We kicked off our cross country road trip with an American classic, the Grand Canyon. You always hear about the Grand Canyon being huge and beautiful but I was still shocked when we saw it. It comes out of nowhere and is so massive and gorgeous it is hard to process its vast beauty.
Grand Canyon South Rim
We only had a few hours before sunset so we stuck to the South Rim. It is easily accessible but also the most popular. There were a lot of visitors, especially for a weekday, but we noticed that most people didn’t do the hikes.
South Kaibab Trail
We had time for one hike so we chose the South Kaibab Trail. It is a great choice for hikers of all levels because you can turn around and head back up whenever you want to. We only went about a 1/3 of the way down to Ooh Ahh Point. There are some switchbacks that will leave you winded, but go slow and you’ll be fine.
Preparations and Gear
It is important to keep in mind unlike other hikes which are most strenuous on the first half, the Grand Canyon’s ascent is at the end of your hike! There are signs everywhere with comical yet disturbing pictures of people in danger due to dehydration or elevation change. Fortunately, we had perfect weather but were still glad we dressed in layers, wore our trail shoes, and brought water.
Sunset at the Yaki Point
We watched sunset at Yaki Point because it was close to the South Kaibab Trail. We walked away from the shuttle drop off and had a spot to ourselves. It was surreal, seriously so magical. The colors and the canyon, ahh take me back! There are several good spots to watch sunset around the park and I’m sure they are all amazing. If you happen to be in the park at night, lay on your back and look at the stars. They are breathtaking! We saw several shooting stars in just a few minutes.
Park Perks
The park has beautiful facilities and is well maintained. There are trolleys to take you to all of the different view points and trail heads. Also, you may get lucky and see an elk or two. They are so cute!
After just a few hours at the Grand Canyon we were back on the road and headed to Page, Arizona.
For more information on The Grand Canyon, grab this Lonely Planet guide book.
Have a grand day,
-Ray
