Grand Canyon South Rim Tips
Read these 15 Grand Canyon South Rim Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Grand Canyon tips and hundreds of other topics.
Grand Canyon Tour Lodging Packages
Many tour operators offer a Grand Canyon South Rim tour combined with lodging. The Grand Canyon Railway offers tours like this with rooms at a Grand Canyon South Rim hotel, and so do many others.
If you really want to see as much of the canyon as you can, plan to stay a minimum of two nights on these tours. The Canyon drives stretch from Hermit's Rest in the west to Desert Watchtower in the east, and there's a lot of road time in between.
Each viewpoint does not offer the same view, either. They all have unique vistas, and as you travel, you'll notice the light in the canyon shifts with the sun, changing colors, shadows, and the mood of the canyon. Don't think you've seen the canyon from only one spot. To really see and understand the elements at work here, give yourself a few days to explore and enjoy.
Jeep Tours at the Grand Canyon
Many private tour companies offer a Grand Canyon South Rim tour in a sightseeing bus or van. However, if you'd like to get a more intimate view of Grand Canyon South Rim, try a jeep tour. Jeeps hold only a few passengers, and can navigate terrain that's impossible for buses and other vehicles.
Jeep tours take you backroading in the Kaibab National Forest and right to the canyon's rim. Passengers often see native wildlife during their tour, and get a much better idea of the landscape surrounding the canyon. Tours are usually shorter too, leaving visitors more time to explore other areas on their own. Off-road touring in private vehicles is not permitted in the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon Condors
Many birds live in the Grand Canyon, from swifts to the canyon wren. Look high over the chasm and chances are you'll see ravens dancing on the updrafts, and other large birds soaring on wide, heavy wings. These are California Condors, and they have not lived at the canyon for years.
In 1996, six birds were reintroduced to the canyon area, and they have continued to thrive in their new environment. Today, 51 condors live in the area as they have continued to be released into the wild. At least two pairs of the birds successfully bred and hatched young, but at least one of those young, the first born in the wild, died within two years of its' birth.
Seeing the condors in flight over the Grand Canyon is a magnificent and unforgettable sight. As you meander along the Rim Trail, take a look up into the skies over the Grand Canyon. You may be surprised at just what you'll see soaring in the blue skies above your head.
The Arizona Room
The Arizona Room is only open 10 months of the year, but it's one of the most unique dining experiences inside Grand Canyon National Park. This dining room is near the Bright Angel Lodge, perched right on the rim of the canyon, so the views are magnificent.
This is a steak house in every sense of the word. The restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner, and is closed in January and February. Lunch is only served March through October. The menu is decidedly southwestern, and entrees feature steaks, meats, seafood, and some chicken.
The Arizona Room is a favorite with many locals in the canyon because the food is excellent and the atmosphere is relaxed. The Arizona Room doesn't take reservations, and in the summer, the wait can be L-O-N-G. However, with the views of the canyon afire in the glow of sunset right outside, the wait doesn't seem quite as long.
Free Tours at the Grand Canyon
When you arrive at the Grand Canyon and pay your entrance fees, the ranger will hand you a packet of information, including the canyon newspaper, The Guide. Inside, you'll find a list of tours and programs led by experienced rangers. For an enlightening and free Grand Canyon South Rim tour, just meet the ranger at the appointed time and place.
Tops on the list of free programs are the evening campfire programs. Geared to the entire family, they cover a host of topics, so even if you attend every night, you won't hear the same program twice. The evening campfire programs take place in Mather Amphitheater, check for times when you arrive in the park.
Grand Canyon Field Institute
Perhaps some of the most interesting and educational tours in the Grand Canyon are offered by the Grand Canyon Field Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to education and preservation of the Grand Canyon.
The most popular Grand Canyon South Rim tour is "Meet the Canyon," a short introductory hiking tour meant for the entire family. However, they offer numerous other South Rim tours both on the rim and inside the canyon. Most of their tours involve moderate to heavy hiking, and so you must be in good shape to participate.
Taking a Field Institute Grand Canyon South Rim tour is a good way to see deeper into the natural and cultural wonders of the canyon. The tour guides are experts, and some tours even offer meals, lodging, and mule trips as part of the class.
Xanterra Tours at the Grand Canyon
One of the easiest ways to combine lodging with a Grand Canyon South Rim tour is to book through the park concessionaire, Xanterra. They offer several bus tours of the canyon, and will combine these tours with lodging in a Grand Canyon South Rim hotel.
Some of the most popular tours are the sunset and sunrise tours. Sunrise and sunset bring out the deep reds, golds, and purples of the canyon walls, and are breathtaking just about any time of the year. If the skies are a bit cloudy, all the better. The clouds magnify the colors and intensify the experience.
If you only choose one tour on your Grand Canyon vacation, choose a sunrise or sunset tour, and be sure to bring your camera.
Backpacking Tours of the Grand Canyon
If you're fairly new to backpacking, some tour operators offer tours geared just to your needs and abilities. Several of these tours leave the Grand Canyon South Rim from the South Kaibab Trail, hike into the canyon, spend the night at Phantom Ranch in the bottom of the canyon, and return to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail.
This means about 16 miles of rigorous hiking in two days. If you are not in good physical shape, this hike can be brutal. However, if you're looking for a unique Grand Canyon South Rim tour, this is one way to see the canyon from a completely different viewpoint – below the rim – with an experienced hiker and guide along to help you over the rough spots.
Hiking in the spring or fall means lower temperatures inside the canyon and an easier hiking experience, so plan your Grand Canyon South Rim tour accordingly.
Bike Touring in the Grand Canyon
Bikes are not available for rent inside the park, but you are welcome to bring your own bike and create your own custom Grand Canyon South Rim tour. There are some regulations about bikes you need to know before you hit the road, however.
• Bikes are permitted on all paved and unpaved roads in the park, and on the new Greenway Trail.
• Bikes are NOT permitted on any trails in the park, including the Rim Trail.
• Bikes are subject to the same road rules as cars in Arizona.
• Bikes are welcome on the road to Hermit's Rest on the West Rim, but they need to be aware there is heavy bus traffic and the road is narrow and steep in some places
Some tour companies also offer a Grand Canyon South Rim tour that includes off-road mountain biking and travel into the park. Riders should be at least somewhat experienced for these tours.
East and West Rim Tours
If you're looking for a Grand Canyon South Rim tour to Hermit's Rest or Desert View, there are several to choose from. For most of the year, the road west to Hermit's Rest is closed to private traffic, and so is the road east to Yaki Point and the South Kaibab Trailhead.
That means if you'd like to visit these areas, you'll need to take a shuttle bus or a guided tour. Guided tours will give you a much better understanding of the history and details of the areas as you travel, and you can enjoy the scenery while someone else worries about the driving. They're also quicker than the shuttle busses, which only pick up and drop off at prescribed times along the route.
The canyon looks far different from the East Rim, which offers open views of the Vermillion Cliffs and Painted Desert, and the West Rim, which offers some of the best views of the Colorado River from the rim, so don't miss these tours when you visit the Grand Canyon.
Hiking the Grand Canyon
No Grand Canyon South Rim tour is complete without at least a bit of hiking. Once you travel even a few hundred yards below the rim, the entire view and perspective of the canyon changes, and you'll be able to get up close to the rock layers that make up the canyon walls.
While the canyon is about one mile deep, trails into and out of the canyon vary from seven miles long (the South Kaibab), to 10 miles or more (the Bright Angel). Some people attempt to hike down to the river and back in one day, but this is not advisable, even in the best of shape.
Canyon temperatures are HOT in the summertime, well over a hundred degrees. Hikers must carry water, as there is no water on the Kaibab, and limited water on the Bright Angel.
Hikers should also remember that once you reach the bottom, the hardest part of the climb is still ahead of you. The trails are extremely steep in places, and the switchbacks throughout the trail can be quite congested during the summertime.
Hundreds of hikers in excellent shape are rescued from the canyon each year, and each year some people die from the exertion. Plan to spend at least two days hiking the canyon, and arrive at the rim safely.
The Kolb Studio
The Kolb brothers are to the Grand Canyon what John Wayne was to western films. The very foundation of Canyon tourism rests on their studio, perched precariously on the very rim of the canyon in the Village Historic District.
Emery and Ellsworth Kolb built the studio between 1904 and 1926, for the purpose of developing and showing the early films they created of the canyon. They were the first photographers to film boats running the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and their films helped make the South Rim an even more popular tourist destination at the beginning of the 20th century.
Emery and Ellsworth lived in the studio after the added on living quarters, and Emery showed his film of the boat trip at the studio until his death in 1976. The Kolb Studio is located at the trailhead of the Bright Angel Trail, just a short distance from the Bright Angel Lodge.
Today, the auditorium no longer shows the Kolbs films of the Grand Canyon, but it is a museum with changing exhibits operated by the non-profit Grand Canyon Association. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the views of the canyon from inside are some of the finest views from the South Rim.
The Grand Canyon Condors
Many birds live in the Grand Canyon, from swifts to the canyon wren. Look high over the chasm and chances are you'll see ravens dancing on the updrafts, and other large birds soaring on wide, heavy wings. These are California Condors, and they have not lived at the canyon for years.
In 1996, six birds were reintroduced to the canyon area, and they have continued to thrive in their new environment. Today, 51 condors live in the area as they have continued to be released into the wild. At least two pairs of the birds successfully bred and hatched young, but at least one of those young, the first born in the wild, died within two years of its' birth.
Seeing the condors in flight over the Grand Canyon is a magnificent and unforgettable sight. As you meander along the Rim Trail, take a look up into the skies over the Grand Canyon. You may be surprised at just what you'll see soaring in the blue skies above your head.
The Arizona Room
The Arizona Room is only open 10 months of the year, but it's one of the most unique dining experiences inside Grand Canyon National Park. This dining room is near the Bright Angel Lodge, perched right on the rim of the canyon, so the views are magnificent.
This is a steak house in every sense of the word. The restaurant is only open for lunch and dinner, and is closed in January and February. Lunch is only served March through October. The menu is decidedly southwestern, and entrees feature steaks, meats, seafood, and some chicken.
The Arizona Room is a favorite with many locals in the canyon because the food is excellent and the atmosphere is relaxed. The Arizona Room doesn't take reservations, and in the summer, the wait can be L-O-N-G. However, with the views of the canyon afire in the glow of sunset right outside, the wait doesn't seem quite as long.
The Kolb Studio
The Kolb brothers are to the Grand Canyon what John Wayne was to western films. The very foundation of Canyon tourism rests on their studio, perched precariously on the very rim of the canyon in the Village Historic District.
Emery and Ellsworth Kolb built the studio between 1904 and 1926, for the purpose of developing and showing the early films they created of the canyon. They were the first photographers to film boats running the rapids of the Grand Canyon, and their films helped make the South Rim an even more popular tourist destination at the beginning of the 20th century.
Emery and Ellsworth lived in the studio after the added on living quarters, and Emery showed his film of the boat trip at the studio until his death in 1976. The Kolb Studio is located at the trailhead of the Bright Angel Trail, just a short distance from the Bright Angel Lodge.
Today, the auditorium no longer shows the Kolbs films of the Grand Canyon, but it is a museum with changing exhibits operated by the non-profit Grand Canyon Association. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the views of the canyon from inside are some of the finest views from the South Rim.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sherril Steele-Carlin |
