Grand Canyon - South Rim

We've visited both the North and South Rims, sightseen by plane, and camped in a North Rim cabin. The park has changed over the years and now has a superb bus system on the South Rim. While it might seem inconvenient not to be able to drive your own car, there are compensations: there's a running commentary from the bus driver; high seating gives a better view than from a car and you don't have to keep your eyes on the narrow road; if you seek to hike a particular section of the rim, you can catch the next bus further on - without returning to your car; if you don't seek to hike, you have door-to-door delivery to the scenic viewpoint. Most of the buses are handicapped-accessible. But if you're caught in a rainstorm while waiting for the next bus: tough luck! There are no shelters at the bus stops.

Highlights:
The views across a canyon averaging 10 miles wide.
Geologic strata in the canyon walls stretching back 1.7 billion years.
Colors in the canyon walls, ever changing with the sunlight.
Hermit's Rest
Desert View Watchtower
California condors in flight - North America's largest flying bird.
Ancient Indian ruins at Tusayan
The shuttle bus system - there's even a bus service to the North Rim

There's a website:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/south-rim/index.htm
and a very complete newspaper guide available at the visitor center

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

The stormy day made our choice of drives for us: east to Desert View so that we could take our own car. The weather was chancy, and we wanted to be able to make a run for the car if a rainstorm came. Good choice! That happened at the Watchtower parking lot, and we made it back to the car 15 seconds before the heavens opened. The storm interrupted power to the Watchtower exhibits and store. We later heard that a tornado had touched down briefly near Flagstaff. Too bad. The Watchtower has some neat exhibits.

There's much construction going on along the drive, and that slowed traffic a bit - not a big problem, since a slow pace along this scenic drive is our choice anyway. And the good news is that the construction is for many new overlooks along the drive. Though some were still closed, we eagerly await our next visit. A few years back, we watched a bobcat cross the road and peer back at us from the treeline in this wild area. No such luck this time, with the traffic, construction, and rain. Lots of construction at the Watchtower also, with a quarter-mile walk from the (temporary) parking lot.

From the Watchtower area, watching the thunderheads march up the canyon was very dramatic. It was a magical moment, well worth the inconvenience. And the storm was brief, with bursts of sun to light the overlooks along the drive.

Always delightful, the views here were particularly scenic on this clear, sunny September day. We'd come on a day trip from Sedona and found the park full but not uncomfortably so -- especially with the shuttle bus system operating. One tip: on a two section bus, take the forward section. The trailer offers scenic views and larger windows, but the suspension system there gives a much bumpier ride.

Three shuttle routes are available. One runs to Hermits Rest and it's along this route that the photos of this entry were taken. One runs within the Village and Market Plaza. The third runs to the Kaibab trailhead and to Yaki Point, a route not accessible to personal autos. Chances are you'll need to bus from parking to the Hermits Rest pickup by using the village shuttle. Five parking areas are available, one with large pull through spaces for Rvs or trailers. From 9:30am to sunset, Hermits Rest shuttles run every 15 minutes but service may be delayed during inclement weather.

A real treat was viewing three California condors soaring close overhead (at Powell Point or Hopi Point, if I remember right). These magnificent graceful gliders, with very distinctive markings, were long absent from Arizona but were reintroduced near the Grand Canyon in 1996. They are nesting now in the canyon walls, but no chicks have yet taken flight. A ranger talk, "Wings Over the Canyon", was given late afternoon near Bright Angel Lodge. We missed it, opting instead for more time on the Hermits Rest route. We skipped them this year, but remember the tale from one year ago: one of the trail donkeys had died on the trail and had to be air-lifted out. That sight was observed by a new group taking a trail ride, upon which the group all dismounted and walked.

Not what you'd expect at this dead end for the shuttle bus. Beyond here, you go on foot. And yet - here there's a snack bar, gift shop, shade, and shelter with a fantastic view. Well worth your time to watch the shadows fall and change the character of this colorful canyon. And we were entertained as we watched - by ravens, squirrels, and a tame cat who lusted for the squirrels but hadn't a prayer of catching them. Remember that people are eating their snacks outdoors, and the wildlife see this as an opportunity not to be missed.

For photographers, too, it's an opportunity not to be missed. The surrounding trees frame some of the most colorful parts of the canyon. The wildlife provides (human?) interest. The shade and the seating allow you to linger. And the knowledge that the shuttle bus will make fewer stops on the return trip tempts you to delay boarding.

Be thankful for the shuttle system. This stop is roomy, but the parking lot is small. When we've visited in years past, we felt lucky to find parking and guilty to linger and hog the parking spot.

Photos speak where words are weak. And a limit of four - I can't abide. So I'll soon add another entry, allowing more photos and a link to the Grand Canyon website where planners for a visit can find more information.

This is a great place to have lots of film. That's the main rationale for this entry -- to show more pictures. But there's room for words and these are appropriate: links to sites for more information about a visit:

The National Park Service publishes a guide in newspaper format. It's available at the information centers and probably also by mail: Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86203. Included are maps, lodging, camping, trail information, ranger programs, food, services, and accessibility.

There's a bookstore with mail order service: Grand Canyon Association, P.O. Box 399. Grand Canyon, AZ 86203. Telephone: (928) 638-2481. Shop online at .

There's a website (http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/south-rim/index.htm) and a map (http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/maps/area_map.gif) that you may find interesting since it shows nearby Anasazi ruins, some reviewed and some to yet to come in my journal "Window into Time -- US Southwest".