Phoenix, AZ Grand Canyon trip?

[YellCoAR]

I am considering taking my wife and adult daughter to see the Grand Canyon. We would fly into Phoenix and rent a vehicle. I would imagine a day or two would allow all the viewing needed of the Canyon. What are some things to include on the to do list? We could plan up to 5 or 6 days for the trip. The wife is not into strapping on the boots, but enjoys wildlife viewing.

 

[glock233]

I’ll give you the Western themed version. Sedona, Meteor crater, petrified Forrest, 4 corners, Antelope canyon, canyon de chelly, window rock.

Canyon de Chelly with Navajo tour guides is very special and it’s fairly rare to meet someone who’s done it. You can hike, vehicle, or do horses. One of the last places in the lower 48 where nearly everything is done the old way. Staying overnight, if you can swing it, can be a major experience.

 

[180ls1]

You can also land/fly out of Vegas and incorporate that + southern UT into the trip.

There is more stuff to do than you can stuff into 6 days.

 

[Fitzwho]

Kanab/Zion... Zion is a mess though, probably the busiest NP, but did she some Desert Bighorns. Be a little more of a hike, but Bryce Canyon is worth the drive and doesn't require any hard hiking to get a good feel for it.

One of my family's favorite stops near the Grand Canyon was Bearizona. It's a drive-thru zoo in Williams, AZ. Will second Petrified Forest as well. We have a time-share (gifted to us, thank goodness) in Sedona, so we go over there every few years. We haven't made it to the North Rim as of yet.

Fly into Tuscon and do Saguaro NP, then head north.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

I’ll give you the Western themed version. Sedona, Meteor crater, petrified Forrest, 4 corners, Antelope canyon, canyon de chelly, window rock.

Canyon de Chelly with Navajo tour guides is very special and it’s fairly rare to meet someone who’s done it. You can hike, vehicle, or do horses. One of the last places in the lower 48 where nearly everything is done the old way. Staying overnight, if you can swing it, can be a major experience.

This sounds incredible! Never heard of it until you mentioned it.

 

[betelgeuse]

You can do the train trip on the Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Train | Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel

Since 1901, the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel has been taking guests to the Grand Canyon. Enjoy entertaining musicians and the antics of cowboy characters.

www.thetrain.com

 

[fmyth]

Drive up through Payson and Pine. There are resident elk in Pine. I see them almost every time I drive through Pine. It would also be a cool place to spend a night. Lots of airbnb's in that tiny town.

 

[HuntHarder]

1 day at the canyon is half too many. The only way we can stay longer is to do some good hikes. If you are just viewing, it's a very short trip with little else to do but hike.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I went to the south rim for 45 minutes during a huge thunderstorm. I was thoroughly impressed and don't need to go back.

 

[ShakoMako]

We took our kids out a few years ago for a week. Flew into Phoenix, rented a camper van and first went east to Roosevelt Lake and mesa verde ruins. Then north to the GC, where elk roamed thru our camping area, then thru Sedona en route to Cottonwood and Jerome. We camped at a nice state park outside cottonwood. The itinerary was a good mix of terrain and climate.

 

[eddielasvegas]

You probably mean the South Rim, right? That is the location almost everybody means when they say GC.

Also, which month? That matters for the weather and park access. July and August will be insanely busy.

Here's a map of the South Rim for reference. I suggest a stay at El Tovar for one night. It opened in 1905 and is a pretty kewl place. Sunrise on the South Rim is pretty spectacular. I'd also eat the the restaurant in El Tovar. Very good IMO.

If you decide to stay at ET, you'll need to make a res far in advance or check availability multiple times a day. IMHO, it's worth it. The other hotels just don't have the same history as ET, but all have a good location.

Use THIS link to check for GC room availability.

If you're a god fearing person, and especially a catholic one, THIS is pretty durn kewl. I think the place is kewl and I'm neither. It's in Sedona, which is < a 2 hour drive from the GC.

If you decide to go south of Phoenix, there is Saguaro Nat'l Park and the Airplane Museum/Boneyard. Both are in the Tucson area, which is a two hour drive from Phoenix.

Meteor Crater is very kewl too. And if you're an Eagles fan and want to Take it Easy, you might as well "stand on a corner in Winslow, Arizona" as it's not too far from MC.

And I'd be remiss if I did not mention Lost Wages (Las Vegas) is not far from the GC. On your drive to Vegas, you can take the dam (hoover) tour.

Good luck,

Eddie

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Obviously the Grand Canyon is amazing, I’ve been lucky to do several multi day hikes in the canyon.

From the rim/visitor center, yeah, like half a day is plenty.