The Grand Canyon National Park is the second most popular National Park in the United States. So what brings so many visitors here each year. The beautiful canyon is truly grand! As the Colorado River carves it’s way through the canyon, you’ll find amazing geological viewpoints throughout the park. In addition to the views, you’ll find amazing hikes, interactive experiences, and wildly unique adventures. Continue reading to discover all the fun things to do at the Grand Canyon!
How to Visit the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park has two main access points: the North Rim and the South Rim. The South Rim is open year round and contains the widest variety of things to do and also has the greatest number of accommodations. This is why it is the most popular section of the park to visit. While we love off the beaten path places, if you’re visiting the Grand Canyon for the first time, we’d recommend sticking to the South Rim.
The North Rim is worth visiting for it’s beautiful viewpoints but the driving time (5 hours) from South to North Rim) doesn’t always make the most sense. The last “section” of the Grand Canyon to visit would be in the western part of the park. The only thing located here is Skywalk at Eagle Point. This is the big horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends over the canyon. Since this is 4 hours from the South Rim and costs $59 for admission, this is something we would skip.
So for this post, we’ve limited all of our recommended things to do at the Grand Canyon to activities you can do near the South Rim section of the park.
Drive Desert View Drive
There are so many view points located along the 22 mile Desert View Drive. Many people visit the Grand Canyon and only access it via the South Entrance Road. However, by taking Desert View Drive, you can access dozens of breathtaking viewpoints, the Desert View Visitor’s Center, and the Desert View entrance. It is definitely worth taking a drive along this road to make stops at the viewpoints. We’d recommend taking Desert View Drive on your way in to or out of the park. We drove it on our way in and it really gave us a sense of perspective for the park. Driving it on the way in also lets you enjoy all of the amazing views while you’re still wowed by them.
Hike the South Rim Trail
The South Rim trail connects all of the major points along the south rim. Hiking this trail is one of the top things to do at the Grand Canyon. This trail is one of the most scenic trails in the county as it winds its way along the south rim of the canyon with beautiful views of the canyon around every corner.
We recommend hiking from Grand Canyon Village to Hermits Rest. This is a 7 mile (one-way) hike but is one of the most secluded sections of the South Rim trail. You can easily walk for a mile without encountering anyone. We also loved this hike because it is so silent. You can really enjoy the peace and magnitude of the canyon on this hike. Also, you can catch one of the free Grand Canyon buses back to the village when you’re done hiking so you don’t have to walk back.
Hike Below the Rim
This is one of the amazing things to do at the Grand Canyon that so many people skip. We had no intention of hiking below the rim but it came highly recommended by a park ranger. So we spent a few hours hiking the South Kaibab Trail. You’ll experience beautiful viewpoints and also have the accomplishment of being one of the few who actually dive below the rim.
You can also hike the Bright Angel trail into the canyon. However, this trail doesn’t have as many viewpoints. So for someone who is only doing a short hike, this isn’t the best trail to choose.
If you plan to hike below the rim, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to hike back up. The hike back up will take much longer and require many more resources, like water and snacks. So come prepared and turn back with plenty of time and energy still left.
Visit the Visitor’s Center
The Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center is one of the biggest National Park visitor centers we’ve ever seen. You can view an IMAX movie, talk to a ranger and book a guided tour here. You’ll also find great maps and history of the canyon.
If you enter via Desert View, there is also a smaller visitor’s center located inside the park gate. If you stop at this visitor center you’ll also have the opportunity of climbing the Desert View watchtower which will give you an opportunity to take a beautiful panoramic photo of the canyon.
Take a Helicopter Ride
There are several different tour operators that offer Helicopter rides over the Grand Canyon. You can hitch a ride from several different starting points, including just outside the South Rim. If you’d like a different perspective, this is a great tour option for you. Most of these tours cost around $300/person.
Ride a Mule
This is one of the most unique things to do at the Grand Canyon. Yes, the mules do smell but this can be a bucket list type experience at the canyon. So if you’re interested, go ahead and ride on. You get to let the mule do all the work getting you into and, more importantly, out of the canyon. This is something that you’ll want to book ahead of time. Reservations are required and you’ll want to book early. You can sometimes get a spot last minute due to a cancellation, but if this is something you want to do, plan ahead. The two hour mule ride costs $152/person.
Walk the Trail of Time
This short trail extends from Verkamp’s Visitor Center to the Yavapai Geology Museum. Along the trail, you’ll read posted exhibits that explain the geology of the canyon. This hike is under 2 miles and is an easy flat trail. At the end of the trail you can visit the Yavapai Geology Museum to learn even more about the geology of the area and look at some cool rocks.
Learn From a Ranger
Rangers are one of the most amazing resources National Parks offer. So it’s no wonder that we think that learning from a ranger is one of the best things to do at the Grand Canyon. Rangers will give you great tips on things to see and do. They’ll also teach you about the parks history, geology, wildlife and more. Ask a ranger any question and you’re bound to get an educated answer.
Also, check the list of free events that rangers put on throughout the day to see if there are any special talks or guided walks that are of interest to you. There are scheduled talks for all ages, but there are also talks specifically targeted at the younger visitors that are great for visiting families.
Grand Canyon Village
Explore Grand Canyon Village while visiting the park. The village has a train station, library, cemetery and more. It’s worth wandering around to find fun things to do at the Grand Canyon. Also, it’s just impressive to explore how amazingly self-sufficient the village is.
We hope that these ideas have given you some inspiration for planning your trip. All of these fun things to do at the Grand Canyon will make for a great vacation to one of the world’s most visited geological wonders. If you’d like to add to your trip, check out other places to visit in Arizona here.
Great post! I’m planning to visit here as well later on in the year so thanks for all the tips and recommendations!
Sweet! It’s so much fun! Enjoy.