Is the road from Phoenix to South Rim a rough ride? I am afraid of heights and don't want to be driving through a rough road.
 

Can anyone let me know if it is a scary road?<BR><BR>We are probably taking Interstate 17 up to HWY 180.<BR><BR>Thank you

It's very flat...there are NO scary parts (e.g., no places where you're driving on the edge of a cliff).

It's not scarey. We've done that drive twice and taken different routes. The terrains varies along the way, from flat desert to mountains and forests but I wouldn't call it rough.

Thanks.<BR><BR>Someone @ worked said it was such a rough ride, and she wouldn't recommend it.<BR><BR>I said I didn't care if it was rough...everyone should see the Grand Canyon @ least once in their lifetime.<BR><BR>Thanks for aleviating my fears.

It's only rough because of the long stretches of Desert. Miles and Miles of sand and cactus. Very few towns and people. Don't get me wrong it is very beautiful in its own way. But does get pretty lonely in places especially when you are thinking of possible car breakdowns etc.<BR><BR>But you can miss the opportunity to go at least once in a life time. It breathtaking. Just try to take a cellphone that works, just in case.

ttt

Karen, we sure have driven I-17 at different times from each other! We don't live there, but have driven that route probably 8 times in the past 3 years and it has always had traffic galore, and usually too much. Last trip, we were in a 40 minute crawl headed back to Phoenix and thanking our lucky stars that our flight out wasn't scheduled until the next morning. Towns might be scarce, but people aren't and I suspect help is never too far away.<BR><BR>I agree the road is flat and worry free, but should warn you, &quot;scared&quot;, that if you decide to take the back road between Sedona and Flagstaff through Oakcreek Canyon, there were parts of that drive that bothered me with my mild-moderate acrophobia. It's a very good road, never rough, but there are areas where the drop off on one side was unnerving (to me). None-the-less, the drive is SO beautiful, I'd swallow my discomfort one way, either coming or going, just to see it.

No, the road is not rough, but it is still somewhat frightening because of the feeling of remoteness and isolation! I, for one, will never drive it alone!

I drove Grand Canyon to Phoenix while on holiday in May 2000.<BR>The drive was easy, the roads were excellent and I most certainly did not feel unsafe at any time.<BR><BR>Relax and enjoy.

The roads are well maintained butas others are mentioned they are remote especially when driving through parts of the Indian Reservation.I always tell visitors to head up/back early-don't drive through the area at night because help will be hard to find and cell phones don't work!

It's so flat, in fact, that I couldn't quite believe that I was going to be anywhere near something like the Grand Canyon. As you get closer to the Canyon from Flagstaff, there are a few more trees, and I'll never forget seeing a sign for a first &quot;scenic overlook&quot; and driving in to take a look. Because of the trees, it still looked flat, but I got out of the car and walked toward the overlook and couldn't breathe for about a minute because of the hugeness, the grandeur, and the beauty of my first sign of the G.C. Don't know if that overlook is still there (this was a couple of decades ago), but bear in mind that the canyon isn't situated among mountains -- it's in effect a huge, ancient, deep riverbed in the otherwise flat desert.

The only scary things I know of on that road are snow and ice between Flagstaff and the GC during winter. Ohterwise, it's fine.