We spent two days on our US road trip exploring the stunning Grand Canyon National Park. We visited in mid winter, when it was very cold and icy. As this made entering the canyon itself dangerous, here is my itinerary for how to spend two days enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Grand Canyon from the rim.
How to get to Grand Canyon National Park
We visited the Grand Canyon south rim (the only option during winter), driving east from Las Vegas and then north up Route 64 to enter the park. We departed along the 46 mile long Desert View Drive, with stops along the way to admire the scenery.
Upon entering the park, you must pay a $35 entrance fee per vehicle. In addition, an additional, rather eye watering $100 per person must be paid by all non-residents.
Getting around Grand Canyon National Park
The park entry fee includes use of shuttle buses within the park during your stay. There are several different bus routes, with seasonal timetables. More details can be found here. In winter the options are:
- The Village (Blue) Route which consists of a loop which connects the Visitor Center with lodges, the Backcountry Information Center and Market Plaza.
- The Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route which connects the Visitor Center with South Kaibab Trailhead, Yaki Point and Pipe Creek Overlook to the east plus Mather Point and Yavapai Geology Museum to the west.
Where to Stay in Grand Canyon National Park
We opted to stay insid the National Park, in Grand Canyon Village at Maswik Lodge – Inside the Park. Our room was cosy despite the freezing temperature outside.
Grand Canyon National Park in 2 Days Itinerary
| Drive to Grand Canyon Village Accommodation – Maswik Lodge – Inside the Park | |
| Day 1 | Visitor Center Yavapai Point Yavapai Geology Museum Rim Trail Hermit Road Bright Angel Picnic at the Abyss Mohave Point at Sunset |
| Day 2 | Desert View Drive Desert View Watchtower |
We drove the 299 miles from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon stopping en route at Hoover Dam and with a short detour along of part of the iconic Route 66.
Drive to Grand Canyon Village
We return to the Interstate at Seligman and get stuck behind a gang of bikers for 50 miles, finally reaching Grand Canyon National Park just before sunset.
Accommodation – Maswik Lodge – Inside the Park
We check into our accommodation at Maswik Lodge – Inside the Park, whicj is on the outskirts of Grand Canyon village, close to the South Rim. Rooms are equipped with a fridge and TV. There is free WiFi and parking. We are at the far end of the complex. The bar and restaurant are quite a trek. We put on every piece of warm clothing we packed and set off through the snow for a beer and a pizza.
Grand Canyon National Park Day 1
Last night we slept well – it’s quiet like you only get miles from the city. It may be minus 14 outside but the central heating means our room is like a sauna. I take a shower and count the towels. There are 15! We leave our room to discover a herd of deer in the car park trying to work out why their food is covered with weird white stuff.
After a tantalising glimpse last night, today we have a full day to explore the Canyon (from the top – it’s way too icy to consider going down unequipped). We take the Village (Blue) shuttle bus, which runs around the various accommodations, from our hotel to the Visitor Center.
Visitor Center
The Visitor Center is in hub for information and activities on the South Rim. As well as the shuttle bus hub and starting point for various trails. Inside, you can learn more about the canyon with films and interactive 3D maps and exhibits.
Yavapai Point
After a wander round the Visitor Center, we take the Kaibab Rim (Orange) shuttle bus, which runs along the rim, to its furthest destination, Yavapai Point. From here, you get excellent views of the canyon and the Colorado River. These views can be admired from outdoors, or through panoramic windows inside the Geology Museum.
Yavapai Geology Museum
In the Yavapai Geology Museum, where you can learn more about the formation of the canyon.
Rim Trail
Wee walk the mile back to the village along the Rim Trail. There seems to be two sorts of tourist here; the lazy, who just want to jump out of a bus, take photos and jump back in the bus. And the adventurous, who want to hike the Canyon. A leisurely stroll along the rim doesn’t seem to appeal to either, so we have trail almost to ourselves and wander along enjoying the views and taking multiple photos.
Hermit Road
Back in the village, we head to the Village Market to purchase supplies, then pick up our car and drive along Hermit Road. This 7 mile long scenic drive has a shuttle bus for most of the year, but during the winter, driving is the only option. Note: When the shuttle bus is in operation, the road is closed to private vehicles.
Bright Angel
The road starts at Bright Angel. Here, you can enjoy more excellent views of the canyon. This is also the starting point for the most popular canyon trail, with a 9.9 mile long, 4380 feet descent to the Colorado River. As the top of the trailhead is very icy, we opt to enjoy the views from the top.
Picnic at the Abyss
We stop further along the road at The Abyss, so called due to the sheer vertical drop below, the longest such drop found anywhere along the South Rim at 3,000 feet. Here, we find a find a picnic table, where we have lunch with the most awesome view.
Mohave Point at Sunset
On the way back, we stop at Mohave Point to enjoy the spectacle of watching the sun set over the canyon, with all the changes of colour and hue which that entails.
Back in the village, we buy some Grand Canyon Amber Ale, which apparently is inspired by the sunset, but it’s in a brown bottle so who knows?
Grand Canyon National Park Day 2
We don’t sleep well, the room is unbearably hot, which is ironic as it’s minus 13 degrees outside. We give up when the fuel truck arrives at 7 am to refill the gas tank opposite our room. Today’s destination is Phoenix, with a couple of stops en route.
Desert View Drive
We head out of the Canyon along Desert View Drive. This is the route out of the Park heading east. There are no shuttle buses along this route, so we will drive to the end of the park, then head south towards Phoenix. We stop for breakfast with a view. Although it’s a scenic place for our breakfast picnic, it’s still just nudging zero degrees and difficult to eat a bagel wearing gloves.
Desert View Watchtower
The drive culminates at the Desert View Watchtower, where you can climb 90 stairs (quite an effort at 7000 feet) for an elevated view of the Canyon and the Colorado River.
The watchtower was constructed in 1932. Architect Mary Colter’s design takes its influences from the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau. Inside the tower, views of the canyon are enhanced by looking through reflectoscopes —viewing instruments that use polished black glass mirrors to cut through the glare of bright sunlight to highlight the canyon’s multi-coloured layers.
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
More Blogs about the USA
California
- California 2 Week Road Trip
- California Route 1 Road Trip (San Francisco to San Luis Obispo)
- Northern California 1 Week Road Trip
- Northern California 2 Week Road Trip
- Silicon Valley 1 Week Itinerary
- Death Valley National Park in 1 Day
- Folsom in 1 Day
- La Jolla in 1 Day
- Lake Tahoe in 2 Days
- Los Angeles in 2 Days
- Mariposa in 1 Day
- Monterey in 1 Day
- Napa in 2 Days
- Palo Alto in 2 Days
- San Francisco in 3 Days
- Sonoma in 1 Day
- Temecula in 2 Days
- Yosemite National Park in 3 Days
Leave a Reply