What to Do in Grand Canyon National Park

Here are my tips for visiting Grand Canyon National Park, and our tiptop 10 things to practise at the Grand Coulee. This mail specifically covers the South Rim of the G Canyon, which is where over 90% of visitors to M Canyon National Park go. (The South Rim is the side closer to Phoenix, Arizona and the North Rim is the side closer to Las Vegas, Nevada).

A lot of visitors spend a solar day or less at the 1000 Canyon, driving their car to one spot on the rim, getting out, taking some photos, and calling it a day. This is such a fault, and in that location's and so much to see at Grand Canyon National Park that they're missing past doing this. Most visitors could spend at least 2 days at the One thousand Canyon, with the sky being the upper limit for those who want to do serious hiking, mule rides, or whitewater rafting.

Sadly, less than 1% of Grand Canyon National Park visitors venture beneath the rim (according to a ranger with whom I spoke at the park, approximately .1% exercise the mule rides or whitewater rafting, which is believable, simply I can't discover any documentation to support this), which is arguably the coolest part of the Grand Canyon feel. To combat the normal way people visit Grand Canyon National Park, I'thou expanding this list from the normal "elevation 5" nature of our National Park lists to 10 items.

This guide covers unproblematic touristy sightseeing, as well as hiking, wildlife watching, and other options.

I e'er recommend a couple books nearly the places nosotros visit since I love books and read a lot, myself, when trip planning, only in this case, only i recommendation is necessary: Grand Coulee The Complete Guide. It'southward total colour, electric current, and thorough.

The photos in information technology are actually melioratethan the photos in the Photographer'south Guide to the One thousand Coulee and Northern Arizona that I also purchased. (For what information technology's worth, the photographer'due south guide is skillful, but probably nigh useful for finding practiced nearby locations besidesthe Grand Canyon).

Okay, let's take a look at my pinnacle picks for things to do in Thousand Canyon National Park…

Sunrise at Yaki Indicate

Near everything y'all read will propose sunrise at Mather Betoken. In that location's nothing wrong with this communication, as Mather Point offers a great, sweeping view of the Grand Canyon. In fact, I'd second this communication if you lot're going in the tardily fall through early on leap. I loved the view Mather Point so much that I shot two sunrises from at that place!

Nevertheless, since Mather Point is the largest viewing area in the park and the spot everyone recommends for sunrise, it is packed. This was truthful even when nosotros were at the G Canyon in February, so I tin only imagine how bad information technology is in the center of summer travel season (the size of the parking lot gave me a pretty good idea!). By contrast, I was all alone for the sunrise at Yaki Point, with just as good of a view.

Because the parking area is much smaller at Yaki Point, it's restricted to merely buses (and those with accessibility passes) during the summer. This winter, it was also limited to just buses, so perhaps going forward it'll be 'bus-just' twelvemonth round. At that place is reliable omnibus service from the M Canyon Village, and then getting there is still very easy.

Visit Kolb Studio

Kolb Studio is the old home of "The Amazing Kolb Brothers," who were photography pioneers and daredevils in the Grand Canyon. Their studio features an exhibit that showcases their tenacity every bit photographers seeking to practise things that have never been done before, which is quite inspiring as a photographer. It'southward not that their piece of work itself is all that captivating, it's how they put information technology all out in that location to get the shot. Information technology really is a small miracle that Emery lived until 1976! I'm not sure what runs later the current exhibit, but since it'southward Kolb Studio, I assume information technology'll be something along the same lines every bit the electric current showroom.

On the other side, the studio showcases a 'human involvement story' of two brothers (and later, their families) who were early on settlers in the Grand Canyon, and their travails as they struggled to run a viable business. Information technology also gets into some of the disputes between the brothers, but it's unclear as to whether there was actual bad claret between the 2 sides of the family, or if it was just a business falling out, with the two brothers remaining on proficient terms (I've heard both). Plan on spending at least 30 minutes at Kolb Studio.

Brilliant Angel Trail

Ideally, this would be "Mule Rides on Bright Angel Trail." Unfortunately, we did not do the mule ride. I visited Grand Coulee National Park with my father, and he was prohibited from doing the mule ride. Nonetheless, he's stubborn as a mule, then nosotros hiked the trail on foot instead.

Bright Affections Trail goes all the way downwardly into the Grand Canyon, somewhen taking you to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch, if y'all hike all day (or longer). Going down, Bright Affections Trail is an incredibly like shooting fish in a barrel hike. Presumably because you lot have a lot of novice hikers on the trail, there are a lot of signs that substantially say, "hey stupid, just because the way downwardly is piece of cake doesn't hateful the way up is!" and cautioning hikers that they shouldn't do the entire hike in a single twenty-four hour period. We didn't do the total trail downwardly to Phantom Ranch, but we did a proficient portion of it, and found it to be a beautiful hike.

Seriously, if you're going to Thousand Canyon National Park,at leastdo the commencement leg of this hike. It's but a few miles roundtrip, and is relatively easy even factoring in the render ascent. The Grand Coulee takes on a totally different dynamic once you're below the rim, and you get a completely dissimilar sense of scale. Once you tin can await both downwards andupwards to see the Canyon, you lot truly get a sense of how vast it is…and how minuscule you are!

Dinner at El Tovar Dining Room

Plain, if y'all dine at El Tovar Dining Room, you're too visiting the historic El Tovar Hotel (we highly recommend staying at that place), and so this is killing two birds with ane stone. El Tovar Dining Room offers excellent fine dining in a setting overlooking the South Rim. Need I say more?

Okay, in addition to it beingness great fine dining in a great setting, information technology's besides adequately priced in terms of fine dining. Given the location and view, I went in expecting inflated prices. They're not at all. To be sure, information technology'south not a inexpensive meal, just it's not overpriced. If it is too expensive or you merely don't desire to do dinner, endeavour breakfast instead. For dinner, I recommend the Buffalo Filet Mignon. For breakfast, try the El Tovar All Natural Black Angus Prime number Rib Hash…and save room for the fresh-baked cream horn pastry!

Dusk at Mohave Point

Much similar Mather Point for sunrise, everyone talks up Hopi Betoken for dusk. Accordingly, it was packed with people by mid-afternoon in February. I can only imagine how bad the scene is during summer vacation season. Seeing this, I began scouting other spots to expect for decent alternatives.

What I discovered was that the side by side large stop later on Hopi Bespeak–Mohave Betoken–was actually superior to Hopi Point! Now, superiority is a subjective affair. Especially when it comes to Grand Canyon viewing locations, as many of them are substantially similar (they're all overlooking a large canyon!). My basis for saying that Mohave Indicate is superior is from a photography standpoint. If you're set up in the correct spot (the modest overlook that'southward only large enough for a 3-4 people on the far left), y'all are able to photo the coulee as it's illuminated by the tardily afternoon sun, and yous can too shoot back into the sun every bit information technology sets behind the canyon in the other direction.

Photographing the Yard Canyon with this dominicus-kissed glow at sunset is possible from just well-nigh any viewing spot. For some reason, this is the default fashion of photographing landscapes (not only the Grand Canyon), and while it provides pretty results, it's so ordinary. Shooting into the sunday is much more interesting, dynamic, and challenging. Based on what I observed, Mohave Bespeak was the best spot for shooting into the sun during the sunset with part of the Canyon in the frame (patently the location of the sun in relation to the coulee changes depending upon the time of yr, simply this is typically true).

Fifty-fifty if you're only going for the pretty view, and not photos, I'd stay abroad from Hopi Point. That is, unless an integral function of experiencing 1 of the most beautiful sights nature has to offer involves doing so with hordes of people around.

Climb Desert View Watchtower

Mary Colter is the architect and designer backside many buildings at Grand Coulee National Park, merely my favorite is Desert View Watchtower. It reminds me of a watchtower that might've been congenital by pirates at the edge of the water, except it was built past a modern architect at the edge of a waterless (well, besides the Colorado River) canyon.

Desert View Watchtower is a scrap of a drive from Mather Point, being about 45 minutes abroad with limited other draws along the way, but information technology is so worth it. From the cool exterior of the Watchtower itself to the art within to the view of the Colorado River and far side of the Grand Canyon below. Even the twisted trees hither are photogenic. Yeah, information technology will take about xxx minutes to go to from Mather Point, merely it's well worth the trip. We liked Desert View Watchtower so much that we made three divide trips out to it!

Visit Hermit's Balance

Hermit'due south Rest is on the reverse cease of the South Rim from Desert View (although you won't be traveling direct from one to the other, they're over an hr autonomously, to requite y'all an idea of distance). Hermit's Rest was originally congenital equally a rest stop for tourists on coaches operated by the Fred Harvey Company on the way to the at present-vanished Hermit Army camp beneath the rim (which was effectively replaced by Phantom Ranch and development to a higher place the rim). The building is a Mary Colter pattern, and was created to appear to be a natural stone formation ascent out of the land.

The design of the building and its National Historic Landmark status go far worth a visit, merely what I find virtually interesting well-nigh this place is the history of its opportunistic origins. Even in the 1800s, the Grand Canyon was a bit of a tourist draw, merely for a different kind of tourists. It'southward fascinating to see how it evolved from a makeshift tent camp to a sprawling village of shops and hotels today.

Explore Hopi House

Out of all of the National Parks I've visited, Grand Canyon National Park has, past far, the about souvenir shops. This makes some sense, as it'south probably the most touristy National Park. Many of the spots that are exhibits or historical buildings double as souvenir shops. Most of these have been left off the list, but Hopi Business firm is an exception.

While it is highly commercialized, nearly of what's inside was crafted by Native Americans, and is quite stunning. (In that location are also some cool retro Grand Canyon National Park posters that I didn't see elsewhere, although I didn't make a signal of checking out every gift store.) This store is unique every bit compared to the other souvenir shops, and if you desire something handcrafted from the region's native peoples, Hopi House is the perfect identify to cease.

Simply be warned, much of what's here is quite pricey. There's also a proficient amount of history within the building. As for the building itself, this National Historic Landmark is a stunning design by Mary Colter. (Yet another! In my dad's efforts to unmarried-handedly heave the Thou Coulee's tourism numbers, ane of things he bought there was this book, which detailed only how prolific she was–very impressive!)

Watch for Wild animals

Wildlife may not exist the first thing that comes to heed when you remember of the Thousand Canyon, but actually, at that place are a lot of animals in and around the coulee. Mules carrying human sapiens are the two most common species establish in the park, and they can regularly be spotted traveling through the park and into the Canyon.

Merely kidding about the mules and people (well, I'm not kidding about them being common, but yous know what I hateful…). Besides mules and people, at that place are actually a lot of animals. During our visit, we saw deer, elk, wild horses, and other small-scale basis-dwelling house animals. By far the highlight was having 2 California Condor swoop overhead as we waited for the sunset at Mohave Point.

My agreement is that California Condor and mountain lions are in the park, just aren't also mutual to come across. Elk are pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to find–if all else fails with regard to seeing them, head out towards Desert View Watchtower in the early morning and y'all're leap to see some alongside the road.

Visit Tusayan Museum

The final entry on this listing was sort of a toss-up between Tusayan Museum and Yavapai Geology Museum. Although I prefer the displays in Yavapai Geology Museum considering they give context to the Grand Canyon and its germination, Tusayan earns the concluding spot considering it's a museum plus has actual ruins of Pueblo Indian housing in a loop exterior the building.

Tusayan Museum offers a glimpse into Pueblo Indian life at Chiliad Coulee approximately 800 years ago. Displays include pottery, arrowheads, and other household artifacts, plus split-twig figures and other structural displays. Information technology'south a quick stop on the way back from Desert View Watchtower, and then bank check it out.

Even with this expanded, 10 particular list, in that location's still a lot to do in Thou Coulee National Park. This doesn't fifty-fifty encompass the North Rim (nor the increasingly pop West Rim), and I know I'd beloved to do a mule ride, raft down the Colorado River, and exercise an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch. Besides these things, there are a lot of trails, Bright Angel Lodge, the Grand Canyon Railroad, plus other things to do in Grand Canyon National Park across just what we have listed hither!

These photos of Grand Canyon National Park were all taken by me with my my Nikon D600. For lenses, I used a Nikon 70-200mm f/ii.8 VR lens, a Nikon 28-300mm Lens, and a Nikon fourteen-24mm f/2.viii Lens, plus a tripod. I carried a lot of other gear, too. To become some more than Grand Canyon National Park photo ideas, check out my G Coulee National Park Photograph Gallery.

Your Thoughts…

Where are your favorite places and things to do in Grand Coulee National Park? Which of these would you lot most like to photograph? Any questions? Share any thoughts you take in the comments!

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