Grand Views of the Grand Canyon

 

As we were leaving Death Valley National Park, my pilot (and amateur meteorologist) filled me in on the change of plans. The warm front that was heating up Death Valley was also bringing above average temperatures to the highlands of northern Arizona. Instead of heading to Sedona, Doug decided that it would be a 'grand' time to check out one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Grand Canyon ... Here We Come!

While I had visited Grand Canyon National Park many years ago, it was fun to see the amazement in Doug's eyes as we pulled alongside the Pipe Creek Vista. There stretched out as far as our eyes could see ... a 277 mile long, 10 mile wide canyon carved by the teeny, tiny Colorado River that flowed a mile down below us. Time to enjoy the Grand Views of the Grand Canyon!

It was the first week of November, and winter (along with that white stuff that we try to avoid) can make an appearance any time in the Grand Canyon area. In fact, the North Rim was only open for day use, so we headed to the South Rim where nighttime temps were still above freezing and some campgrounds were still open. Surrounded by national forest land, we found that paying for a campsite was not necessary as we stumbled into a ...

Boondocker's Paradise!

Using the app IOverlander.com, we found locations and reviews of some primo campsites along a gravel forest service road just ten minutes from the South Entrance. These sites were well marked with fire rings but not much else. But with a dump and fill station located in the national park and batteries that get re-charged as we drive, we had everything that we needed to explore the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for the next four days.

Let the Hiking, Biking, and 'Grand' Views Begin!

Hiking into the Grand Canyon from South Kaibab Trailhead

A trip to the Grand Canyon is not complete without hiking at least a little ways down towards the canyon floor. Since it is at least a ten mile journey to just get to the bottom of the canyon from the various rim trailheads, hiking 'rim to rim' takes a lot of preparation and training. It is definitely not a day hike for amateurs like us. But we were happy to join the many other visitors and hike a few miles down into the canyon from the South Kaibab trailhead. Along the way we had great views of the layers of colorful rocks that reveal two billion years of 'grand' geological history. We stopped at Ooh Aah Point and Cedar Ridge to admire the views and rest up for the mile and a half hike back up ... which is just a tad bit more difficult than going down. We have a new admiration for friends of ours who have completed the 'rim to rim' hike in much less perfect weather conditions than what we were enjoying. 

Hiking Along the 'Grand' South Rim Trail

Since the Grand Canyon is the second most visited national park in the United States, we were grateful that it wasn't terribly busy on the days we visited. Baby Beest easily secured prime parking spots overlooking the canyon. From there we were able to access the South Rim Trail for gorgeous canyon views as we walked and biked along the edge of the canyon.

Biking With a 'Grand' View Along Hermits Road 

Just west of Grand Canyon Village is the seven mile long Hermits Road that leads past amazing canyon overlooks. The road ends up at Hermits Rest, an early 20th century tourist destination where you can still see the beautiful stone structures designed by famed Grand Canyon architect Mary Colter. Because the road is narrow, twisty, and has limited parking, the sights are only accessible by shuttle bus, by walking, or ... as we happily found out ... by bike. It was great to have the road almost completely to ourselves and be able to easily stop whenever we wanted for magnificent views of the canyon and river below. 

Desert View Drive and the 'Grand' Overlooks Along the Way

East of the Visitor Center along the South Rim begins the scenic twenty-five mile Desert View Drive. Because the last three miles of the road are on the Navajo Nation lands, the iconic Watchtower (also designed by Mary Colter) and the East Entrance were closed. But we were still able to enjoy amazing views of the canyon, river, and the flat high desert to the east where the great carvings of the Grand Canyon began centuries ago. Every viewpoint was worth a stop and offered a new and different perspective of the canyon and river below. At Grandview Point we hiked about a mile down into the canyon. While it was a little more steep than our other trail descent, the spectacular views were our reward. 

Grand Canyon National Park makes the eleventh national park that we have explored since July. While we never intended to visit so many, the lack of crowds (at every park except Glacier) and the abundance of outdoor activities made these great travel-friendly destinations during this not so travel-friendly time. Despite closures of visitor centers, campgrounds and some attractions, the true treasure of our national parks is found in the grand views that are still wide open and ready for all to discover.

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