Quick Must-See's during a short Grand Canyon trip?

Question

A few of us are heading off to Phoenix in a few weeks for a winter getaway. The trip will only be 3 days long and of course one of those days we'd like to head up north for the Canyon. But there's so much to do along the way!! We really want to stop by Sedona and Montezuma Castle as well. So that really only leaves us a half-day (6-8 hours) at the Canyon...

So what would be the must see at the Canyon? Any stops that we should definitely make at the South Rim? I'm reading this one-day guide on Fodor's (http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=grand_canyon@215&cur_section=fea&feature=30002) and it seems to recommend a shuttle tour. We're not keen on tours, especially with the limited time we have. Anything interesting that we can do on our own without joining tours? Could we drive to all of these points without joining tours?

Thanks for your help!!

Answer 1

You do NOT have to take the shuttle at the canyon and I would NOT recommend doing so for such a short visit. You DO have to take the shuttle (or walk) to visit the overlooks to the west of the main lodges (toward Hermit's Rest), but there are plenty of other overlooks and interesting things that you can drive to directly.

Note that from Phoenix to the canyon is about 3-4 hour trip one way, so even with short stops at Sedona and/or Montezuma Castle, you would be hard pressed to have much more than a few hours from the canyon. Here is what I would recommend seeing while you are there:

Mather and Yavapai Point overlooks - You can park at them and they are near the entrance - hard to find a spot in summer, but should be OK in winter. Probably two of the best South Rim views. Walk over to the nearby visitor center if you have the inclination, there are a few good panel displays and a nice bookstore / gift shop.

Grand Canyon Village Historic District - More nice views and also some great historic buildings (you can drive here). Check out the 1905 Hopi House gift shop (built like an indian pueblo), the grand lobby of the nearby 1905 El Tovar Hotel, Lookout Studio and Kolb's Studio (both along the rim - the studio often has interesting exhibits).

From the lodge area, you could take a short walk along the Rim Trail to the west (past the Bright Angel Cabins and mule corrals) to get a sense of quiet and solitude away from the more developed overlooks.

If you have the time, you could also drive about 30 minutes to Desertview Watch Tower near the East entrance of the park. This is a historic 3 story tower with excellent views of the east end of the canyon.

As an alternative route back, you could continue east from the tower to 89A at Cameron (which is a neat trading post by the historic Little Colorado River bridge) and then head back south toward Flagstaff (and Pheonix) with a stop at Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument along the way back to Flagstaff. Wupatki is a prehistoric indian pueblo (more interesting than Montezuma Castle, in my opinion) and Sunset Crater is an old lava field. Much of the monument can be enjoyed just by driving through it (it parallels the highway toward Flagstaff).

Flagstaff itself is an interesting historic old lumber and railroad town well worth a short stop if you need to stretch your legs. The historic downtown has many old Route 66-era buildings now filled with little cafes, shops, and art galleries and a great historic train depot. On the hill overlooking downtown is Lowell Observatory where Pluto was discovered in 1930 (they have a nice museum). Good cafes in town include Kathy's on San Francisco and Beaver Street Brewery or Macy's Coffee Shop on Beaver Street, south of the railroad tracks.

Sedona is a very nice place to visit, but the shops and galleries are spread over a big area making a quick visit difficult. The backroad drive from Sedona to Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon is very scenic, but also much slower than the direct route along I-17.

Have fun!

Answer 2

Ok, I lived and worked in Grand Canyon for 3 years. The shuttle is your best bet. Parking on or near the rim is a nightmare anytime of the year. My suggestion is to park in the post office/general store parking lot and take the shuttle to the rim. There is a stop right in the parking lot and it will only take you about 5 minutes to get to the rim lodges. Another option is to park and walk to the rim and take the rim train west to the lodges. The rim trail runs right along the rim and has some great views. Another must see is the visitor’s center and Mather point. This is an incredibly popular area and again, take the shuttle. The parking lot is small (only about 30-50 spaces) and many people park up to 1/2 a mile away along the road. The west (Hermits Rest) rim is great, but the shuttle ride is 90 minutes round trip so it's up to you if you want to take the time or if you'd rather spend it elsewhere. The east (Desert View) rim you can drive yourself. It is a good way out of the park. Allow yourself about an hour or two. My 2 favorite points are Grand View and Lupin. The Desert View Tower is great too. It's the last stop on the way out of the park. You can go up it for free and see for miles. Then just keep going east on 64 (east rim road) and it will dead end. If you go north a few miles you'll come to Cameron on the Navajo Reservation and they have the best place to buy hand made jewelry and Navajo Tacos. Otherwise, just head south and you'll end up back in Flagstaff.
Also, when you enter the park the ranger at the gate will give you a newspaper called "The Guide". In the very middle are the shuttle routes and times ect. You'll also find all sorts of tips on hiking ect. Another thing listed are the ranger walks. They have everything from geology talks to fire side stories (depending on the time of year).
Have a great time

PS Dress warmly, Grand Canyon is at 7,000 feet above sea level and is likely to have snow. (check the weather channel web site before you go) It is not uncommon for it to get into the teens over night and only up into the 40's during the day.

Answer 3

When you get to the Grand Canyon you must park your car and take the free National Park Service schuttle bus that runs along the West Rim Drive. The schuttle gives you the opportunity to see the canyon from different vantage points and angles. It runs continuously all day at about 15 minute intervals and you can get on or off at any stop. I suggest riding it all of the way to the end to Hermit's Rest, go to the potty and then get off at stops on the way back. On the way down you may see some stops that you want to skip or others you definately want to get off for.

Then if you get a few minutes take a walk a short way down the trail, just to get a feel for what its like to hike there. Watch out for the mule **** and pee (the mule rides use the same trail). If you have the time, take the route from Willaims up to the canyon and the leave via the East entrance which will take you to Rt-89 (think that's the right number) and then go south to Flagstaff. Leaving the east entrance you will see some different scenery.

Answer 4

First things first . You cannot realistically expect to visit Sedona and the Grand Canyon in the same day . On a scale of 1-10 Sedona is about a 2.5 and The Grand Canyon is a 10 - and it's a logarithmic scale.
However Sedona can be a destination of choice if it snows and makes the uphill trip to Flagstaff and The Canyon difficult or almost impossible to do. The traditional snowline on I-17 north is about 15 north of the Sedona exit # 298
My personal recommendation for first time visitors is to see the Canyon from either Desert View or if you need the privacy ,Lipan Point.
In both places[ and Navajo Point ] The River is clearly visible and the entire sweep of the Canyon Geology is at your feet. By the time you get to Grandview Point The river is barely visible at Hance Rapids[ if you listen real closely you can actually hear this monster rapid from the rim ]
As you drive further down river to Hermits Rest you only catch a here -and -there glimpses of the river.
If you get to the canyon before 2-28 the shuttle isn't running and you can drive all the way out to Hermits Rest.
To get to Desertview :
I- 17 North to I-40 East
2 exits to US 89 north if you filled up before you left PHX gas won't be a problem- yet
Take 89 to the Jct of SR 64 at Cameron AZ.
Get gas in Cameron or the town before it ,
Grey Mountain
Make a left on 64 and do that great uphill to Desertview Entrance station.
if you want to buy somewaht authentic native American jewelry and crafts [ Navajo and Hopi ]
there is an overlook exactly 6 miles from the jct of 64 & 89 and you will see many plywood vendors stalls.
All prices are negotiable.
btw from approx 1 /2 mi north of the gas station at Grey Mountain until you see the sign for Kaibab National Forest you will be in the Navajo Nation all 26000+ square miles of it
You can neither buy nor legally consume alcohol on the Rez.
For the rest of the directions follow tjhose given by sascoaz.
Returning to PHX ;
the easiest way is follow 64 out of the park until you reach the jct of I-40 East and then take that to I-17 south
I personally wouldn't stop in flagstaff as it is ,
you guys are looking at a 500 mile day
If you got gas in Cameron you shouldn't need it until you reach Camp Verde I-17 exit 285
Dress warm and if you can ,try to read up on Grand Canyon Geology
Corridors of Time by Robert Redfern is an excellent place to start . Most libraries should have it.

Answer 5

Must See Grand Canyon

Answer 6

go see the imax movie; spit off the edge come back when you have more time