Grand Canyon National Park

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I've visited the Grand Canyon about a dozen times. It is well worth the trip from Flagstaff. The size and complexity of the canyon defies description. It's enormous, beautiful, awesome ...

The accommodations inside the park are,well, rustic (most are historic lodges over fifty years old), but I find it's well worth being right at (or within walking distance) of the canyon rim. There are more upscale hotels just outside the park in Tusayan, but I always try to stay in the park. I've always found the park rangers and staff very helpful.

Some tips to make your trip most enjoyable:

Make sure you take one of the Ranger led walks. The geology walk along the edge is very informative and not at all strenuous. The fossil walk is great for kids (you see, but can't remove the shell fossils you'll find). For the adventurous, try the Cedar Ridge hike (it's three miles round trip, but the trail is steep in sections).

Make sure you take one of the trails down at least a little way into the canyon. You'll get an amazingly different perspective if you follow the trail even a quarter mile down into the canyon, and the crowds will thin out the further you go. The first switchback on the Bright Angel Trail, Ooh Ah" Point on the South Kaibab, or just past the first saddle on the Grandview Trail are easy hikes that give you great views away from the crowds. Each is around a half mile or so one way, and should take you between one and two hours. Be careful with young chidren, as there are many cliffs along the trails.

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