Must Do Road Trip!
Family of 4 (kids ages 12 and 8)
Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon - Zion National Park - Park City
Spring 2015
Vegas is a great place to start - easy place to fly in, great hotels, and convenient amenities to grab any last minute necessities and to rest up to prepare for your hiking and sight-seeing adventure. Our trip began with a flight out on Friday evening from our hometown, we landed late, and we were able to sleep in the next morning. We spent Saturday in Vegas relaxing and getting acclimated to the new time zone. Sunday morning came quickly - we got a little later start than we had hoped for, but we were able to make it work. We left Las Vegas around 10:10 AM - it is a relatively easy drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas - it took us about 5 hours (we had some traffic which I hear is pretty typical this time of year and even heavier in the summer months), but it was not a difficult drive.
**(While driving to the Grand Canyon, you will pass the exit for the Hoover Dam. We visited the Hoover Dam a year earlier - I would highly recommend the detour if your schedule will allow for it. Arrange a tour and you can enjoy the Dam in 2-3 hours. There is a great deal of history and it is an engineering marvel worth seeing. Our kids still giggle when thinking back to all the Dam signs and puns heard on our tour - there is a Dam Dog, a Dam T-shirt, a Dam bathroom, etc.)
Arrived! South Rim Grand Canyon Visitor's Center - 3:30 PM
We familiarized ourselves with the area, spoke with a Ranger, got a map, and watched an introductory film in the Visitor Center. Our first official glimpse of the Canyon came at Mather Point - it is just a short, easy walk along a sidewalk behind the Visitor Center (handicap/wheelchair accessible for those that cannot transcend into the Canyon or walk along rocky paths).
Mather Point
We elected to leave our car at the Visitor Center (I would highly recommend for ease of transportation plus private vehicles are not permitted most of the year). We hopped on to the Blue Shuttle Line (free park transportation - parking can be a challenge - we recommend leaving your car at the Visitor's Center and utilizing the shuttle system) From there, we hopped off the bus at Hermits Trail to transfer to the Red Shuttle Line - The Red Shuttle took us to Powell Point. We wanted to see several different areas and Points before the sun began to set. A short gravel 0.3 of a mile path connects Powell Point to Hopi Point - This is a great sunset viewing spot. Hopi Point can be a bit crowded - arrive a little early if you are able to get a spot by the railing at the tip of the point. A little secret, if you want to avoid some of the crowds, is to walk along that gravel path between Hopi and Powell Points. The view is breathtaking, but be careful if you have young children, there are no railings here. I would recommend doing both - start at Hopi Point for the beginning of the sunset and then begin to walk along the trail towards Powell Point - you won't regret it! We stayed at the Best Western in Tusayan, Arizona - about 10 minutes from the South Rim entrance.
Path between
Hopi Point and Powell Point
(less people and no obstructions)
Day 2
8:30am Start Time
8:30am Start Time
Kaibab Trail
(Ohh Ahh portion with kids)
Moderate hike; worth the effort. Save your energy for the climb back up and out - they aren't kidding when they say it is twice as hard to ascend. The Canyon staff reminds you of this with a fun sense of humor - signs everywhere say "Going down is optional, coming up is mandatory!" The hike is roughly 2 miles - took us about an 1 1/2 hour with time to enjoy the view.
We completed our hike around 10:00 AM. It was just enough time to catch the shuttle to take us to a Fossil Ranger Hike at 11:00 AM. It took us a full 45 minutes to make the shuttle transfers and get from Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Trailhead, so if you want to do this, make sure that you allow enough time.
The Ranger led fossil tour was very informative and worthwhile. It shocked us to learn that the top of the canyon was once under the Kaibab Sea - the tectonic plates located under the canyon have been pushing the plateau up over millions of years as the Colorado River continues to carve out the Canyon. The base of the Canyon itself is older than dinosaurs. We found sea-bed fossils embedded in the rocks along the rim near Bright Angel Trail Head (see below).
After our fossil hunt, we headed to El Tovar for a leisurely sit down lunch - the food was good - the view was great - and we enjoyed the chance to sit! By the time we finished lunch, it was time to head out ... Bryce Canyon / Zion awaited.
Take the Road Less Traveled
Desert View Road
25 miles +/-
If you have the time - we would highly recommend this route.
"Pull-offs" provide additional views of the Canyon
The Watch Tower
(towards the end of the Desert View Road)
Great views of a large plateau. Convenient snack shop and restrooms.
On to Utah ...
It is like you are entering another world - as you leave the labeled Desert View / Canyon area, the landscape continues to be awe inspiring. My husband was reminded of Tatooine (obviously a Star Wars fan); I immediately had flashbacks to the movie Independence Day with Will Smith and The Host based on the novel by Stephanie Myer - remote, isolated communities and "barren" landscapes.
It is like you are entering another world - as you leave the labeled Desert View / Canyon area, the landscape continues to be awe inspiring. My husband was reminded of Tatooine (obviously a Star Wars fan); I immediately had flashbacks to the movie Independence Day with Will Smith and The Host based on the novel by Stephanie Myer - remote, isolated communities and "barren" landscapes.
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