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Fun and Unique Things to at the Grand Canyon

May 25, 2021

With just under 6 million visitors per year, the Grand Canyon is one of the United State’s most-visited National Parks. But even with such a high influx of travelers, many of them only experience a tiny fraction of what the canyon has to offer.

According to the National Park Service, 90% of first-time visitors visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, only a small percentage make it over to the North Rim, and an even fewer percentage descend into the inner canyon.

So what else is there to do at the Grand Canyon? And do you have to be in epic shape to tackle its trails? 

To help you plan your best first-time Grand Canyon experience, we’ve broken down some tips to get you started!

Grand Canyon first-time tips

When planning a first-time trip to the Grand Canyon, the first thing you’ll need to determine is whether you’d like to visit the North Rim, South Rim, or both. More on that in the next section!

Once you’ve got that nailed down, here are some other important tips:

1. The park entrance fee is $35 for a single, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers (up to 15). For a breakdown of fees, including groups, motorcycle permits, or if you’re entering as an individual via bike or foot, check out the NPS website. 

2. If you’ve got an America the Beautiful pass, your entry is covered! Woohoo! 

3. If you’re headed to the South Rim, you can pretty much expect a traffic backup at the entrance gate, especially during Spring Break and Summer months. For reference, we waited about 45 minutes to enter the park in late March of 2021.

4. The elevation at Grand Canyon averages 7,000 feet above sea level. If you’re traveling to the Grand Canyon from a lower elevation, you may feel shortness of breath or experience altitude sickness. 

5. If you’re visiting the South Rim, there are several public restrooms, gift shops, and places to buy food. 

6. BYO Water. Even though there are places to buy water, it’s a smart idea to bring your own as you’ll most likely be doing some walking in areas that don’t have much shade. Looking for the best travel water bottle? The Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle is my new favorite and doesn’t seem to leak.

7. Bring sunscreen. I’ve linked the absolute best sunscreen I’ve found for travel. It’s not messy, and your kiddos will actually want to put it on.

Grand Canyon North vs South Rim

How do you decide whether to visit the South Rim, North Rim, or both? These next few questions should help you figure it out.

What time of year would you like to visit the Grand Canyon?

The South Rim is open 24/7 all year round, whereas the North Rim is only open from May 15th-October 15th each year. This may make your decision for you. But if you’re traveling during the Spring and Summer months, you could absolutely visit both, time-depending. 

How much time do you have?

The average drive time between the South and North rims of the Grand Canyon is approximately 5 hours. This can obviously be a major factor in determining whether you’d like to attempt to see both sides. If you have 2 days and are staying relatively near to the Grand Canyon and you aren’t planning to tackle very long hikes, you could squeeze in an experience at both rims, although you’d be spending quite a bit of time in the car.

Do you care about avoiding crowds?

While the South Rim is the more popular destination for first-time travelers, it’s also crowded. It’s sort of the classic destination for viewpoints, it has more services and family-friendly activities, and it’s more accessible. With that said, if you prefer more solitude and don’t mind the extra driving, the North Rim will provide much more solitude than visiting the more touristy South Rim, and there are still plenty of amazing views!

Must-See Things to do at The Grand Canyon South Rim

Best Spots for Sunset at the Grand Canyon

Hopi Point, located off of Hermit Road, is a popular sunset spot, especially during the Summer. If crowds aren’t your thing, try either Mohave and Pima Points nearby. Good news is, any viewpoint that spans east to west will allow you to see and photograph dramatic shadows stretching across the canyon during the late hours of the day.

Easy Grand Canyon HikeS on the south rim

Rim Trail | multiple sections | relatively flat and easy | 0.9 - 12.7 miles point-to-point | 583ft gain/loss

If you’re looking for an easy stroll that allows you to easily see out over multiple viewpoints, start off with the Rim Trail. This trail stretches along the Grand Canyon and through the Village area with easy access to restrooms, shops, and other South Rim attractions. This is a really great option for families with small children. If you want to do the whole thing it’s 12.8 miles total, but you can walk any length you’d like.

South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point | 1.7miles point-to-point | 682ft elevation gain/loss

This trail has some really amazing views while still being a moderately strenuous trail. Go early to avoid crowds and make sure to bring water and sunscreen.

Which Grand Canyon Trail is the Best?

Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail are both iconic Grand Canyon trails that offer hikers the opportunity to descend below the rim and experience the inner canyon landscape that can only be seen on foot (or by mule).

Bright Angel Trail

Bright Angel Trail is the most popular hiking trail in the entire park and has several unique lookouts and features, including two tunnels within the first 1.8 miles. 

There are rest houses at the 1.5 mile and 3-mile marks, both with composting toilets and seasonal water refill stations. 

Just remember it can take twice as long to climb back up as it does to descend. A trip to the 3-mile resthouse will take approximately 4-6 hours with an overall gain/loss of 2,120 feet. 

South Kaibab Trail 

A day hike down a portion of the South Kaibab Trail will provide dramatic views for hikers with numerous well-defined places to turn around. With that said, South Kaibab offers no shade or water, so it’s critical to avoid this trail during the peak sun hours of the summer. 

If you’re looking for a moderately strenuous hike, consider hiking South Kaibab 1.5 miles to Cedar Ridge. It’s not recommended to push beyond this point as a day hike during the summer. If you’re hiking during the non-summer months, another turnaround option is Skeleton Point at the 3-mile mark, which offers the first views of the river.

How Long Does it Take to Hike Rim to Rim?

First and foremost, hiking rim to rim at the Grand Canyon is highly discouraged as a one-day affair.

For starters, it’s 22.7 miles one way, and you’ll lose and gain approximately 5,157 feet during your trek down and back out of the canyon.

Many hikers make this trek over two days or more, departing from the North Rim and descending North Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground. There they spend the night (reservations and backcountry permit required), making their way up using either Bright Angel or South Kaibab Trails to the South Rim. Some turn around there and complete what’s known as a rim to rim to rim hike. Others take a shuttle service back to their original start point.

With that said, the North Rim facilities are only open from May 15th to October 15th, so it’s best to attempt this hike either in May or late September/October as the mid-day heat will be significantly less.

There are two additional campgrounds, Cottonwood and Indian Garden for hikers who want to take their time across multiple days.

Grand Canyon Camping

There are 3 developed campgrounds at Grand Canyon National Park, including two on the South Rim and one on the North Rim. All campground sites are reservable online.

Mather Campground: 327 Campsites | Open Year-Round | Located in Grand Canyon Village

Desert View: 50 Campsites | Reservations Required | Open from April 29-October 1

North Rim: 87 Campsites | Reservations Required | Open from May 15-October 31 

All camping outside of these three designated campgrounds requires a backcountry permit.

Grand Canyon in Winter

In Winter the snow-dusted terrain provides a greater sense of the canyon’s three-dimensionality and a unique viewing experience for those who venture here in the off-season. It’s also much less traveled, making it a perfect time of year to visit if you’re looking for solitude on the park’s more popular trails.

best unique things to do near the grand canyon south rim

If you’re looking to explore outside the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, there are some really fun sights just about a 1-hour drive from the park that are all worth the trip. You can also take a train directly from Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon South Rim.

Unique airbnbs near the grand canyon sout rim

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Nomad Goods makes smart, rugged tech for travel and everyday life, including their Base Station Pro. This brilliant charging station allows you to power up to three devices at once. Check out more of our favorites below. Photos courtesy of Nomad Goods.

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Image Credits:

Grand Canyon mules - Studio Barcelona - stock.adobe.com; Grand Canyon overlook - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Grand Canyon colorado river - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Desert View Tower - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Kolb Studio - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Desert View Tower - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; South Rim viewpoints - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Grand Canyon sunset - winterbilder - stock.adobe.com; Woman on Bright Angel Trail - Francisco - stock.adobe.com; South Kaibab Trail - Holly - stock.adobe.com; Inner Canyon hiking - Mac - stock.adobe.com; Grand Canyon camping - Francisco - stock.adobe.com; Grand Canyon Winter - paul - stock.adobe.com; Bedrock City and Raptor Ranch - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Walnut Canyon National Monument - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Route 66 and Williams - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Williams Roundhouse - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Wander Camp Grand Canyon - Photo courtesy of Airbnb; Ultimate Stargazing Experience - Photo courtesy of Airbnb; Amazing Arizona Airbnbs - Photo courtesy of Airbnb; Meteor Crater - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Jerome - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; Sycamore Falls; Nomad Goods product images courtesy of Nomad Goods; Trail Ridge Road - Elaine Skylar Neal/Travels and Curiosities; for Pin image credits, please click on the Pin.