Grand Canyon Parks and Outdoors Vacations

Grand Canyon Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

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Aerial view of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Grand Canyon, Arizona (John Wang/Photodisc/Getty)

Grand Canyon Parks and Outdoors Highlights

By Travel Expert: Kim Lipker

  • For many, the Grand Canyon views alone are worth the price of admission. But adventurers shouldn't be satisfied with mere looking. Hiking down below the rim, float through the Colorado River's alternating series of hair-raising rapids and cathedral-still quiet water, or marvel at the touch of two-billion-year-old rock under your fingers.
  • The North Rim features a 23-mile scenic drive to Cape Royal featuring one of the best views in the canyon, especially at sunset. Be sure to stop at Angel's Window, where you will have a view of the Colorado River. Near the Walhalla overlook are the ruins of an Ancestral Puebloan structure.
  • Inside the park on the South Rim are two campgrounds. Mather Campground in Grand Canyon Village has more than 300 campsites. Desert View Campground is 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village; there are 50 sites available. The North Rim Campground is located north of Grand Canyon Lodge and has 75 campsites. More camping options are located just outside the park.
  • The Hualapai Tribe offers a Native American perspective to a Grand Canyon trip that you will not find on other commercial tours. The Hualapai require a permit to travel on tribal lands, but if you and your group are on a tour, there is no need for the permit. Also run by the Hualapai tribe, the West Rim now includes the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge suspended 4,000 feet over the Colorado River and canyon.
  • Near Vermillion Cliffs west from the town of Marble Canyon, you may catch a glimpse of the California condor, an endangered species that was reintroduced to the area in the winter of 1996-1997. Peregrine falcons nest in the canyons along the cliffs as well.

Grand Canyon Overview

Years ago, upon completing a hike in the Grand Canyon, I stood at the rim, gazing one last time at the colors below, and vowed right then to inform everyone I knew how lucky they were to be alive. My good intentions lasted for only a day, but it was an unforgettable one, and when it was over I realized that the canyon had moved me the way religion moves fervent believers. At the time I wasn't sure why. Only after I began work on this guide did I begin to understand all those things that, for me, make the canyon not just a beautiful place, but a sacred one as well. Read More

Hotels

expert favorite hotel
Phantom Ranch
Canyon Floor at Bright Angel and Kaibab Trail intersection
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 1.9 Miles
(from destination center)
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel
expert favorite hotel
El Tovar
Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C., PO Box 699
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 11.2 Miles
(from destination center)
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel Active and Adventure travel
expert favorite hotel
Grand Canyon Lodge
Bright Angel Point
Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 11.5 Miles
(from destination center)
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel Active and Adventure travel
All Grand Canyon Hotels
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Attractions

expert favorite attraction
Grand Canyon Field Institute
(PO Box 399)
South Rim
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Distance: 0.9 Miles (from destination center)
Description: Imagine earning academic credits while you... Read More
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel Family travel
expert favorite attraction
Junior Ranger Program
(Visitor Center)
6 miles north of the South Entrance
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Distance: 0.9 Miles (from destination center)
Description: The Park's Junior Ranger Program, open to... Read More
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel Family travel
expert favorite attraction
The Abyss
(West of Grand Canyon Village)
West Rim Dr
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Distance: 0.9 Miles (from destination center)
Description: The awesome, dramatic visual of the Grand Canyon... Read More
Parks Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Parks and Outdoors travel
All Grand Canyon Attractions

Feature Articles

More Grand Canyon Parks and Outdoors Feature Articles (28)
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