Adventure in a Cup: The Grand Canyon

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A Little History

In 1540, European explorers led by Coronado, headed north on expedition in search of cities made of gold. They were guided by Hopi who were instructed, by their leaders, to take them on the most difficult path and to offer no advice. The Hopi guides took the Spanish on a 20 day trek to the highest point of the

canyon. They had already traveled six months to reach this point and they were tired and discouraged. They gave up and went home. The explorers deemed the area so unfit for travel that it was over 300 years before others attempted to explore the canyon. Let’s take a second to enjoy such a well played move by the Hopi to preserve their land! 

It was in 1869, when a one-armed union civil war hero and naturalist, Major John Wesley Powell, finally completed the task. He led a group of 10 men in four boats down the Colorado river while mapping and drawing pictures of rock formations, flora, and fauna.

Powell’s river expedition took around 13 weeks. Early on, they lost one of their boats filled with food and scientific supplies. Their remaining food began to rot. They were soaked to the core but also miserably hot, hungry, and they were traversing dangerous rapids. Two days before the unexpected end of the trip, three men decided they were done. They hiked out of the canyon only to encounter members of a Shivwit war party, and were killed!  

We often travel in extended family groups of 10-20 people. While my 2023 Grand Canyon travel issues didn’t hold a candle to those experienced by Powell’s group in the 1860 can totally sympathize with Powell’s mutiny!

We spent 4 days exploring the Grand Canyon as part of a larger trip. On this trip we did a loop from our house in Bryson City, North Carolina with the main stopping points being New Orleans, San Antonio/The Alamo, Carlsbad Caverns, Painted Desert, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Moab, Rocky Mountain National Park, and St. Louis Gateway Arch. 

I spent a lot of time trying to understand which part of the canyon we wanted to see (it really is a GRAND canyon) so I will start with a quick explanation of the rims. 

Grand Canyon Rims

There are four entrances to the Grand Canyon but the entrance at the South Rim will give you the best sweeping views. This is the most visited Grand Canyon rim…..and for good reason! This is where you will find the easiest access to the iconic views of the Canyon. It is also where you will find the biggest crowds. If you can handle a short flat hike to be rewarded with an almost 360 degree view of the canyon, without many other guests, make sure to read the part about Shoshone Point in the itinerary below. 

There are two “main” areas inside the South Rim entrance: Grand Canyon Village and Grand Canyon Visitor Center. The two areas are connected by a part of the rim trail, you can drive and park (if you can find a spot) between the two areas, you can walk, or you can take the shuttle.

The West Rim is owned by the Hualapai Tribe, not the NPS, and they collect their own separate entrance fees. If you have the America the Beautiful pass it won’t work at the West Rim. If you have the time it offers a neat perspective of the Hualapai Reservation and there is a glass bridge over a portion of the canyon! 

I personally enjoy the East Entrance of the Grand Canyon and I’ve included it as part of the itinerary below. You don’t want to make the East entrance your only viewing point as you’ll miss the sweeping canyon views since it isn’t really a “rim.”

The North Rim is worth the visit if you have the time to add something extra to your trip. For us, we were headed to Utah and made the North Rim part of our route the day we left the Grand Canyon area. This is the easiest place in the Grand Canyon area to drive down to the Colorado River. 

Where should you stay?

Once you decide which entrance you want to explore the most, you will be better able to decide where to stay. Here are the best options, in my opinion:

• Stay in the park (you have to book it very early and it is more expensive)

• Stay near the South Rim in Williams, Arizona (it is more affordable but you have to drive an hour to the park)

• Stay near the North/East entrances in Page, Arizona (its further from the South Rim but the town is cool)

We stayed in Conestoga Wagons at Circle Pines, KOA in Williams, Az for about $150 a night. It was a cool adventure for the kids and they always love campgrounds. For me, when I am visiting a National Park, I like to spend as much of my time outdoors as possible. Renting a hotel room just doesn’t give you the option to sit around a fire at night. It just feels off to me to stay in a hotel when I am visiting a park. If I wanted to stay in an actual room I would try to book one inside the park. 

We love to camp but also tend to travel with non-campers, so the cabins and amenities at KOA’s are perfect. We also like to sit around a campfire in the evening and the kids like to run around with the other campground kids.  Besides cabins, there are bathrooms, water, power, games for kids, grills, and often restaurants. 

What I also like about KOA’s is that I can book the stay for the cost of one cabin night and pay the rest on arrival. It frees up funds for more adventures because we are usually spending $100-$200 per night for a cabin instead of $$$$. 

Food and Drinks

There are many restaurants located in the Grand Canyon Village and there was a grab-and-go light lunch cafe at the Visitor Center.

Park restaurants are typically crowded, expensive, and only in one section of the park.  Because of this, we always take a cooler packed with food and drinks, even if we think we might eat at a park restaurant, because sometimes the timing works out that we are not near food when we are hungry. I also have one child who gets hangry and an emergency sandwich usually saves the day! We always pack refillable water bottles and have a gallon or two of water in the car. There are water stations scattered throughout the main visitor center and village areas where you can refill water as well. 

Make sure you pack water and take a small bag with a light snack and poncho any time you hike. 

We have tea in the car, or at a stop, every afternoon at 4. I thought my kids would think it was silly but they actually looked forward to it (and were even upset one afternoon when I forgot to load up with hot water before we left the cabin). I either boil water or stop at a gas station and get hot water for my thermos each morning. I have several tea bag selections that I keep in the car and everyone has a car mug. We break up the afternoon by trying various teas and a little snack. 

Entering the Park

The cost to enter the park in a personal vehicle is $35 and the pass is good for 7 days. There are so many other parks within a day's drive of the Grand Canyon that I would suggest purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass in advance. It is $80 and will be sent to you in the mail prior to your trip. Some parks will allow you to purchase the America the Beautiful Pass at the park while others will not. Do some research on your route and decide what works best for you. I prefer to purchase the pass online and have it mailed in January each year. The pass will get you into any National Park for free during the year of your purchase. 

Prior to entering the park (or leaving the WiFi of your base camp) make sure you have maps and directions saved on your phone or printed. There will not be adequate service in the park once you leave the visitor center. If you have multiple vehicles take walkie talkies so you don’t have to find a place to pull over every time you need to communicate.

The line to get inside the park can be very long. I suggest getting there as early as possible. We typically plan to be in line 30 minutes to one hour before the park gate opens (it changes seasonally and you can find up to date info online). If you arrive after 10, be prepared to wait. Sometimes the wait is close to 2 hours. (Enter emergency sandwiches)!

Our Grand Canyon Itinerary 

Day 1:  South Rim Visitors Center and Shoshone Point Hike

The best first stop at a park is ALWAYS the Visitor Center. Make sure you are following the signs to park at the Visitor Center and not the Village.

If you have a Junior Ranger, like we do, they can pick up their book at the beginning of day one so they can take their time filling it out! The South Rim Visitor Center does not disappoint, it has a cool video, a nice gift shop, and other displays about the history of the Grand Canyon. 

Make sure to check out Mather Point while you are at the Visitor Center. This is the most photographed scenic view of the Grand Canyon and is just a short walk from the center. It also has squirrels that are too friendly for their own good! If it is going to be a hot day, you might want to check out Mather Point early and then head inside the center. 

You can eat a packed lunch or pick up grab-and-go food from the cafe near the Visitor Center (they don't have a full restaurant). 

The next thing to do is hike Shoshone Point. Shoshone point is a one mile hike, each way, on a flat dirt road to an almost 360 crowd free view of the canyon! The trail is lined with beautiful wildflowers. This is the hidden gem I mentioned earlier.

It truly is a little hidden. I drove by it twice before I found the road. The road to the Shoshone Point trail head is at the beginning of Desert View Drive, about ___ minutes down the road. We took our time hiking out, had a tea party (I may be a little ridiculous) and a packed dinner at the point, then stayed until the sun set. Make sure to pack flashlights! 

Day 2:  Desert View Drive and the Navajo Reservation

If you are a National Park regular, you’ll know that most parks have a scenic drive. They were created to allow more people access to viewing some of America’s most beautiful places. Desert View Drive connects the South and East rims of the Grand Canyon. You can drive it in either direction. Head into the park and back to the Visitors Center to access Desert View Drive. If you hiked Shoshone Point then you will be on the same road. Follow the signs and head east for 23 miles. There are many labeled pull offs with cool historical info and photo ops. 

The landscape changes during the drive as you near the east entrance and when you exit the park you are in Cameron, Arizona (part of the Navajo Reservation). Once you exit the park you will see Navajo trading posts scattered along the roadside which all have really cool turquoise jewelry and other souvenirs. Allow some time to spend rambling through these stands. 

If you are hungry when you exit the park, head north to Cameron, Arizona and visit the Cameron Trading Post. They have Navajo Tacos! (We live near the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina and the tacos were the same as Fry Bread….they were amazing but I was a touch disappointed that I’d already had a Navajo Taco and just didn’t know it).

You can head back to your base camp by cutting around the park on 89, or you can return to the South Rim on Desert View Drive. You might just catch a cool sunset if you cut back through! Part of our group watched the sunset at Mather Point the day we hiked to Shoshone Point for the sunset and the pictures were beautiful!

Day 3: Hike Bright Angel Trail

Today, when you enter the park, you want to follow the signs for the Grand Canyon Village. The Village is home to several hotels and restaurants as well as gift shops. One of the lodges, Bright Angel Lodge, is where you will find the same named trailhead. Bright Angel is one of the most well known hikes at the Grand Canyon South rim for a reason.

It takes the avid hiker down to the canyon floor allowing views of the canyon from below the rim. During his expedition, Major Powell named a sparkling creek that intersected the Colorado, Bright Angel Creek, and the name is still used in several areas around the park today. The trail extends for over 15 miles but you can turn around at any time. The trail is relatively steep and narrow with multiple switchbacks and no guardrail. It is in full sun most of the way so pack plenty of water. I would suggest hiking at least ½ mile down so you can experience the canyon from that vantage point. Most people seemed to be hiking about 3 miles but my adult to child ratio was a little too low to go further because of the steep drop offs! In that half mile we had multiple worthwhile photo ops and saw rock paintings!

You can grab food and drinks at one of the lodges. Harvey House Cafe is in Bright Angel Lodge and El Tovar has a very nice dinner! We headed back to Williams and ate burgers at our camp.

Day 4: Moenkopi Dinosaur tracks, Lees Ferry, and Horseshoe Bend

We were headed out of the Grand Canyon area today but still managed to squeeze in a few more sights. We headed around the canyon, to the east, back through the Navajo Reservation (I may have stopped at the roadside stands for more turquoise jewelry on the way). 

Just past Cameron, Arizona, off of 89, is Moenkopi (Moenave) Dinosaur Tracks.

It is located on the Navajo Reservation. It is a large flat filled with dinosaur tracks, fossilized eggs, and coprolite (fossilized dino poo). The fossil site is owned and operated by the Navajo and they will be your tour guides, for a tip. We tipped $30 for 5 people. Our guide, Joe, pointed everything out to us and allowed time for discussion. We talked mostly about the past/present trials of the Navajo and I found it very interesting. My kids even hung around for his stories. I asked him if they pronounced the name of their tribe Nah-vuh-hoe or Naa-vuh-hoe (a question we had been mulling in the car for several days). Neither, he replied. We call ourselves Dine. I looked this up as soon as we had service. Dine in perfect archaic simplicity, means “the people” and is how the Navajo refer to themselves. It’s moments like this that I wonder how I got to be the age that I am and don’t know things like that?

Don’t expect something grand at the Moenkopi site. There are hand drawn signs pointing you in the right direction off of 89 and the only structures are booths that allow some shade for the guides. However, you can stand on top of the dinosaur track, nothing is roped off, and it's a great break from the car ride. I’d suggest bringing a little extra money to buy jewelry at the stands on site. 

Just past Moenkopi, is Lees Ferry which is located in Glen Canyon, at the North Rim entrance. Lees Ferry is the “put-in” for those rafting the Colorado. We found a covered pavilion and bathrooms at the put-in (and a pebble beach for our chairs). We enjoyed a picnic lunch and a quick swim in the river. Some people in our group purchased a fishing pass online and tried their luck at fishing (you will need to bring all your equipment and bait with you as there did not seem to be shops near us). 

As we left Lees Ferry, headed towards our next stop in Utah, we passed the parking lot for Horseshoe Bend. This is close to Page, Arizona. The walk to the horseshoe bend viewpoint is about a half mile and the views are gorgeous!

I felt like we explored the Grand Canyon to the maximum capability of our group (we may have even pushed it a little past max ;) There are many more hikes and other adventures to be had at the Grand Canyon! I’d love to hear your tips so I can add them to my list because I am sure we will go back!

Keep Living La Dolce Vita!