One of America’s most famous national parks, Grand Canyon National Park offers world-class hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and stargazing opportunities.
Nothing can prepare you for your first view of the Grand Canyon. No matter how many pictures you’ve seen or documentaries you’ve watched, the immense scale of this place needs to be seen in 3D, not on paper or a screen.
The Grand Canyon overwhelms everyone. I can’t imagine anyone not being impressed by it. It’s spectacular, its dimensions are mind-boggling. Really, it’s almost impossible to grasp the sheer size of this thing.
This is a canyon that’s 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide at its widest point, and a mile deep.
It’s the obvious centerpiece of Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, which encompasses a section of the Colorado River and both the North and South Rims.
Often considered to be one of the Wonders of the World, Grand Canyon National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which indicates its awesome significance to the world and humankind.
Between five and six million people visit the park each year, making it the one of the most-visited national parks in America. In a typical year, only Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee receives more annual visitors.
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Highlights of Grand Canyon National Park
Note that these main attractions, overlooks and hikes in Grand Canyon National Park are limited to the South Rim only. (I haven’t visited the North Rim yet, so can’t give you guys personal recommendations for that area.)
You should be able to cover all these places and highlights in two jam-packed days.
There’s really only one main attraction in this huge park: the Grand Canyon itself, the ultimate end to an Arizona national parks road trip.
One of the world’s most famous landscapes, this gigantic scar in the earth’s surface is something everyone should (try to) see in their life.
The entire South Rim, which is the main tourist area in Grand Canyon National Park, is lined with scenic lookouts and trailheads. Besides the Grand Canyon, the park’s centerpiece and one highlight, there are a number of smaller places of interest as well.
- Verkamp’s Visitor Center
- Yavapai Geology Museum
- Desert View Drive
- Desert View Watchtower
- Lookout Studio and Kolb Gallery
- Phantom Ranch
Best South Rim Overlooks
Numerous overlooks line the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. When you walk the Rim Trail or drive Desert View Drive, you’ll pass pretty much all of them. Although all are a little bit different and worth stopping at, there are a few that you really should not miss.
Rim Trail
- Mather Point
- Yavapai Point
- Trailview Overlook
- Hopi Point
- Mojave Point
Desert View Drive
- Grandview Point
- Moran Point
- Lipan Point
- Navajo Point
- Desert View
How Much Time Do You Need?
Some people might say that once you’ve seen the Grand Canyon from one of the viewpoints, there’s nothing left to do. That, of course, is blatantly untrue.
Grand Canyon National Park is massive and offers a wide range of things to do, from helicopter flights and mule rides to overnight hikes into the canyon and scenic drives.
Although it’s possible to visit the park in just one afternoon, visiting a couple of viewpoints and leaving again in the evening, I strongly recommend that you spend at least two full days and two nights there.
This allows you to do the two hikes highlighted above, as well as catching both a sunset and sunrise, which are by far the most spectacular times of day at the Grand Canyon.
Accommodation Near Grand Canyon National Park
There’s plenty of accommodation inside Grand Canyon National Park, one of America’s most-visited parks. There are two campgrounds and an RV park on the popular South Rim, as well as half a dozen lodges and hotels.
Additionally, you’ll also find a wealth of motel and hotel options just south of the park in the gateway town of Tusayan.
Booking.com
Useful Info
Location: Northwestern Arizona, United States
Nearest Towns: Tusayan and, further to the south, Flagstaff
Area: 1,904 square miles (1,218,375 acres)
Annual Visitors (2022): 4,732,101
Features: One of the world’s largest canyons, wildlife, overlooks, historic sites
Top Attractions: Rim Trail, Desert View Drive, Yavapai Geology Museum, Bright Angel Trail, Desert View Watchtower, Mather Point Overlook
Popular Activities: Hiking, whitewater rafting, camping, sunrise and sunset watching, stargazing, wildlife watching, photography
Suggested Stay: 2 days / 2 nights
Campgrounds:
- Mather Campground (South Rim, 327 sites)
- Desert View Campground (South Rim, 49 sites)
- Trailer Village RV Park (South Rim, concessioner operated, 123 sites)
- North Rim Campground (North Rim, 87 sites)
More Information: National Park Service
Nearby National Parks:
- Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
- Saguaro National Park, Arizona
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
- Zion National Park, Utah
Grand Canyon National Park Blog Posts
