Go to the Grand Canyon!
The Grand Canyon is the most magnificent geologic formation on our Earth and you must go see it. Better yet tie on hiking boots and descend into a landscape uncovered by millions of years of water and wind erosion where you can touch fossils and rocks almost two billion years old. The popular vistas are gorgeous and awe-inspiring and draw many tourists, but within a short walk you can experience a relative solitude which will help you admire the beauty and understand the geology of the Grand Canyon.
Walk the South Rim Trail to see the famous canyon vistas from many angles without the crowds. It is less than five miles (with free park shuttle return) from Mather Point to Hopi Point. Learn about the geology of the Grand Canyon within this stretch, from Yavapai Point to Maricopa Point, on the 1.7 mile interpretive Trail of Time.
Shoshone Point is a short flat one mile trail leading to a terrific viewpoint. Not too many people make the short journey so you can contemplate the view in peace and silence.
Hike down a short distance into the Bright Angel Trail for a more strenuous adventure. This hike provides amazing close-up views of an ancient Pacific Ocean seabed with fossils, Kaibab Limestone, even older seashore, Toroweap Formation limestones and mudstones, and farther down Sahara Desert sized sand dunes, compacted as Coconino Sandstone. Don’t forget to bring a good supply of water, and that it is much more difficult to hike back up the trail you descended. It may take twice as long to return!
Stay close to the canyon rim at on of the many affordable lodges located within walking distance of the South Rim, including Maswik or Yavapai Lodge. Or bring a tent and camp at the wonderful Mather Campground where you may find elk browsing in your campsite in the evening. Free, at-large primitive camping can be found south of the park in the Kaibab National Forest.
Before you go, learn more about the Grand Canyon:
Read
- Hiking The Grand Canyon Geology, by Lon Abbott and Terri Cook
- The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, by John Wesley Powell
- Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West, by Wallace Stegner
- The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon, by Colin Fletcher
Watch
- Into the Grand Canyon, Kevin Fedarko and Pete McBride, National Geographic