Attractions in the Grand Canyon

The South Rim and Desert View (Open All Year)
Attend Free Ranger Programs
Learn more about the the nature, science, history and culture of the Grand Canyon with a park ranger as your guide.
Kids: Be a Junior Ranger Ranger Minutes (audio-video insights)

Visit the Scenic Hermit Road (Note: Construction/ Repaving During 2008)
Ride the free shuttle bus or from the village route transfer stop for the 7 mile, one-way trip. Allow at least two hours roundtrip. Views of the river at Hopi, Mohave, and Pima Points. Visit the Hermits Rest historic landmark.

Visit the Scenic Desert View Drive
Tour by private vehicle or commercial bus. 25 miles one-way. Views of the river at Moran, Lipan and Desert View Points. Visit the Watchtower historic landmark. May exit the park to the east. (hwy 89)

Visit an Information Center or Museum
The South Rim offers a variety of museums and information centers that house exhibits and provide park information. Learn about South Rim at bookstores and gift shops.

Hiking
To walk part of the well defined Rim Trail, begin from any viewpoint in the village or along Hermit Road. Day hike in and around the canyon or backpack overnight below the rim.

Participate in a Grand Canyon Field Institute Learning Adventure
The Grand Canyon Field Institute offers guided educational tours led by expert instructors while backpacking, camping, hiking, and whitewater rafting. Topics include geology, history, archaeology, photography, and more.

Journey to Grand Canyon National Park aboard Grand Canyon Railway
From Williams, Arizona (along Interstate 40) the Grand Canyon Railway carries more than 230,000 people by rail to Grand Canyon National Park each year.

Whitewater and Smoothwater raft trips on the Colorado River
Whitewater trips through Grand Canyon last from 3 days to 21 days and require reservations well in advance. Half-day smoothwater trips from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry may be arranged by any Lodge inside the park and include transportation from the South Rim Village to Glen Canyon Dam.

North Rim (Open mid-May through mid-October)
Facilities are open mid-May to mid-October only.
North Rim Visitor Center - located adjacent to the parking lot on Bright Angel Peninsula. Park and regional information, maps, brochures, exhibits, and bookstore.

Grand Canyon Village
is the center of activity and the transportation hub for the South Rim of the park. The village is the only place where the railroad reaches the rim of the canyon. Free shuttle busses connect the lodges, campground, restaurants, and shops, with the business center (Market Plaza) and Visitor Information Center. (Canyon View Plaza) The shuttles also stop at many canyon overlooks.

In the Village you will find the Historic District, that was built by the Santa Fe Railroad during the first half of the 20th Century. Take a walking tour and imagine yourself back when President Teddy Roosevelt and artist Thomas Moran visited the park.

Market Plaza is the Business Center of the Village. Here you will find a general store and deli, the bank, post office, and a cafeteria at Yavapai Lodge. Market Plaza has a large parking lot and is in a central location. It is a good place to park and ride the park's free shuttle busses.

Yavapai Observation Station - located one mile east of Market Plaza provides spectacular views of Grand Canyon. Geological displays include three-dimensional models, powerful photographs, and interpretive panels which allow park visitors to see and understand the complicated geologic story of the area. The Yavapai exhibits explain the deposition of the rock layers, the uplift of the Colorado Plateau, and the carving of the Grand Canyon.

Canyon View Information Plaza has a visitor center, a large bookstore, and ample restrooms. Several outdoor exhibits provide a variety of information about Grand Canyon National Park and what to do once you are here. Canyon View Information Center can be reached by riding the free shuttle bus or walking the short distance from Mather Point. You can not drive to Canyon View Information Plaza.

The Desert View Drive or East Rim Drive (Highway 64) leaves Grand Canyon Village and follows the canyon rim east for 26 miles to Desert View - at the east entrance to the park

The Desert View Watchtower, constructed in 1932 as a replica of a prehistoric Indian tower, commands a magnificent view of the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert to the east and the San Fransico Peaks to the south. This seventy-foot tower is the highest point on the South Rim. The interior walls of the tower feature murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie.

A visit to Tusayan Ruin and Museum provides a glimpse of Pueblo Indian life some 800 years ago. Tusayan Ruin is located three miles west of Desert View and is open daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.