floor of the Grand Canyon

Phantom Ranch is also available to stay in, but it is on the canyon floor and to get to it you must either hike down or take the mule trip.  Remember that if you hike down, you will also have to hike back up.  The ranch was designed by architect Mary E. J. Colter and completed in 1922. The rustic cabins and main lodge are built of wood and native stone and do not intrude on the natural beauty and solitude of the setting. Overnight accommodations at Phantom Ranch consist of dormitory spaces and cabins. Cabins and dormitories are heated and cooled during the summer months.

 

Campgrounds are also available within the park.

 

Pets are permitted in the park, and must be leashed at all times.  They can be on any of the trails above the rim, but are not permitted on the trails below the rim.  They are also not permitted on the free shuttle bus or in any of the rooms within the park system.  They are allowed in the campgrounds.  There is a kennel at the park where pets can be boarded, for a price.

 

For more information about the park, including admission fees, park passes, and other things to see and do, visit:  http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

 

Sedona, Arizona, near the Grand Canyon

When planning your visit to the Grand Canyon, you might also want to consider visiting some other things in the area.  Whenever we are anywhere near that area, we love to stop in Sedona.  The red rocks and mountains around the town of Sedona are quite beautiful, and the color is more intense than the colors within the Grand Canyon.

 

Another place that might be worth visiting is the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which is not inside the national park, but not far away.  The Skywalk is owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe.  To get to it you do have to drive 10 miles on a dirt road.  The Skywalk is a transparent horseshoe-shaped cantilever bridge which is suspended out over the edge of the canyon, about 4,770 feet elevation of the Colorado River.

Skywalk

 

When we visited the canyon we had a week, so we combined the trip with Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, all are to the north of the Grand Canyon, but not that far.  If you have the time, they could be easily combined with a visit to the Grand Canyon National Parks.  I will be writing about both Bryce and Zion National Parks in upcoming editions.