Another query please on route?
 

Its taken me about 5 days of research but I think I've finally come up with my plan for next Oct. With the help of this board I've decided to drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon as oppossed to flying out and looking for transport to continue the journey. My question/s is this:

If I pick up car from Las Vegas Airport and do the 5 to 6hrs drive to South Rim GC - is there a route that is more scenic than the interstate/main road from Vegas? If so, how much more time will it add to journey?

Also, if we make an early start out of LV say 8am - will a stop at Hoover Dam be possible or will that be too early in the morning? Thanks

There are two routes you can take from LV to reach the freeway (I-15); one crosses over Hoover Dam and the other, slightly longer, bypasses it. Unfortunately, once you reach I-15 there really isn't any reasonable alternative to heading east on the freeway to Williams and then up to GC.

Hoover Dam is well worth a stop; at that time of the morning it shouldn't be crowded. We drove from LV airport to the South Rim in 6 hours, including a 1-hour stop at Hoover Dam.

Here is something I just copied from the Hoover Dam web site:

OPERATING HOURS:
Note: All times are for the Pacific Time Zone.

Parking Garage: Open 8:00 a.m. -- Close 5:00 p.m.

Visitor Center: Open 9:00 a.m. -- Close 5:00 p.m. Tickets sold until 4:15 p.m.

The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Oh yeah....I believe there is a portion of the old route 66 maybe that you could travel? I am not really sure of this, others will know. Possibly it involves going near Oatman? Somebody who knows please help out here.

Pardon---I meant I-40, not I-15!

Ad El_S. is correct; you could take Route 66 up through Peach Springs as an alternate. It would take longer, and I don't know if it is more "scenic". Hopefully someone else would know.

Persoanlly, I'd rather spend the time at the Grand Canyon than driving the back roads through this part of Arizona, even old Route 66 with all it's history (and a song to go along).