Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon - a Trip you Have to Take
Every American (okay, every human for that matter) owes it to him/herself to head to Arizona and visit the Grand Canyon at least once in their lifetimes. It's truly amazing to see how a little trickle of water eventually turned into the Colorado River, which eventually carved out the Grand Canyon.
You can approach your trip to the Grand Canyon in a couple different ways. One way is to stay within the park at one of the lodges on the South Rim and take time to experience all the different things the park has to offer. The other way is to stay in one of the surrounding Arizona towns and take a day trip to the Grand Canyon for a "hit and run" view of the Canyon. Both have their plusses.
The part of the Grand Canyon The South Rim is the part of the Grand Canyon most people are familiar with. It sits on the Arizona side and can be accessed all year round. The North Rim is closed from mid-October to mid-May, and is not as visited as the South Rim.
The benefit of staying within the park is the ability to take your time to view the magnificent Canyon from different viewing points, which you can access by walking the rim trail or taking a shuttle from point to point. For those of you staying for several days, a trip to the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon would be a lovely addition, though the drive is about 4 - 5 hours long. For those not wanting to drive, there is a shuttle which provides rim to rim service from mid-May to Mid-October.
For those staying on the South Rim, there are numerous trails down the canyon, as well as a trail along the top of the Canyon called the "Rim Trail." If you're staying in one of the lodges and are planning a day hike into the inner Canyon, just be aware that you probably cannot make it down and back in one day. As a matter of fact, each year around 250 people are rescued from the inner Canyon, the majority of whom are able-bodied young men between the ages of 18 to 40 who attempted to hike down and back in one ay. Don't be one of them. A good day hike would be a couple hours down and then back up. The hike up will take longer than the hike down. Also, be sure to wear good hiking shoes as some trails can be very rocky.
Some people choose to hike down one day and either camp at the bottom or stay in the Phantom Ranch. Be aware, however, that you have to make arrangements well in advance of your trip if you choose to stay at the bottom. Campers require a backcountry permit, and Phantom Ranch is usually booked months ahead. Permits are sometimes available on that day, but why risk it? For reservations at the Phantom Ranch, you can call 888-297-2757.
Some people prefer to stay outside the park and visit the Canyon for a few hours and move on. There are numerous areas in Northern Arizona where one can stay and take a side trip to the Grand Canyon, such as Sedona and Flagstaff. While such locations are still lengthy drives (an hour from Flagstaff, two from Sedona), it's still close enough for a day trip. Both Sedona and Flagstaff are lovely places to stay, with Sedona being the most 'touristy" of the two towns. Flagstaff, to me, is the quirkier of the two, perhaps because it is a "university town," home to Northern Arizona University.
Sedona and Flagstaff are also visually different. Flagstaff is surrounded by a pine forest, while Sedona is in "red rock" country. Sedona abounds with numerous high-end resorts, galleries and expensive eateries. Flagstaff is cheaper all-around, with inexpensive lodging and restaurants. Both are close enough for a day trip to the Grand Canyon.
Of course, you can always opt for an even quicker bus tour, hopping from one tourist stop to the next. But, why not take a cue from that little trickle of water which started it all? Take your time and enjoy the view.
About the Author
Diane McCalley is an accountant, avid traveler and creator of www.thetravelerscompanion.com, where you can learn about such things as vacation cabins which are pet friendly.
Grand Canyon
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What is the best way to tour the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas?
Okay, I'll be in Vegas from Sep. 1 thru the 5th. I'm thinking of taking a day trip from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon. What is the best way to do this? planes, trains or rental car? I just wanted to get a feel of what the Grand Canyon is like to prepare for a more longer stay on my next visit (camping & hiking). I'm leaning towards taking a bus tour that takes us to Hoover Dam, Route 66 and all other Desert stops. Let me know guys and girls!
If you don't mind driving 675 miles in one day
Enter exactly this into mapquest or a similar service and get an early start.
LAS>Hurricane UT > additional stops :Colorado City AZ > Lee's Ferry AZ >Cameron AZ GCN>LAS >675 miles
Notes
*:Get gas in Hurricane , Cameron , & Kingman-
*At Lee's Ferry make a left just before the bridge and dip your toes in the Rio
*You don't have the time to make the right at Jacob Lake and visit the N.Rim proper-sorry
This routing is about 50 miles longer than LAS >FLG >Cameron AZ >GCN >LAS is
But having driven both routes many times and in every month of the year the routing thru Hurricane is one of my favorite routings in the West-just stunning and well worth the 50 miles.
You want to rent a car w/ more than adequate hp for this trip bc there is a lot of climbing involved and many places where you will need to pull out and pass on high speed two lane roads
My thinking is that the 250 mile drive from Grand Canyon to Las Vegas is pretty boring anyway so if do most of it in the dark, you haven't missed much . If you make the right onto SR 64 at Cameron by around 2:30 PM you'll be fine.