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Drive time from GC Village to Desert View Overlook

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Drive time from GC Village to Desert View Overlook

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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 08:14 AM
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Drive time from GC Village to Desert View Overlook

What is the approximate nonstop, one-way drive time for the 25 mile trip from the Village to Desert View? We will of course add stops, just need to make some calculations.
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 08:51 AM
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45-50 minutes seems about right, maybe longer if you get hung up in traffic getting out of the Village. Mostly 30 mph, some 45 mph stretches after the Yaki Point turnoff.

For sure stop at Yaki Point, Grandview Point, maybe one or two others. The canyon is wider at the river level the further east you go since the "inner gorge" of granite doesn't really start until just downstream of Hance rapids, just east of Grandview, so you get some good views of the bottom.
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 08:54 AM
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As Bill mentioned, a lot depends upon traffic.

It's about a 30 minute drive that could be a little less or a fair amount more.

I don't know what your plans are but are you aware that you're about 2 hours from Page and the famous Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend.
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 09:12 AM
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The road is very well maintained, but has lots of curves that limit the speed. I think around 30-40 mins non-stop in normal traffic condition.
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 09:48 AM
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30 minutes for 25 miles means averaging 50 mph ... good luck with that, the posted speed limit is 45 mph for about 1/3 of the drive, 30 or 35 mph for most of it, and 20 mph for the most crowded areas of the village zone, so you'd have to drive really fast in the 45 mph zone to make up the time, or 15-20 mph over the limit in the 30-35 mph zones just to break even.
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 11:20 AM
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I think it will take you longer than 30 mins. I also think Page is more like 3 hours away.

I would try to see Desert View the very first thing before you see anything else. Go there first is what I am getting at. It is just ver dramatic. Maybe that just because the way I've seen it each time i've been there. We have always approached from the east driving. So, I don't remember the views approaching from the west or from Vegas. Perhaps they are just as dramatic. I have been to several of our National Parks and the Grand Canyon isn't my favorite. However, the Desert View is really the one place that easily stands out in my mind as the most dramatic, shocking,powerful, shock and awe(however you want to describe it).
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Old Feb 7th, 2012, 02:38 PM
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I guess it is more than 30 minutes.

Yes, and Page is 3 hours. But worth it as GC is also not one of my favorite places.
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Old Feb 8th, 2012, 08:06 AM
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Desert View is absolutely my favorite for a first view of the GC. But if you are leaving the park along the east rim drive, it would be very time consuming to do that first, then double back.

I love Yaki Point for sunrise. But if you are driving, be aware that you can not drive your car out to the point -- it is restricted to shuttles. You can park along the main road and walk to the point, which is what I do at sunrise. But it is a good half mile or more (more, I think).
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