Exploring Grand Canyon National Park

Park: Grand Canyon National Park

State: Arizona

Year Established: 1919

Acres: 1,218,375

Annual Visitors: 5.9 Million

Entrance Fee: $20-$3

Grand Canyon National Park is the most popular national park in America, and also happens to be one of the most breathtaking places to visit in the world. Broken up into three main rims - South, West, and North Rims - Grand Canyon National Park offers a plethora of different exploration experiences. Located primarily within Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park actually extends into Utah, Colorado and New Mexico as well. In fact, the entire canyon is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

The quintessential example of arid land erosion on the planet, the Grand Canyon seeps for 277 miles measuring 6,000 feet at its deepest and 18 miles wide. Carved over 6 million years ago, there are actually hundreds of hidden caves around the canyon tucked into its various nooks and crannies. It is one of the most studied landscapes in the world and one of the few natural landscapes visible from space.

Things to do in Grand Canyon National Park

The most common and popular way to visit the Grand Canyon is via the South Rim, accessed through Arizona. Whether you go for the spectacular hiking, sightseeing, or a chance to ride a donkey down into the canyon, it will be an outdoor adventure to remember! If you’re visiting the West Rim, the best play to fly into and drive is the Las Vegas airport. If you visit the West Rim, you can experience the infamously terrifying glass bridge hanging over the canyon edge called The Skywalk.

To visit the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, you can come down through Utah or take the four hour drive from the South Rim entrance. North Rim is the most remote portion of the park to explore seeing just 10% of the park's overall visitors, which makes it one of the most picturesque and least crowded. However, keep in mind it’s closed for a large portion of the year from October through May because of winter weather conditions.

Best Hiking in Grand Canyon National Park

Bright Angel Trailhead is one of the most popular hikes for intermediate and advanced hikers to tackle in the South Rim. One of the most iconic hiking destinations taking you through 2 billion years of geology, there are several water features along the way, a free shuttle directly to the trailhead, and it's one of the safest trails in the canyon. The 8.8 mile hike is an out-and-back trail and even has a restaurant at the trailhead where you can celebrate your accomplishment.

Rim Trail is a 13-mile long trail offering stunning views and guardrails along the way. Trail of Time specifically is a family-friendly portion of the trail that’s great for any beginner hikers. Along this trail you will see tons of different colors and layers of rocks, and learn all about the Grand Canyon through interpretive signs.

Cape Royal is one of the most popular and family friendly trails on the North Rim offering the best sweeping views of the canyon from anyone in the park. You can take a side trail to Angels Window to the viewing platform, plus the whole thing is paved and wheelchair accessible.

Best Camping in Grand Canyon National Park

There are tons of places to camp in the Grand Canyon. Here are some of the most popular campsites to choose from.

North Rim Campground (North RIm) - Sleep amid the Ponderosa Pines and Aspens in this beautiful campground. There are no RV sites available here but you will find potable water and services for campers. Tuweep Campground is another great option along the North Rim with just 10 campsites located along the North Rim’s most remote viewpoint, Toroweap Overlook.

Mather Campground (South Rim) - Hands down the most popular within the park, this campground has 319 sites with mature trees and a great layout. There’s no electrical or water but many of the sites are RV friendly. You’re likely to catch plenty of wildlife in the campground and its nearby shuttles to and from tons of popular trails.

Desert View Campground (South Rim) - You can snag a spot right on the edge of the canyon in the Desert View Campground. It’s got some of the most expansive views and you can visit the famous watchtower built in 1932. The sites are first-come, first-served and they offer water, toilets and a general store nearby.

Bright Angel Campground (South Rim)- The only officially recognized campground within Grand Canyon National Park, Bright Angel is located at the bottom of the canyon. You can spend a total of two nighter here and you will have access to toilets, running, water, and more.

When to visit Grand Canyon National Park

Spring and Summer

Generally speaking, spring is the best time to visit Grand Canyon National Park. The flowers are blooming, the weather is fantastic, and the crowds haven’t reached their peak yet. Summer time is the most popular season to visit the Grand Canyon, but that means accommodation options are limited, and you will be fighting lots of crowds. Also, beware of high heat temperatures in the summer, especially if you’re trying to rock climb.

And remember, if you are going to visit the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, you will need to visit during spring and summer from April - September when it’s open.

Fall and Winter

The fall is a great time to visit the Grand Canyon's West and South Rims when the temperatures are cooler and the crowds are thinner. You will get to see the park’s beautiful foliage and it’s the ideal time to rock climb.

Winter offers stunning views of snow capped rocks, however you will be limited in the sections of the park you can visit and the hikes you can enjoy. Temperatures can drop drastically and suddenly so be sure to pack accordingly for a winter trip to the Grand Canyon.

Can’t decide which National Park to visit next? Check out the Parks + Rec section on our site to plan your next adventure!