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The Watchtower at the East Entrance to the Grand Canyon

Copyright © 2014 Glacier Photo Publishing

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The Grand Canyon is in northern Arizona,an hour and a half drive north of Flagstaff, or ahalf day drive east of Las Vegas. It wasestablished originally as a national monumentin 1908 and became a national park in 1919.The Grand Canyon was created in six millionyears by the Colorado River.

Best Feature: America's Largest Canyon The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (445 km)

long and up to 18 miles (29 km) across. At thepaved overlooks, it averages one mile deepand 10 miles (16 km) across, as the crow flies.As such, it is overwhelming in its immensity –its size can only be appreciated from the air.Overlooks near the south entrance are greatfor first impressions and gaping expressions.

Best Months: Mid-April through OctoberThe best times to view the park are actually

in spring and fall, when it is less crowded andmuch cooler. However, summer is the mostpopular time to visit the park and advancereservations are essential. Summer is also thetime of "monsoonal" moisture from Mexico,so skies are frequently cloudy in July andAugust. Nonetheless, summer temperaturesreach into the 80s on the South Rim and 100son the canyon floor.

The North Rim is approximately 8000 ft(~2400 m) elevation and is closed in winter,usually from November until mid-May. Thereis a greater variety of trees on the North Rim.

The South Rim is open all year, being 1000ft lower at 7000 ft (~2100 m), and is frequentlycold and snow-covered in winter.

Grand Canyon National Park

Mohave Point View on the West Rim of the Grand Canyon


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The South Rim is where you should go foryour first visit to the Grand Canyon. TheVisitor Center, Museum, restaurants, lodging,gas, and numerous overlooks are along theSouth Rim. Be sure to pick up a park map andThe Guide, the park's official newspaper, atthe entrance. Even though the South Rim willbe crowded in summer, it is easily accessiblefrom Flagstaff, Arizona. The sun will be atyour back for most of the overlooks, exceptpossibly at sunrise and sunset.

The North Rim is closed in winter and is notreadily accessible, requiring a six hour driveof 215 miles (346 km) from the South Rim tothe North Rim, even though it is only 10 milesas the crow flies. The North Rim is also a sixhour drive from Las Vegas, the closest largecity. The North Rim is over a thousand feethigher than the South Rim, is cooler, andheavily forested.

The Grand Canyon is viewed well at anytime of the day, although many prefer thecolors and shadows at sunrise and sunset.Morning is likely to be less hazy thanafternoon, and there will also be fewer jettrails above the horizon. Smog is dependenton the winds from California, as well as thepower plants upstream on the Colorado River.Overlooks along the South Rim view west,north, or east, depending on the overlook, so itis not difficult to find a proper sun angle.

If you are entering the park from the south,toward Grand Canyon Village, stop at the twooutstanding overlooks, Mather Point andYavapai Point. Yavapai Point is likely to bevery busy as it also has the Yavapai Museum,with many interesting facts and maps; parkingis limited. The new Visitor Center is across theroad from Mather Point, and is a short level

hike. The new emphasis is to use free shuttlebuses to cut down traffic, and shuttle service isavailable to the Visitor Center, Yaki Point, theWest Rim, and other locations within the park.

After visiting the village and the West Rim,head east along the South Rim toward theWatchtower and Desert View overlooks. Ifyou are staying at the Grand Canyon Villageor within the park, you can return along thesame route. Otherwise, you can exit the parkat the east entrance station, and return toFlagstaff or head elsewhere.

If you are entering the South Rim from theeast, known as East Rim Drive, be sure to stopat Desert View, Lipan Point, and then stop byYavapai Point and Yavapai Museum beforeexploring the Visitor Center and the West RimDrive. Chances are you will be staying atGrand Canyon Village or nearby to the south,so be sure to catch sunset from one of theoverlooks on either side of Grand CanyonVillage.

The West Rim Drive along the South Rim isaccessible only by foot or shuttle during thepeak tourist season (Memorial Day weekendthrough October). Along this road are manyoverlooks which are discussed later.

There are many trailheads that lead downinto the canyon. From the South Rim, thepark's newspaper recommends taking theBright Angel Trail, just to the west of GrandCanyon Village, or the more scenic SouthKaibab Trail, which starts at Yaki Point.Because of the 7000 ft elevation, hike safedistances allowing twice as long for the returntrip. You may prefer to ride by mule, but youwill have better luck getting a mule ride fromthe North Rim rather than the South Rim, asthe South Rim rides may fill a year in advance.

Best Tours


Dean

Typewritten Text

Note: The park's newspaper, The Guide, has been discontinued since this book's publication, and the West Rim Drive is now only open to traffic for a couple months in winter. See www.nps.gov/grca

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Typewritten Text

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Map of Grand Canyon National Park

West Rim Drive and Grand Canyon Village

EastEntrance

North Rim

South Rim

SouthEntrance

West Rim

Colorado RiverGrand CanyonVillage

Grand CanyonVillage South Entrance

East Rim Drive

West RimDrive

HermitsRest

Mather Pt

Yavapai Pt

Visitor Center

Yaki Pt

Grandview Moran Pt

Lipan Pt

Watchtower&

DesertView

Tusayan Ruins

Zuni Pt

Navajo Pt

Pinal Pt

Papago Pt

Yavapai PtMather Pt

Phantom RanchSuspension Bridge

Pima Pt

Abyss

Mohave Pt

Hopi PtPowell Pt

Maricopa Pt

Trailview

Paiute

Bright Angel Trail

Kaibab Trail

5 mi (8 km)

YavapaiLodge

CG


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South Entrance and Grand Canyon VillageBe sure to stop at Mather Point and Yavapai

Point, two of the best overlooks near the southentrance. If these points are too crowded, trycoming back in the morning or evening, as theoverlooks are always open. However, YavapaiMuseum, which is at Yavapai Point, is openduring daylight hours, and there are excellentmaps inside the museum that identify PhantomRanch (the small green spot) and the bridge tocross the river below. You will probablychange your mind about hiking to the bottomof the canyon from this viewpoint. The newvisitor center is across the road from MatherPoint. Grand Canyon Village shares acampground, several motels, shops,restaurants, and train and bus depots, so it isalways crowded. Crowds diminish east orwest away from Grand Canyon Village.

West Rim DriveThe west rim is accessible via a shuttle bus

or you may walk this 8 mile (13 km) rim roadand trail. Most of the overlooks arespectacular, and the best ones are identifiedwith an exclamation point (!):

Bright Angel TrailheadTrailview ! – views trail & villagePaiute – also views trail & villageMaricopa Pt.Powell Memorial !Hopi Pt. ! Mohave Pt. ! – views Hermit RapidsThe AbyssPima Pt. !Hermits Rest

There are many more turnouts on this drive, sostop as you wish. Bright Angel Trail starts justwest of the village, and it is a day's round tripjust to get down to Plateau Point and a view of

the Colorado River in the inner canyon. It is aday's journey to hike one way to the river, andyou must have permits and plenty of water to

Sightseeing Highlights

Bright Angel Mule Trip

Hermits Rapids from Mohave Point

Yavapai Point View of Phantom Ranch


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stay overnight. At Mohave Point, only threemiles west of the Grand Canyon Village, youcan see the Colorado River and may hear therapids a mile below. Hermits Rest hasrestrooms, refreshments, and some souvenirs.

East Rim DriveThere are many overlooks on the East Rim

Drive along the South Rim, and the best onesare identified by an exclamation point (!)below:

Yaki Pt. ! – accessible via shuttle or footGrandview – in a ponderosa pine forestMoran Pt.Tusayan RuinsLipan Pt. !Navajo Pt – view of Watchtower at sunsetDesert View and Watchtower !

The scenic South Kaibab foot trail starts atYaki Point, but the round trip down to CedarRidge can take up to half a day. You mayprefer to hike a short distance instead.Between Grandview overlook and GrandCanyon Village, the rim is high enough tosupport the ponderosa pine tree, home toAbert's squirrel. The canyon is not as deepfrom the east entrance, but sunrise and sunsetcan be spectacular from Lipan Point. At DesertView, there is a small visitor center andcampground. Beyond the east entrance is theNavajo Indian Reservation and Indian goodsare sold along the roadside.

WildlifeAlthough wild animals are present, you will

not likely see many large animals exceptpossibly deer. Smaller animals and birds areprobably all that you will see. Abert's squirrelis common in Ponderosa pine forests.

View from Yaki Point at Sunrise

The Watchtower at the East Entrance

Welcome to the Grand Canyon!


North Rim DriveThe North Rim is open from mid-May until

late-October or the first heavy snowfall. Itmay open in early May if winter snows werelight, and close as late as early December ifmajor snowstorms hold off until December.However, lodging, campgrounds, and facilitiesare usually open from mid-May to the latterpart of October. North Rim lodging is handledby Forever Resorts, (877) 386-4383.Grasses and aspen trees should have their

summer foliage near or slightly after MemorialDay. However, the canyon haze is worst insummer, and fall is a better time to visit theNorth Rim as well as for viewing fall colors.Early October is an excellent time.Since the developed areas of the North Rim

encompass a relatively small area, bycomparison to the South Rim, there is onlyone lodge, a few nice cabins, and only onecampground. Although the North Rim onlyreceives about ten percent of the total numberof Grand Canyon visitors, reservations areessential. Without reservations, you may haveto stay an hour's drive away at Jacob Lake orfurther north, and there are signs at JacobLake usually telling you that the North Rimcampground is full. However, you may beable to obtain mule rides the next day in theoff-season.There are a limited number of overlooks

along the North Rim Drive, and as long asyou've driven so far to get here, you might aswell stop at all of them. However, the bestones are identified with an exclamation point:

Bright Angel Point! – near North Rim LodgePoint Imperial ! – at 8803 ft elevationVista EncantadoraPainted Desert OverlookWalhalla Overlook ! – at 7993 ft elevationCape Royal – lowest point.

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North Rim Lodge

Bright Angel Point

Walhalla Overlook


The north entrance passes many meadows,pine trees, and aspen trees, and the main roadends at the Lodge, which has a wonderfuldining room overlooking the canyon. A shortwalk takes you to an elevation of 8148 ft atBright Angel Point, with magnificent views inthe morning or evening. Above the canyonrim off in the distance is Humphrey's Peak, thetallest in the state of Arizona at 12,643 ft. Tothe right of Humphrey's Peak on the SouthRim, with the aide of binoculars, a telescope,or a telephoto lens, you can see Grand CanyonVillage far across the canyon, and the BrightAngel Trail descending into the canyon fromthe other side.A turnoff from the main road, a couple miles

north of the lodge, takes you to Point Imperialand the Walhalla Plateau. Overlooks from thisroad are a good place to watch sunrise, butthen the sun is in your face until afternoon –so overall this drive is best in evening a fewhours before sunset. Point Imperial is thehighest point on the North Rim, and despitebeing assured there are no rattlesnakes on theNorth Rim, lizards can be seen at PointImperial. The Walhalla Overlook near CapeRoyal is outstanding because of the photogeniccurves in the Colorado River below. As youdescend to Cape Royal, the ground coverchanges from a ponderosa pine forest withaspen trees to a scrub forest with pinyon pineand juniper trees. The Cape Royal overlook isgood in morning or afternoon, and althoughnot as scenic as other overlooks, does haveoutstanding tutorial signs on native vegetation.Be sure to walk as far as Angels Window,where you can see the Colorado River througha natural arch window, the Cape Royalwalkway above, and the Watchtower far off onthe South Rim of the canyon.

There are a number of trails along the rim andleading down into the canyon. However, thedistance to the Colorado River from the NorthRim is 14 miles (22 km) by foot, much furtherthan from the South Rim, and drops anadditional 1000 ft, so is more strenuous.Round trips are not possible in one day, soovernight permits must be obtained well inadvance of your visit. See The Guide for theNorth Rim.The North Rim has a large number of deer, so

be careful driving at twilight or night. It is alsothe only home to the Kaibab squirrel, whichlooks like other tufted ear squirrels found inponderosa pine forests except for the dark redstripe on its back.

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Point Imperial

Cape Royal


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Lodging and CampgroundsThere is lodging in Grand Canyon Village,

but you must have advance reservations asyou will be very lucky to find a vacancy thesame day. See www.grandcanyonlodges.comor call (888) 297-2757 for reservations forBright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge,Kashina Lodge, or El Tovar Hotel, all locatedon the South Rim. Modern lodges are near thevisitor center but not on the rim. There arealso motels just south of the park entrance inTusayan, but these too tend to fill early. Checkin the AAA Tour Books for phone numbersand prices. If you do not have advancereservations, you will probably have to stay inFlagstaff, a 11_

2 hour drive to the south.There are two campgrounds along the South

Rim, one at Canyon Village and one at theWatchtower near the east entrance. TrailerVillage at Canyon Village supports RVs.Campsites will fill early, and you may have tocamp south of the main entrance.

ActivitiesHiking trails start from many overlooks.

Hike within your limits, and allow twice aslong for the return trip up the canyon. Severalhundred people overestimate their abilitiesevery year and need park assistance to getback to the rim. Although you may be out ofshape, one can blame it on the elevation.

Mule rides are also available, but may bebooked a year in advance on the South Rim.You may also desire to take a raft trip throughthe Grand Canyon, but these too fill quickly.There is an old fashioned steam locomotiveride between Williams, Arizona and the centerof Grand Canyon Village. Call (928) 638-2631for information on mule trips, raft rides, and(800) THE-TRAIN for old fashioned trainrides.

Additional InformationCheck with your travel agent and the park's

Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park,P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona, 86023,for more information. Free literature from thepark will give you the latest phone numbersand addresses for lodging, camping, mule andraft rides, and bus and air tours. Additionalphone numbers are listed in this free literaturein case you have difficulty getting through onthe main phone line.

Accommodations, Fun, and Climate

Bright Angel Trail


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Time Zone and WeatherThe Grand Canyon is far west in the

Mountain Time Zone, but because most ofArizona does not observe Daylight SavingsTime, the sun sets a little earlier than expectedin late spring, summer, and early fall. Thelocal time is the same as in California whenDaylight Savings Time is in effect for the restof the country, but one hour ahead ofCalifornia in winter. It is cold and snowy inwinter, and hot in summer, especially at theriver on the canyon floor. July and Augusthave the least number of clear days, withfrequent "monsoonal" moisture, yet June, July,and August are still the hottest months of theyear. Temperatures in the table below aretypical of South Rim temperatures; the canyonfloor may be 20 degrees hotter. Sunrise andsunset times are for the middle of the month atthe Grand Canyon and rounded to the nearest15 minutes. Actual sunrise and sunset timesmay be up to a half hour different at thebeginning or end of the month.

Temperatures (°F)Month Highs Lows Sunrise SunsetJanuary 40s 10s 7:45 am 5:30 pmFebruary 40s 20s 7:15 am 6 pmMarch 50s 20s 6:45 am 6:30 pmApril 60s 30s 6 am 7 pm

May 70s 40 5:30 am 7:30 pmJune 80s 40s 5:15 am 7:45 pmJuly 80s 50s 5:30 am 7:45 pmAugust 80s 50s 5:45 am 7:15 pm

September 70s 40s 6:00 am 6:45 pmOctober 60s 30s 6:30 am 6 pmNovember 50s 20s 7 am 5:30 pmDecember 40s 20s 7:45 am 5:15 pm

Grand Canyon Village

The Grand Canyon Train


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FlagstaffIt is amazing to see Humphreys Peak and a

pine forest surrounded by desert on all sides asyou approach Flagstaff. It is a great place tostay for at least a night and is within a twohour drive from the Grand Canyon. You canvisit Walnut Canyon just to the east of townand see cliff dwellings during the day. A littlefurther east is Meteor Crater, and within twohours is the Petrified Forest National Park.Just to the south is Oak Creek Canyon; it willtake about an hour to get to the beautiful redtowers near Sedonia if you take the I-17 fasterroute toward Phoenix.

Within Flagstaff are Northern ArizonaUniversity and Lowell Observatory, where the“planet” Pluto was discovered. The UnitedStates Naval Observatory, which houses amuch larger telescope, is also nearby.

Meteor CraterThis well preserved crater is about a mile

wide, created only 50,000 years ago when ameteor of about 50 meters (160 feet) diameterimpacted the Earth. The kinetic energy wasequivalent to a 10 megaton class nuclearbomb, but without the dangerous radioactivity.If ground zero was a city, the blast wavescould level a city. However, today we coulddestroy such a meteor in space, before it entersthe Earth’s atmosphere yet preferably beyondlunar orbit, using nuclear bombs with yieldsunder a megaton. Meteor Crater is about a halfhour drive east of Flagstaff, at Exit 233. Thevisitor center is on the northern rim of the

Nearby Wonders

Meteor Crater on the Horizon

Inside Meteor Crater

The Pluto Dome at Lowell Observatory


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crater, and its hours are posted at the exit rampor online at www.MeteorCrater.com. You cansee the crater from I-40, and it is only a sixmile drive south to reach the visitor center andview inside the crater.

The massive meteor that hit Chicxulub,Mexico, about 65 million years ago at the timeof the KT boundary, and may have annihilatedthe dinosaurs, was probably 10 km (over 6miles) in diameter with about 10 million timesmore energy than Meteor Crater, and resultedin a crater diameter of about 170 km. It islikely that such a monster meteor’s orbit couldbe changed to miss Earth, using nuclear bombsin the 25 to 50 megaton class, ironically savingmankind from mass annihilation.

Petrified Forest National ParkPetrified logs dot the desert floor in this

park, within a two hour drive east of Flagstaffon I-40. You can buy samples outside of thepark, so please don’t pick up rocks in the park.Excellent turnouts to view these logs are atCrystal Forest, Long Logs, and Giant Logsnear the museum. The trees are estimated tohave been petrified about 225 million yearsago during the late Triassic era.

Grand Canyon SkywalkIn 2007, the Grand Canyon Skywalk opened

on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, abouthalfway between Flagstaff and Las Vegas,quite a ways off of old Route 66. Expect topay extra for photos. The glass walkway is4000 feet above the canyon floor.

Las VegasLas Vegas is the gambling capital of the

world. Today the famous Strip is better walkedthan driven due to traffic. Vegas is also thebest major city to fly into to see the GrandCanyon, and the fares are also usually muchcheaper. You can drive over Hoover Dam andvisit the Grand Canyon Skywalk en route tothe South Rim of the Grand Canyon. On thereturn loop, you can drive over Glen CanyonDam at Lake Powell, go to the North Rim ofthe Grand Canyon, and even pass throughZion or Bryce National Parks if you wish. It isabout the same distance to either the North orSouth Rims from Las Vegas, a good six hoursby road. Allow a full day including stops toreach the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas,especially if you stop at Hoover Dam on theway to the South Rim. As a precaution, youmay wish to avoid summer as the lowerNevada desert becomes very hot in summer.

Petrified Log The Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas


Hoover DamHoover Dam was completed in 1936,

standing 726 ft (221 m) high in the BlackCanyon. The dam created Lake Mead NationalRecreation Area. Transformers buzz withelectricity to power the neon lights of LasVegas. It is just south of Las Vegas, on yourway to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.There is a visitor center and tours are givendaily to the hydroelectric turbines below. Theturbines can generate about 11_

2 gigawatts ofelectricity.

Lake PowellLake Powell, created by the Glen Canyon

Dam, is a couple hours' drive north of theGrand Canyon. It has over 1800 miles ofshoreline, the largest of any lake in the west,and is about 190 miles long. It is a favorite

spot for fishing and recreational boating,including motorboats and houseboats whichcan be rented. The waters are cold in springand do not warm until later in the summer.

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Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell

Towers in Zion National Park

Hoover Dam

Lake Powell


Lake Powell is best seen by boat and isnoted for its spectacular canyon walls andnearby natural arches. A very long boat ridecan take you to Rainbow Bridge, the tallestnatural bridge in the world within RainbowBridge National Monument.

Zion and Bryce National ParksThese parks are in southwestern Utah closer

to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. ZionNational Park can be traversed relativelyquickly. Bryce Canyon National Park hasspectacular hoodoos that reach for the skies.These hoodoos are better than any other inNorth America and colors are especiallybeautiful at sunrise and sunset.

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Sunset Point in Bryce National Park

Hoodoos in Bryce National Park


Copyright © 2014 Glacier Photo Publishing · 2020. 2. 23. · Tusayan Ruins Lipan Pt. ! Navajo Pt...

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Transcript of Copyright © 2014 Glacier Photo Publishing · 2020. 2. 23. · Tusayan Ruins Lipan Pt. ! Navajo Pt...