There’s a world heritage site where you can tour the wonders of nature and sunsets that you’ll never forget. We’re talking about the Grand Canyon, of course.
Considering that it’s 277 miles long and 18 miles wide at its widest point you’ve got a lot to see—and likely a limited window of time to see it.
Today, we’re going to tell you about some of the things that you want to be sure not to miss so that we can make your trip a little easier and hopefully, just a little more magical. Let’s talk about visiting the Grand Canyon the right way!
The South Rim of The Grand Canyon Is Where to Start
The south rim of the Grand Canyon is full of things to see and is the most popular destination for visitors to the canyon. Here you can experience the Grand Canyon Village, the Hermit Road, and the Desert view drive.
If you only have a day or two, it can be tricky to decide what to see, but we do have a few recommendations so that you can get a little bit of nature and a little bit of the canyon’s rich history.
Mary Colter’s Hopi House
The Hopi house was built in 1905 by Mary Colter, commissioned by the Fred Harvey company who had decided they wanted a special Indian Arts building. A female architect, in a time when that was very much a male-dominated profession, Mary took Fred Harvey’s commission and created something beautiful.
Modeled after 1,000 year-old Hopi Pueblo buildings from the village of Old Oraibi, the Hopi House is filled with accouterments of Hopi lifestyle and features oddities such as chimneys made of pottery shards and rooms with ceilings made in the traditional Hopi style with mud, twigs, and grasses composing the roof.
One modern concession is the front door. Most Hopi houses typically had a roof entrance, but otherwise, the overall architecture is accurate. It’s truly a sight to see and you won’t want to miss it!
The Trail of Time
The Trail of Time is a walking experience that explains the timeline of the Grand Canyon. Brass markers are present throughout the walk, with each marker representing a period of 1 million years!
Walking backward through 10 million years of natural history provides some amazing sights and gives you a deeper understanding of the natural processes that created the canyon in the first place.
The walk itself is about 2.83 miles, so you’ll want to bring along some drinks and some snacks, and most definitely your camera because some of the views that you can see here are absolutely breathtaking!
Mary Colter’s Hermit’s Rest
Another of Mary Colter’s buildings that attracts visitors from all over the world is Hermit’s Rest. Originally designed as a rest stop where horse-drawn carriages could stop and pick up early canyon visitors, this building was built in the National Park Rustic style.
It incorporates early Euro-American architecture as if built by a settler with crude hand-tools of that day.
Don’t Miss Visiting the West Rim
In the tribal lands of the Hualapai, you can visit the west rim of the Grand Canyon, which is also simply known as ‘Grand Canyon West’.
It is here that you can visit the famous Grand Canyon Skywalk. Not for the faint of heart, this horseshoe-shaped bridge extends 70 feet past the edge of the canyon rim and is glass-bottomed.
Here, you will be 4,000 feet above the ground with the chance to take incredibly unique photos of the canyon. Don’t be afraid, however, as this is one tough bridge. This modern marvel has been engineered to be strong and can support the weight of 70 fully loaded 747 jets! It will hold your weight and it will hold you in awe.
After all the views and history that you’ve enjoyed from the south, save this one for last and you’ll have plenty to talk about on the way home—even more information here.
Final Words
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this brief exploration of our recommended spots to visit while you are seeing the Grand Canyon.
Frankly, it is simply too immense to go into detail about all of the things which you can experience on your visit.
That said, we hope that these little gems will pique your interest and spice up your visit to one of the unofficial wonders of the world!
Image by Tom Gainor.
