Grand Canyon Travel Guide: Things To Do and Places to Visit in and Around Grand Canyon (2024)
The word “Grand” doesn’t even start to do this spectacular canyon any justice. Covering an area of about 277 river miles long, up to about 18 miles in width and a mile down, this monstrous chasm in northern Arizona is really a characteristic marvel. For a very long time, the Grand Canyon has been extending with the assistance of the powerful Colorado River, and for quite a long time, individuals from everywhere around the globe have come to look out over its red and orange greatness. Overseen by the National Park Service and formally assigned as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Grand Canyon leaves its roughly 6 million guests each year awestruck.
However, if in case you’re looking for an isolated getaway to Mother Nature, you ought to be readied: The Grand Canyon stays extremely packed. The South Rim which is home to the Grand Canyon Village and the Bright Angel Trail is especially famous for tourists and explorers. It is on this site that you’ll track down the most conveniences.
For a break from the groups, you should head towards the North Rim. This is the spot for backwoods camping and adventure-filled hiking. Similarly, the whole canyon is filled with amazing landscapes and fun-filled activities to do. So, without making any further delay, let’s know about this amazing canyon in detail to ease your next trip to its breathtaking land.
About Grand Canyon:
Situated in northwest Arizona, the Grand Canyon is as astounding as could be expected. Stroll to its edge, and the earth falls away into a territory of pinnacles, plateaus, and gorges so tremendous that it tends to be perplexing. Slip underneath the edge, and the feeling of wonder just develops automatically. The Grand Canyon is basically a modified, 6,000-foot, 277-mile-long mountain range, where you are overshadowed by sheer stone dividers stacked to the sky and vistas that duplicate with each turn. In the desert scene, the water can be the most amazing sight. Turquoise streams surge entire out of rust-red cliffs and courses through travertine pools. At the lower part of the canyon, obviously, lies the driving force of this incredible topographical conundrum—the droning, diligent Colorado River, which has cut the gorge over centuries.
Yet, all of this is accompanied by a disadvantage. The recreation center gets super busy. More than 6.25 million individuals visited in 2017 alone. Try not to let that prevent you from arranging an outing here because only a small part of visitors trouble themselves to explore the actual ravine, which implies it’s not difficult to track down isolation. Yet, with 358 miles of set up trails, 277 miles of waterway to drift, and endless displays, noteworthy destinations, and landscapes to explore, it gets difficult to tell where to begin.
What Are Some Of The Fascinating Things About The Grand Canyon?
Some amazing facts about the Grand Canyon are:
- The Grand Canyon was assigned a public landmark in 1908 and a public park in 1919.
- Grand Canyon National Park is larger than the whole province of Rhode Island.
- One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon is an amazing place to visit and explore.
- Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site, it is unlawful to eliminate anything including rocks or wood.
- There is nearly no light contamination at the Grand Canyon and it is possible to see the Milky Way.
What Are Some Of The Things To Do In And Around The Grand Canyon?
Filled with a lot of adventurous to-do activities, Grand Canyon is an amazing spot to enjoy and make the best use of your time. Some of these activities that you can do in and around the canyon are:
1. Biking
Lease bicycles from Bright Angel Bicycles, situated close to the guest center, and travel to the South Rim. The Hermit Road winds seven miles along the edge from the town and is shut to private vehicles from March to November, making it quite possibly the grandest cycling ways on the planet. Or you can head east from the guest’s community and connect your way with the car-free Yaki Point Road. Extending far into the gully, Yaki Point is a famous spot to witness the dusk sprinkling the blushy light across a 42-mile area of gully right from the Palisades of the Desert, 25 miles toward the east, to Havasupai Point, 17 miles west.
2. Trekking
Trekking, without any doubt, is one of the most amazing activities to undertake when visiting the Grand Canyon. Out of a number of popular treks, these are the most popular ones:
- Bright Angel Trail: For day trips, skirt the South Rim’s very much stomped-on Bright Angel Trail, which drops into the gorge directly at the town, and take the bus from that point towards the South Kaibab Trailhead. The seven-mile way dives 4,780 feet right to the stream, yet numerous individuals only select the 1.8-mile full circle to the humorously named Ooh Aah Point.
- Widforss Trail: On the North Rim, the gentle five-mile Widforss Trail twists along the edge and afterward ducks through ponderosa pine and aspen forests to Widforss Point, where you can get perspectives on sheer, rough buttes like Wotans Throne and the Zoroaster Temple or the bastions of Transept Canyon.
- Thunder River Trail: The far-off, adventurous Thunder River Trail likely could be the Grand Canyon’s most bewildering hiking trip. Start the 21-mile, three-day circle from the Bill Hall Trailhead at Monument Point (which shaves 2.5 miles off the customary Indian Hollow Trailhead Highway), 34 miles down an occasionally obstructed street from the North Rim town of Jacob Lake. It passes by Thunder River itself, an enormous brook that spills straight out of the cave halfway up the red canyon wall and tumbles down levels of rich, vegetated pools.Image Source
3. Boating
There are two different ways to boat the Colorado River: by mechanized raft or in a human-moved paddle or an oar raft. The most ideal approach to encounter the stream is at its own speed, experiencing the transcending floods of well-known rapids like Crystal and Lava Falls in an 18-foot paddle rig. You’ll float for quite a long time through mind-blowing landscapes, blast down many running rapids, and camp every night on sand seashores underneath a path of brilliant stars. It is a perfect activity for nature lovers.
What Are Some Of The Places To Visit Around The Grand Canyon?
Comprising a variety of places to explore around its premises, the Grand Canyon is the ultimate spot for fun-seekers. Some of these places are:
- Horseshoe Bend
- Lake Powell
- Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Sunset Crater National Monument
- West Rim Skywalk
- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
How To Reach The Grand Canyon?
The Grand Canyon is divided into two particular zones split by, well, the actual canyon. It’s a long four-and-a-half-hour drive to get from one edge to the next, so plan cautiously. In case you’re visiting the North Rim, it’s snappiest to travel to Las Vegas, a four-and-a-half-hour drive from the recreation center. In the event that you are destined for the South Rim, from Phoenix it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive, or you can spend some money on one of the few air rides trips into Flagstaff, Arizona, simply 90 minutes south of Grand Canyon Village, the fundamental center for exploring the recreation center. In case you don’t have a vehicle, or don’t really want to drive? The Arizona Shuttle runs vans from Flagstaff to the town three times each day from May 15 to October 16.
What Is The Most Appropriate Time Of The Year To Go To The Grand Canyon?
Summer is the high season at the Grand Canyon. Expect restricted convenience, crowd, and significant delay times for the recreation center transport. Downpour is normal in July. The peak season is from March to May and from September to November. The groups are slim and the temperature mostly stays cool, make certain to pack comfortable garments and wear layers. You may discover snow on the gully in November. Cold weather months are cold and snow is normal.
What Are Some Of The Hotels Around The Grand Canyon?
Some of the most popular and comfortable hotels to stay around the Grand Canyon are:
- El Tovar Hotel: Constructed in 1905 and fully renovated in the year 2005, this classic hotel is one of the country’s most respected national park hotel jewels and has hosted famous personalities like Teddy Roosevelt and Albert Einstein
- Phantom Ranch: The ranch’s 11 spacious cabins are the only non-campground living spaces available below the rim, and are therefore usually booked up to a year in advance. Each is furnished with a set of bunk beds, a sink, toilet, and bedding. At the Ranch’s eatery, food is available for trekkers who’ve trekked to the bottom of the Canyon, as long as they’ve called months ago to arrange meals.
FAQs For Tourists Planning To Visit The Grand Canyon
Q1. What Are Some Of The Popular Restaurants Around The Grand Canyon?
Ans: El Tovar Dining Room and Phantom Ranch Restaurant are some of the popular restaurants that serve amazing food.
Q2. What Are Some Of The Places To Visit Around The Grand Canyon?
Ans: Marble Canyon and Oatman Arizona are some of the many places to visit around the Grand Canyon.
Q3. What Are Some Of The Tips To Keep In Mind While Visiting The Grand Canyon?
Ans: Some of the points to keep in mind are:
- Show up before 9 am to evade long queues at the passageway door.
- Wear comfortable hiking shoes or boots.
- Wear sunscreen.