Things To Do

Drop-down index of the activities described On This Page Navigation

 

Due to the pandemic, public health measures are in place, including temporary closures, and modified operations.

Visit this webpage (updated daily) for a list of what is open, hours of operation, and COVID-19 updates.

 

Touring Desert View Drive, the only South Rim scenic road that is open to private vehicles all year.

Ways to Experience Grand Canyon

Individual interests, available time, and the weather can all influence a visit.

Below are suggestions to assist you in personalizing your experience.

Choose Your Destination:

• South Rim

• North Rim

 

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South Rim (Open All Year)

 

Park Ranger Programs

Learn more about Grand Canyon nature, science, history and culture.

• This spring, check bulletin boards and ask at information tables for the programs being presented during your visit.
• South Rim Village Program Schedule >
• Take a Grand Canyon Virtual Tour >

Learn how youth can become Grand Canyon's Junior Rangers >

4th graders and their families can see America's natural wonders and historic sites for free through the Every Kid Outdoors Program >

 

Visitor Centers

Grand Canyon Visitor Center is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm daily.
The theater is closed for renovation at this time.

In addition, there are several additional museums and contact centers that feature exhibits and provide park information. Some of them are open:

Learn more about South Rim visitor and information centers >

Learn about South Rim bookstores and gift shops >

 

Park Theater CLOSED

The theater is closed at this time for renovation

The park film, Grand Canyon: A Journey of Wonder, was shown daily in the theater on the hour and half-hour. (The film is 20 minutes long).

 

Walk the Trail of Time

Between Yavapai Museum of Geology and Verkamps Visitor Center 1.2 miles (2 km) along the canyon rim. View photos here.

The path contains information about the canyon's geologic history, as well as samples from each rock layer within Grand Canyon. More >

Learn about Grand Canyon Geology >

 

Walking or Hiking

• Day hike in and around the canyon...
• or backpack overnight below the rim. (a backcountry permit is required)

The Canyon Rim Trail

For a nice introduction to the park, walk part of the well defined, and mostly level Canyon Rim Trail. Start from the Visitor Center/Mather Point, or from any viewpoint in the village.

West of the village, the Rim Trail continues alongside Hermit Road, a 7 mile scenic road with 9 exceptional overlooks. Details >

 

Hermit Road

(Also known as the West Rim Drive)

From March 1, through November 30, Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles.

The free Hermit Road (Red Route) Shuttle provides access. The road itself, and the designated greenway trail are also open to travel by foot or bicycle.

Commercial guided tours are available >

More about touring Scenic Hermit Road

 

Did You Bring Your Bicycle?

Learn about bicycling on the South Rim

Also available are bicycle rentals & guided bicycle tours, weather permitting. Bright Angel Bicycles is located by the Visitor Center.

Bright Angel Bicycles also operate a coffee bar/café with a "grab & go" menu targeted towards bicyclists and pedestrians.

 

Capture Grand Canyon in Photos

Taking photos is a great way to make your Grand Canyon trip last. Whether you share them on social media or compile them in a scrapbook, having great photos of your adventure is the best souvenir.

Visit the links below for some suggestions about the best times of day to shoot and, insider information about popular photo hot spots.

Capture Grand Canyon in Photos

How to View and Photograph Wildlife

 

Desert View Drive

Visitors traveling to Grand Canyon National Park can enter and exit the park through the East Entrance at Desert View.

(State Route 64 - also known as the East Rim Drive) This 23 mile (37 km) road, leaves Grand Canyon Village, then travels east to Desert View. and the East Entrance Station.

This is the only scenic road on the South Rim that is open to private vehicles all year. More about touring Desert View Drive in your vehicle.

Most Desert View services are open at this time.

 

Desert View

Visitors traveling to Grand Canyon National Park can enter/exit the park through the East Entrance at Desert View for wide, expansive views of Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. (Desert View is 23 miles/37 km) from the South Rim Village.

The Desert View Watchtower Gift Shop (Kiva Room) is open daily 9 am—5 pm: Only the ground level retail shop is open to the public. The tower itself remains closed until further notice. Details >

Desert View, has, a Market, Trading Post with Coffee/Ice Cream bar, a seasonal campground (closed for the winter), and a pay-at-the-pump gas station. Details >

 

Tusayan Pueblo/Museum CLOSED

Tusayan Pueblo is the remains of a small Ancestral Puebloan village is located 3 miles (5 km) west of Desert View.

When it is open, Tusayan Museum has exhibits that help bring the pueblo to life. Admission is free. Normal Hours: 9 am to 5 pm daily. There are also ranger-led tours of the ruins daily.

Most Desert View services are open at this time. However, it is always a good idea to bring enough food and water for everyone in your group.

Detailed information about visiting Desert View >

 

Guided Learning Adventures

Grand Canyon Conservancy's Field Institute has announced an exciting schedule of classes and guided hikes for 2022. https://www.grandcanyon.org/classes-tours/ The institute provides immersive and educational adventures at Grand Canyon—all officially designed and developed in partnership with Grand Canyon National Park.

A wide variety of Grand Canyon Maps, Trail Guides and Field Guides are available online from our non-profit partner Grand Canyon Conservancy.

Learn about additional Guided Tour options on the South Rim

 

Mule Trips

are offered year round on the South Rim.

The Canyon Vistas Ride is a 3 hour trip that travels along the canyon rim.

Overnight Rides go to the bottom of the canyon and stay at Phantom Ranch.

More about South Rim Mule Trips >

 

Raft Trips on the Colorado River

Half-day and all-day smooth water trips from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry may be arranged by any lodge within the park.

Transportation from the lodges to the dam is included.

Whitewater trips through Grand Canyon last from 3 days to 21 days and require reservations made well in advance, or a noncommercial permit obtained by entering a weighted lottery.

 

Ride 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.

As an alternative, to driving, it is possible to park in Williams, AZ, 60 miles south of the park, (on Interstate 40), take Grand Canyon Railway, and not have to deal with busy summer traffic and finding a parking place.

The train departs Williams daily at 9:30 am, arrives in Grand Canyon Village at 11:45 am, then departs the village at 3:30 pm, and arrives back in Williams at 5:45 pm.

 

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North Rim (Open for the Season)

North Rim lodging, camping & all services are available from May 15, through October 15

 

North Rim lodging, camping & all services are available May 15, through Oct. 15.

 

North Rim Visitor Center

Is located adjacent to the parking lot on Bright Angel Peninsula. The building is open from May 15 through October 15, 2022.

• The Visitor Center Store is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.

• Restrooms are located on the back side of the building.

• Park rangers are staffing an outdoor information desk between 10 am and 4 pm daily, at the Roaring Springs Overlook Kiosk, just north of the Visitor Center building, and along the canyon rim.

 

North Rim Ranger Programs

Interpretive programs are free and are offered daily between May 15th and October 15th.

• When you arrive on the North Rim, between May 15 and October 15, check bulletin boards or ask at the information kiosk about programs being offered during your visit.

• Learn how youth can become Grand Canyon Junior Rangers

 

North Rim Day Hiking

When the North Rim is open, take a day hike through this beautiful scenery.

• Experience the wild and remote feeling of the North Rim.

• Solitude can be found hiking the trails, and enjoying an awe-inspiring view. Watch mule deer and turkeys feeding in mountain meadows.

• Enjoy, discover, and celebrate the unique world of the North Rim.

 

North Rim Scenic Drives

During the season, Point Imperial and Cape Royal are reached via winding scenic drives you can tour in your vehicle.

• Driving to both points, with short walks, and several stops at pullouts along the way, can take 4 to 5 hours.

• (View photos)

• Point Imperial is 11 miles/ 18km - 20 min. one way.

• Cape Royal is 23 miles/ 37km - 45 min. one way.

 

North Rim Trail Rides

Mule trips are offered May 15 through October 15, of each year.

• One Hour Ride Through the forest along the rim of the canyon.

• 1/2 Day Trip to Uncle Jim Point on the Ken Patrick Trail

• Inner-Canyon 1/2 Day Trip to Supai Tunnel on the North Kaibab Trail

• Information and Reservations >

 

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"Traveling Green"

Is a great way to help Grand Canyon and other areas you visit reduce carbon emissions, divert and reduce what goes into the waste stream, and to generally help the environment. Go to the Traveling Green page for helpful tips on planning your next green adventure.

Thanks for doing what you can to help protect our environment!