First time visitor to grand canyon should i camp at the North or south rim and what activities should I do?

Answer 1

Short answer: First time = South Rim.

The North Rim is quieter, much less developed, higher (cooler) and has a shorter season (check in advance!). It is more heavily forested but does not have the expansive views you've seen photographed from the South Rim.

The South Rim has 93% of the visitor facilities - lodges, stores, overlooks, rangers, etc inside the park and a ton of stuff (flightseeing, Imax movies, motels, etc) just outside the park to the south.

You can walk right up to a really big hole in the ground on the South rim in a number of places. On the North Rim, you are looking down into a side canyon, not the main Colorado River canyon unless you travel to a distant overlook.

Do? I'll be hiking down the Colorado River and back in 2 weeks. But I'm in good shape and I know I really enjoy that trip. It AIN'T an average day hike - 14 miles round trip, 5,000 vertical feet down and 5,000 up again! From the North Rim, it would be almost 6,000 vertical feet and 28 miles round trip.

There are shops, museums, view points, hiking trails and interpretative programs on the South Rim all year. That high desert environment is really nice in May and September. Hiking down far into the Canyon (where it is a lot warmer) is best done in April or October, IMO, if you don't mind a chance of snow on the Rim.

95% of the visitors on the South Rim are Americans. Once you get a mile into the Canyon, it is 50% foreign hikers. Maybe they're just in better shape or they figure if they've travelled all this way, they're going to see the whole thing.

The Imax movie might seem hookie, but they are actually pretty well done. There's one about Powell's first trip down the Colorado. And some un-settle-your-stomach aerial flyover sequences.

Flightseeing is very cool, but not cheap.

Answer 2

If it were me, I'd prefer to camp at the North Rim. It's less crowded than the South Rim. The down side is that it's more remote & it closes in the winter. Because it's at a higher elevation (over 8,000 ft) it gets colder, though this would be a good thing in the summer.
As far as activities, there are plenty of hiking trails. If you're physically fit, you might consider a hike or mule ride down into the canyon & back up. Or you could take a scenic drive along the rim. You could watch a film at the visitor's center. There are plenty of gift shops where you can buy souvenirs. You can also ride a train to the Canyon. I did this with my family a few years ago & we had a blast!
I've included some links that you might find helpful.

Answer 3

watch the history of grand canyon movie (a theather shall be near the site) how there's actual people live inside deep of canyon.