Among the oldest national parks in the US and a World Heritage site, Grand Canyon National Park is best known for the Grand Canyon, one of the globe’s most prized natural wonders.
The Grand Canyon itself is renowned for its layers of colorful rock, depth and size, all of which are the result of the Colorado River carving its way through the area over a period of more than five million years.
This Arizona park spans a massive 2,000 square miles. The South Rim is the most popular visitor spot in the park but the smaller North Rim makes for a less crowded alternative. The two rims are connected via the Navajo Bridge, Hoover Dam and Las Vegas.
It is possible to stay overnight in park accommodations, with the most popular overnight spot being Grand Canyon Village, which doubles as the park’s headquarters and a view spot.
Most visitors to the park enjoy it by car, stopping off at the popular viewpoints, but it is also possible to explore more remote parts via backcountry roads and pack trails.
Getting there
Las Vegas is around 260 miles by highway or a five-hour drive from both the North Rim and the South Rim, and McCarran International Airport acts as a major gateway for visitors to the park. The North Rim is accessible via highway 89, which joins with highway 67, but these routes are closed in winter. To get to the South Rim you’ll need to take highway 93 and connect with I-40 to highway 64. This route passes over Hoover Dam. You can self drive or take a tour from Las Vegas.
Grand Canyon attractions
Grand Canyon Village Visitor Center: located near popular Mather Point, the visitor center has all the information you’ll need on the park and carries books, maps and souvenirs.
Grand Canyon IMAX theater: provides 30-minute visual feasts of the Grand Canyon by air and from the perspective of white-water rafters on the Colorado River.
Bright Angel Point: gets you as up-close as you’ll probably want to get to the Canyon rim, and offers you the best views you’ll find, all for the effort of a short, mile-long walk. Cape Royal: features fantastic views of the canyon through a huge hole in the rock known as Angels Window.
Grand Canyon Railway: the trip from Williams to the South Rim is not particularly scenic, but the vistas that await at the other end will blow you away.
In brief
** What is it?** A World Heritage site and one of the oldest national parks in the US.
When to go? Year-round for the South Rim and mid-May to mid-October for the North Rim.
Nearest town: Fredonia, Arizona.
Distance from Las Vegas: about 260 miles or a five-hour drive.
Don’t miss: the Grand Canyon, the North Rim, the South Rim.
Trivia: the Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River over more than five million years.