We left Flagstaff early on the third morning and drove an hour and a half to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Just inside the park entrance we encountered some elk along the road and stopped to take photos along with a dozen other people. It was my first time seeing these beautiful creatures in nature.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a colossal canyon carved by the Colorado River. It is 277 miles long, a mile deep, and 18 miles across at its widest point. UNESCO named the Grand Canyon a World Heritage Site in 1979, as the “most spectacular gorge in the world.” It is also one of CNN’s 7 Natural Wonders of the World.
There are two main areas – the North and South Rims. The South Rim is the most popular – there are dozens of easily accessible overlooks. Its North Rim is 1,000 feet higher in elevation making it harder to get to, especially in the winter months when roads close. According to the National Park Service, only 10% of visitors venture to the North Rim.
Activities in the park include hiking, backpacking, camping, guided tours, rafting trips on the river, and mule or horseback rides.
South Rim
After parking at the visitor center, we walked the South Rim trail. We stayed on the rim and did not venture into the canyon due to time. Although we felt we didn’t miss out on anything doing this, I know some people really want to be in the canyon itself.
From the visitor center we walked to the South Rim Village hitting Mather Point, Yavapai Point, and the Trail of Time along the way. The Grand Canyon is stunning in person! We were happy to stare at it for hours and stopped several times along the trail just to enjoy the view.
In addition to the beautiful canyon walls, we were treated to wildlife – California condors, eagles, hawks, ravens, and little chipmunks.
There was even a natural ‘S’ hidden in the canyon, which we made into a Where’s Waldo-like game. See if you can spot it in the photos below.
Desert View Watch Tower
After we made it to the Village, we took the shuttle back to the visitor center to get our car. Then we drove Desert View Drive and stopped at Grandview Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, Navajo Point, and the Desert View Watch Tower on our way out.
You can get a fantastic view of the Colorado River from the Desert View Watch Tower overlook.
Have you been to the Grand Canyon? What is your favorite memory?