Grand Canyon National Park guides
11 in-depth guides to Grand Canyon National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Grand Canyon National Park overview.
South Rim Shuttles, Entrances and Gateway Towns
Free shuttle buses serve the South Rim year-round and link Grand Canyon Visitor Center with lodges, campgrounds, trailheads and scenic overlooks.
Summer Heat, Monsoon Storms and Canyon Seasons
At the river near Phantom Ranch, roughly 2,400 feet above sea level, summer afternoons typically climb past 100 degrees.
Hermit Road: Shuttle-Only Overlooks to Hermit's Rest
Hermits Rest marks the western end of Hermit Road, seven miles from Grand Canyon Village. Mary Colter designed the 1914 building as a rustic miner's cabin, using local stone and adding a porch out front and a huge fireplace set into an alcove.
Desert View Drive and the Historic Watchtower
Desert View Drive follows the South Rim for 23 miles between Grand Canyon Village and Desert View, the easternmost developed area on the rim.
Corridor Trails: Bright Angel and South Kaibab
Two maintained trails drop from the South Rim to the Colorado River, forming the park's main corridor.
Rafting the Colorado: One Day to Three Weeks
The gentlest way onto the Colorado River here involves no rapids at all. Calm floats lasting either a morning or afternoon or a whole day carry visitors from Glen Canyon Dam downstream to Lees Ferry.
Dark Skies and the Grand Canyon Star Party
Every June, the Grand Canyon Star Party turns both rims into an open-air observatory for eight nights.
Two Billion Years of Rock to Vishnu Schist
At the bottom of the Grand Canyon lies rock about 1.8 billion years old. At the rim, the youngest layer is about 270 million years old, which is still far older than the dinosaurs.
Tusayan Ruin and the Canyon's Native Peoples
Three miles west of Desert View Watchtower, Tusayan Pueblo holds the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village.
Santa Fe Railway, El Tovar and Historic Lodges
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway shaped how travelers first met the South Rim. In 1905 the railway opened El Tovar Hotel close to its main line, offering luxury lodging to passengers stepping off the train.
North Rim: Bright Angel Point to Cape Royal
The North Rim sits on the Kaibab and Walhalla Plateaus, directly across the canyon from the busier South Rim.
