If you’re looking to visit the United States’ most popular landmarks, Grand Canyon National Park is probably on your list. It had been a bucket list destination for us for a long time and we finally got the chance to visit.
Not to be too cliche, but photos really don’t do it justice. You can’t fully grasp the size and overall grandness until you’re standing on the edge looking out (not too close to the edge, you don’t want to become a statistic). We spent two days in the South Rim of the park. Since it was too hot to do much hiking, and we are not campers, this was plenty of time for us.
What is the difference in the two rims, you ask? The South Rim is the most popular, with the most hotels and restaurants. Though it is much more crowded than the North Rim, we didn’t have any issues. The North Rim is cooler with more greenery and wildlife. The South is open all year, while the North closes in winter. Overall, the South Rim is probably the best choice for first time visitors. It is easier to access from major cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, has more viewpoints and activities for families.
You can also visit the East and West of the canyon to see sites such as Horseshoe Bend and the Grand Canyon Skywalk. However, it is important to note that Grand Canyon West is not part of the national park. It is on Hualapai tribal land and has a separate entrance fee. For more information on all sections of the Grand Canyon, check out this site.
If you decide to travel to the South Rim, like we did, check out our suggestions below.
Things to Do
Visit Mather Point via the Rim Trail. This is the quickest way to get your first glimpses of the canyon. There are many viewpoints in this area and it is great for those Insta selfies. Just a heads up, this is one of the most popular view points in the South Rim. The Rim Trail starts at the visitor’s center and it is only around .3 miles to Mather Point.
If you are looking for a longer hike or walk, you can continue around the Rim Trail. This trail is easy and all paved. For more day hike ideas, click here.
Take a tour. We booked two different tours (our hotel offered a combo deal for multiple tours), the Desert View and Sunset tours.
Our Desert View tour left at 7:00 AM and took us on a tour bus to several overlooks and finally to the Desert View Watchtower. The tower, designed by Mary Colter to honor native tribes, features many depictions of native life in artwork painted throughout. You can climb the 80 some odd steps to the top of the tower for a different view of the canyon. The tour guide we had was friendly and told a lot of interesting facts about the park as we drove from place to place.
Our second tour at sunset took us to a few viewpoints before we stopped off to watch the sun set over the canyon.
Go to a constellation event. The skies are so clear at night, due to the park’s dark sky status, that you can see stars and constellations without a telescope. (You can also, in certain areas of the park at night, see the light pollution from Las Vegas.) At the event we attended, the guide pointed out several prominent stars and constellations and told us more about the history of astronomy and about the process of becoming a dark sky park. Just being able to see that many stars so clearly was pretty amazing to us. We really enjoyed it. We could see the Milky Way with just our eyes and take pics of it with our phones. This is a must do if you can.
If you have time, stop in at some of Mary Colter’s other designed spaces, the Hopi House, inspired by a traditional Hopi pueblo, and Lookout Studio, the park’s OG giftshop.
If you are so inclined, you can stop in at El Tovar Hotel and Restaurant, a historic landmark in the park. Outside of the hotel, you can find the Heart in the Stone, a block in the rim wall carved into the shape of a heart. Stories say that was created by a stone mason, as a token of love, for a woman who worked at El Tovar .
What We Ate
On our first night, we ventured outside of the park to Big E Steakhouse and Saloon for dinner. There are not as many restaurants right outside of the park as you might think (nothing compared to Yellowstone). Mal – I had the steak, mashed potatoes w/ gravy and Caesar salad. It was all good but a little pricy for the quality (a place like Longhorn is better), but I suppose that is to be expected in this area. Court- I also had a steak, but I got a baked potato which seemed undercooked but tasted overcooked. It was fine.
For lunch we decided to try Yauapai Lodge Tavern. We sat in the bar area, which had a somewhat limited food menu. We decided to split two different burgers (the Melted Elk and the Rack Attack venison burger) to try them both. Mal- The elk burger was pretty tasty, but the venison burger tasted weird and had a strange texture. I was not a fan. Court- I liked them both and felt like it was much better than the other food in the park.
We ate a couple of meals at the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria. It was actually decent for a cafeteria style place. They had several different stations of hot food and a salad bar. It was convenient for us and always quick. Mal- I had the breakfast burrito and taco salad, both better than expected. Court- I got a cold and could not taste everything during this part of our trip, but the part of the taco salad I could taste was good. I also had pancakes and bacon which was fairly standard. Hard to go wrong with pancakes and bacon.
On our way out of the park, we stopped in for breakfast at Foodie Club. Mal- I had the avocado toast. It tasted fine, but cost $15. Again, not surprising but still disappointing for what little amount of food I got. Court- I got a yogurt bowl and, while it had a good amount of fruit and granola, everything seemed store bought and composed rather than made in the restaurant. It was pricey and the name was a bit deceptive. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this spot, but, again, it was fine.
Where We Stayed
We decided to book a room inside the park. Unlike other parks we had visited in the past (Yellowstone and Glacier), we had no problem booking a room inside Grand Canyon National park. And maybe it is because most people do not visit in July, but who’s to say? We had several options but went with Maswik Lodge.
Overall our stay was good, with a few exceptions. Our room was on the second floor and there was no elevator, so we (mainly Courtney) had to drag our bags up the stairs. We also had an issue with these little black bugs that got into our room at night. These things were all over the bathroom, like… stuck in towels and everything. We were not the only people who had this issue and, to be fair, our room opened directly to the outside and we were surrounded by nature. We’re also sure this was not only happening at our lodge, so don’t let that deter you. Pro tip: do not leave any lights on in your room at night except, maybe, the tv as long as it doesn’t face a window. We normally leave the bathroom light on and that likely added insult to injury with the bug problem. Since the park is a dark sky park, it is pitch black at night, so the bugs flocked to the light.
In case you were debating, Grand Canyon National Park is definitely worth a visit. Even if you’re not a hiker, you won’t regret seeing the canyon in person. Like we said before, two days worked great for us. We would like to go back in the future to see Horseshoe Bend, but it is relatively close to a few other destinations we have in mind for ensuing travels.
Now that we’ve crossed off this bucket list item, we’re on to the next!
Our McTravels 