Grand Canyon
Twilight view from the north rim
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
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| Scenery |  |
Enormous red and tan banded canyon amid low forest |
| Uniqueness | |
Gigantic in scope, one of the 7 natural wonders |
| Wildlife |  |
Deer, rodents, birds and other low forest dwellers |
| Diversity |  |
Different views and trails, but still the same canyon |
All ratings are on a "4-star" scale - for more on how these were assessed, view the how parks are rated page |
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The Park Grand Canyon, a National Park since 1919, is home to one of the best-known natural landmarks in the world. There is no way to adequately describe how seeing such a marvel for the first time literally takes your breath away.
In a Word "Immense"
Park Map
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on red circles to see photos
Map for reference only - not intended for navigation
Our Visit We've been to Grand Canyon twice. The first time, we visited the North Rim, the less densely traveled side, of the Grand Canyon in June 2003 for a total of about 6 hours. This was part of a week-long trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon, so the North Rim made more sense for us than the more popular south rim. The second time, we spent about 4 hours visiting the South Rim in March 2004 as part of our 8-Park Southwest tour.
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Our Weather Our weather was partly cloudy with a little bit of rain in the evening. The temperatures were about what you'd expect for July in Arizona, just below 100.
Overall Impression The Grand Canyon is just something you have to see at least once in your life. After all, it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. To be honest, I didn't really want to take the time to visit the Grand Canyon as I'd seen it from the air a few times and thought it wouldn't be all that spectacular from the ground. Boy, was I WRONG! The first thing that struck me was all the TREES! Yes, on both sides (particularly the north side) you have to drive through dense forest all the way up to the rim. Once you hike out onto a point surrounded by canyon, you can't help but be absolutely awestruck by the enormity of everything.
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Favorite Spot Bright Angel Point
Minimum Time Required For the South Rim, you'll need at least one hour. This is just enough time to drive to the nearest overlook (either Desert View or Canyon View) and peer over the rim.
For the North Rim, you'll need at least 90 minutes. If all you want is to walk to the edge and take a few happy snaps with the camera, we'd recommend driving to Bright Angel Point where the visitor's center is. Once there, a 30 minute hike will get you to a couple of points where you're surrounded on three sides by several-thousand-foot dropoffs into the canyon. You won't see the river from here, though, so don't be disappointed!
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A Longer Visit For a 1/2 day or more on the South Rim, pick a few overlooks rather than trying to stop at each one. We chose Grandview Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point and Desert View. If you have a full day, you can take the bus to a few of the most popular spots like Yaki Point. We didn't do much hiking but ended our day by watching a sunset from Yavapai Point after a decent dinner in Market Plaza. If you really want to experience the Grand Canyon, you can plan ahead and take a mule to the bottom or go whitewater rafting on the Colorado River.
For a full day on the North Rim, there are several points you can drive to. Bright Angel Point is still the best place to start. To get different views, drive to Cape Royal stopping at Imperial Point and other overlooks along the way. The overlooks on the North Rim are less crowded, and some, like Cape Royal, have nice, easy hikes associated with them.
Other Nearby Attractions Sunset Crater Volcano NM, Wupatki NM
Suggestions Take sunscreen and water--the rim is a few thousand feet above sea-level, so you'll burn quicker and need more fluid. Obviously, a clear day is better than a cloudy one, but the canyon is so vast there are bound to be shadows and haze somewhere in your photos. If you want the touristy stuff, go to the South Rim. If you want fewer crowds, go north (not open in the winter). Take plenty of film--you'll see about 200 "perfect shots," and you never know when you'll find something a little better. Sunrise and Sunset make for dramatic shadows and spectacular views.
Official NPS Website Grand Canyon NP
Photos Click on thumbnails to view larger image
 4. Setting sun illuminating the far wall of the canyon near Vista Encantada, Jun 03 |
 5. While this may look like the photo above from Yavapai Point, this was taken from Cape Point Royal on the North rim 10 months earlier, Jun 03 |
 6. The South Rim is amazing as well. The late afternoon sun adds contrast and drama to the canyon, Mar 04 |
 7. Yet another colorful vista on the South Rim, near Moran Point, Mar 04 |
 8. Think the Grand Canyon area is a desert? Think again! There are meadows and forests with wildlife on both sides. This is the North Rim |
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