Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon South Nearby Hotel Grand Canyon North Colorado River

The Grand Canyon has been described as an extremely colorful, deep-sided gorge. Accurate, yes. But those words hardly approach the beauty of this truly natural wonder, which obviously must be seen in person to be appreciated. Mostly located within Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, the canyon is 277 miles long. It ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles and is more than a mile deep. There are many ways to explore and tour the Grand Canyon—by jeep, helicopter, hiking trails and raft. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/archive/grca/grandcanyon/.

Grand Canyon South Rim Scenic Viewpoints. There is no shortage of places to stop to catch a memorable glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Desert View Drive (Highway 64) is an excellent choice as its accessible by car. This road follows the South Rim for just over two dozen miles. Hermit Road is accessible by car and shuttle bus and covers about a third of the distance of Desert View Drive. You can also enjoy excellent views from Yavapai Observation Station. Hikers will find the Rim Trail appealing and chock full of fine photo ops. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/archive/grca/grandcanyon/south-rim/index.htm.  [Top]

Grand Canyon North Rim Scenic Viewpoints. If you’ve got vertigo, you may want to skip the North Rim’s 8800-foot Point Imperial, which features fabulous views of the Painted Desert. A panoramic look at the canyon can be found at Cape Royal. Point Sublime may require a bit of effort to get to but the rewards are grand (no pun intended). For a classic look at the canyon, look into Bright Angel Point. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/archive/grca/grandcanyon/north-rim/index.htm.  [Top]

Colorado River. Five thousand fee below the rim of the Grand Canyon flows the mighty Colorado River. Views of the river are available from many spots but not all. To make a round-trip visit to the Colorado River on foot from the South Rim, it will take you two days. It’s even longer from the North Rim. You can always drive, though it will be an all-day affair (two-and-a-half hours each way). For more information, visit http://www.desertusa.com/colorado/intro/du_introcr.html.   [Top]