Sights & Attractions in Grand Canyon

Visitors to the canyon converge mostly on the South Rim, and mostly during the summer. Grand Canyon Village is here, with most of the park's lodging and camping, trailheads, restaurants, stores, and museums, along with a nearby airport and railroad depot. Believe it or not, the average stay in the park is a mere four hours; this is not advised! You need to spend several days to truly appreciate this marvelous place, but at the very least, give it a full day. Hike down into the canyon, or along the rim, to get away from the crowds and experience nature at its finest.

The North Rim stands 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim and has a more alpine climate, with twice as much annual precipitation. Here, in the deep forests of the Kaibab Plateau, the crowds are thinner, the facilities fewer, and the views even more spectacular. Due to snow, the north Rim is off-limits in the winter.

Lodgings on the North Rim are available but limited. Your best bet may be to pack your camping gear and hiking boots and take several days to explore the lush Kaibab Forest. The canyon's highest, most dramatic rim views also can be enjoyed on two wheels (via primitive dirt access roads) and on four legs (courtesy of a trusty mule).

West of Grand Canyon National Park, the tribal lands of the Hualapai and the Havasupai lie on the West Rim of the Canyon.

The Hualapai tribe has been attempting to foster tourism to the little known West Rim, where a road travels through their reservation lands down to the Colorado River. This is a launch point for the region's river runners but because few others know about the road, traffic is a rarity.

Some 12,000 people a year hike, ride, or fly deep into the Grand Canyon to visit the more well-known Havasupai, the "people of the blue green waters." Dubbed the "Shangri-la of the Grand Canyon," the remote, inaccessible Indian reservation includes some of the world's most beautiful and famous waterfalls, together with streams and pools tinted a mystical blue green by dissolved travertine.

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