A Week in the Wild: My Trip to the Grand Canyon Area
- thebroketraveler
- Oct 22, 2018
- 9 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2018
The Grand Canyon has been on my bucket list for a long time. I've always imagined what it would look like and how beautiful it would be when I could actually see it in person instead of just in pictures. I finally got to the point where I could afford it, could take the time off work, didn't have to worry about school, and could make this trip a reality!
We only had about one week to spend in the Grand Canyon, but I wanted to see other national parks in the area and make the most of our trip. Everything is so close and accessible by car that it makes for a very easy road trip (as long as you're okay with some substantial time in the car!). So, we set out for Arizona with a trunk full of camping gear and food, ready for a seriously exciting road trip.
Day 1: Flagstaff, AZ and Grand Canyon South Rim, AZ
After 21 hours of driving and a stop in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta, we arrived in Flagstaff around midnight (we left from New Orleans at midnight the night before after a concert). We set up camp at Lockett Meadow Campground, which had closed for the season and had lots of spots available for us to use. We couldn't see at the time, but the next morning we realized we had climbed a winding and steep mountain to get there, and we were able to take in the amazing views while we were leaving the next day.
The next morning, we drove north to see the lava tubes. It was basically a giant hole in the ground that led to a wet, rocky cave that was pitch black and used to be a volcanic vent. You could hike up to about a mile, but we only went a very small part of the way to get a feel for the cave and still be able to continue to the Grand Canyon that day.
After that, we drove about three hours to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Honestly, I was a little worried. I had read stories from other people online about how they were disappointed when they finally saw the Grand Canyon. These people all said they expected their experience to be magical and mindblowing and were sort of let down. It was nothing like this for me. It was an intense moment of realizing how small I was in this world and how incredible nature is. I didn't want to leave. I felt like I could stand there staring down into the rolling, never ending divets and drops forever. The pictures don't do it justice, but here is a photo of my first view of the Grand Canyon (plus an elk that crossed the path in front of us!).
After we had spent some time at Mather Point, we drove along the canyon, stopping at different viewpoints along Desert View Drive. We went to the end of the road to see the Watch Tower, and we spent some time at the Tusayan Ruins, which are old Native American ruins.
That night we camped at Mather Campground in Grand Canyon Village. This campsite was a lot busier, but it quieted down at night, which was nice. There was a bathroom and fire pits but no drinking water. It cost $18 for our one car and tent, and I'm glad we chose this campsite because it was close to everything we wanted or needed. In fact, we were able to drive out closer to the canyon itself at night to have a clear shot of the stars. Which, needless to say, the stars in the Grand Canyon are quite a sight!
Day 2: Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ
We got up around 6 a.m. the next morning and drove 4.5 hours to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, driving through the Vermillion Cliffs and over the Colorado River. I loved this drive because there was just so much to see! We stopped at tiny markets and took pictures of the Colorado River and even stopped at different scenic viewpoints along the way just to see what we could see.
Once we got to the North Rim Visitor Center, we decided we wanted a better view than there was there. We chose to hike the Cape Royal Trail (0.6 miles) and the Cliff Springs Trail (1 mile).
Cape Royal looks out over Angels Window and provides fantastic views. Plus, my sweet boyfriend surprised me with a birthday present here. However, the Cliff Springs Trail was a more interesting and diverse hike that led to a beautiful cliffside view and more things to see along the way. Both hikes only took about 3 hours total (we like to stop and take lots of pictures and look at EVERYTHING), but they allowed us to explore the area more and see different views of the canyon. I definitely wish we had more time at the North Rim to do some hiking into the Canyon, but I enjoyed the little time we did have there. While the South Rim provided a stunning first look at the Canyon, the North Rim was prettier and had more hiking options, in my opinion.
This night, we camped at DeMotte Campground, just outside the entrance to the Kaibob National Park. Since it was my birthday, we bought firewood at the gas station across the street and made s'mores. This campsite did have toilets but again no drinking water. This is also when our trip started to get very cold and rainy! This campsite did cost us a little more ($20), but for the options available when we booked our trip, it was perfect.
The biggest thing I learned about the Grand Canyon is that there is something for everyone. Whether you want to do mile-long hikes to viewpoints or three day journeys to Havasu Falls, you can do those things. You can also just drive to lookouts and visitor centers if you absolutely hate hiking. If you want to camp, there are numerous options, all providing different amenities and in different locations. You can also stay in a lodge or cabin if camping just isn't your thing. My best advice would be plan ahead - know what you want to do and when you want to do it, as well as what your preferences for lodging are. Things in the Grand Canyon book up fast, and being prepared with research and a general understanding of the area and options is going to be your best bet.
Day 3: Page, AZ
The next morning, we got up around 7 a.m. and drove two hours to Page. Page is most famous for Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend, which became popular thanks to social media sites. So of course we did these two fun but more tourist-trappy things. Antelope Canyon is an upper and lower slot canyon that looks like orange waves and is one of the more interesting things we got to see in Arizona. However, I was very disappointed in how crowded it was. I guess I should have expected that, but the canyon was full of misbehaving children who were climbing the sides of the canyon and had no respect for the beauty of it all and really had no business being there. Looking back, I would have booked the photography tour instead of the regular tour; the website said the photography tours were smaller and more intimate, and I'm assuming the extra $15 or so would weed out a large number of people. Our tour cost about $30 per person plus an $8 Navajo land fee per person. There are two tour groups to choose from, and they are side by side and offer the same tour. We chose Dixie Ellis tours mostly because a blog I read recommended it. I was definitely impressed with our tour guide, who was patient and even took some photos on my phone since he used to lead photography tours and knew good spots for photos (the second photo below).
Immediately after our Antelope Canyon tour, we went to Horseshoe Bend. To get there, you pull off the road into a small parking lot and then take a short hike over a hill. Once you're over the hill, the river and bend come into view. It was pretty, but the location was very crowded. I went out onto a rock ledge, and when I looked down, I could see tiny boats zooming along the river, so small they looked fake.
Next, we went to Glen Canyon Dam and got to see parts of Lake Powell and the dam. This was basically just killing time before our boat tour, but I'm glad we did it! The dam was interesting and definitely larger than I expected. Plus, the lake in the background was beautiful and bright blue.
In the afternoon we had a boat tour out of Antelope Point Marina. We got on a boat with about 15 other people and went out on Lake Powell to learn more about the lake and see the beautiful sandstone. It was a great way to end our day out on the water, and our tour guides were awesome, explaining interesting facts about the lake and giving us suggestions on other stuff to see in the area. There are other boat tours in the area, but I chose this one because it had good reviews, was cheaper than the others, and seemed more educational.
We chose to go ahead and drive to Zion National Park after our boat tour. After about a two hour drive to the Zion area, we decided to get a motel instead of camp. I'm glad we did this because the wind and low temperatures that night would have been miserable to camp in. Plus, I was more than happy to be able to take a shower finally. We stayed at an EconoLodge in Hurricane, Utah, which was about 40 minutes or so from the Zion entrance.
Day 4: Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, UT
We left for Zion around 7 a.m. the next morning and got ready to do some hiking! One thing we didn't know but that I wish we had looked into before is that you cannot bring your personal vehicle past a certain point in the canyon. You have to board a shuttle, which takes you to different stopping points throughout the canyon. You can park at the visitor center near Springdale or at the museum just inside the canyon entrance.
We only had about five hours in the Canyon before we had to continue to Bryce Canyon, so we chose to do the Riverside Walk (2.2 miles), the Emerald Pools Trail (1.2 miles), and the Weeping Rock Trail (0.4 miles). Zion was the most beautiful national park we visited, mostly because we were inside the canyon. The hiking trails and main road all run along the Virgin River, which created the Canyon, so when you look up you are surrounded by cliffs and beautiful rocks. The entire place was teeming with wildlife, and I could have easily spent days there.
If I ever get a chance to go back to Zion, I would want to explore the Narrows (a hike through the river where the cliffs come to about 20 feet apart in some places), the Angels Landing Trail (5.4 miles), and the Hidden Canyon Trail (2.4 miles). Since we didn't have much time here, we wanted to see as much as possible and these longer, most strenuous trails just weren't in the cards for us. This just means I get to take another trip, right?!
Around noon, we got lunch in Springdale. Then, we continued through the Mt. Carmel Tunnel, past Checkerboard Mesa, and on to Bryce Canyon National Park. We got to Bryce Canyon around 3 p.m. and drove down the main road, stopping at different viewpoints. We really didn't have time to hike here, so we just stopped as many times as possible, taking pictures and learning about the area.
Then, we drove five hours back to Flagstaff to stay for the night. Again, I'm so glad we chose to stay in a motel because we woke up the next morning with the entire city covered in a blanket of snow.
Days 5-7: Sedona, AZ and Austin, TX
The next day was a travel day! We had planned to spend about a day and a half in Austin, and much of our trip was set in stone. However, so many people told me Sedona was worth a look, so we drove an hour to Sedona to have breakfast and drive through the town. It was such a cool, quirky town, and I wish we had more time to spend there. It is definitely on my bucket list of cities to go back to.
We continued on through the day and into the night to Austin, TX. I just wanted to share that I LOVE AUSTIN. I had no idea I would love this city so much, but it has stolen my heart. There is so much to do, everyone was so interesting and nice, and it's the coolest "big city" I think I've ever been in. We basically spent our time walking around downtown, checking out Zilker Park, looking for street art, and eating so much food (Torchy's Tacos is always a must in Texas). Basically, going to Austin was a nice way to wrap up our trip and relax a little more before we had to head back to Baton Rouge and work.
Our biggest money savers on this trip? Bringing food and buying an annual national park pass. We packed up a cooler with camping meals, stuff for sandwiches, cans of soup, trail mix/granola, and plenty of road trip snacks. We ate out a few times and got coffee almost every day (we are both slightly addicted to coffee), but we saved SO MUCH MONEY just by going to Walmart ahead of time and planning to eat at our campsites or in the car each meal.
Each national park area we entered cost about $35 per car. Therefore, we would have spent about $140 to enter every park. Instead we spent $80 on an annual pass and called it a day. I travel a lot, so it made more sense to save this money and then use it again in the future.
If you have any questions about this trip, what we did, or how I researched it, let me know! We had the time of our life and loved every second of our week in the Grand Canyon. Stay tuned for my next road trip (West Coast anyone?) and make sure to follow my blog!
Comments