The Grand Canyon is one of the highlights for the international visitor to the United States and it behooves the citizen of this country to every once in a while review our national parks, especially this renowned natural attraction in the great state of Arizona (Ref 1 Photo).
Summer is a good time to visit as the nearly 7,000-ft elevation along the South Rim keeps the daytime temperatures comfortable; however, the down side is that this is also the most popular period for visitors and one must vie for parking spots, etc. No matter, the park is big and there certainly are many viewing spots so the crowds are not all that pervasive. Soon more bus and rail transit lines will shuttle visitors which will hopefully decrease the use of vehicles in the more popular areas.
The Grand Canyon National Park (Ref 2) can be approached by train (Ref 3) and the 2+hr ride from Williams, some 60 miles south of the South Rim, makes for a comfortable trip. Most visitors, however, drive to the park and the roads are in excellent condition with few stop lights in the entire region. Maps of the region (Ref 4) (Ref 5) provide some idea of the area's road network.
Arriving at the South Rim, one is quick to view the canyon from the nearest overlook then most probably proceed to the visitor's center. The area has many activities (Ref 6) and most of them are centered on the South Rim. If one doesn't stay overnight, a full day should be enough to see the most important sights (Ref 7). Another look at the map can help determine what side trips might be explored (Ref 8) or whether it is time to head off for more adventure elsewhere. In my case, I headed east to Cameron and the shortest road to Canyon de Chelly (Ref 9). The national monument is reminiscent of Zion National Park with its cross-bedded red and yellow sandstone strata but it has the overriding aura of the Navajo people still living in their ancestral home (Ref 10). Looking down from the rim to the White House settlement tucked into the cave high above the valley floor with the huge colorful sheer cliff above it has to be a classic sight. And the Spider Rock overlook is another marvelous view with the tallest (800+ft) rock stacks in existence has to be a high point in any trip. Even the novel view of cars driving in the shallow river bed of a national monument brings the eyebrows up a notch. The answer is that this is still Navajo reservation land and if one hires a local guide then the drive is a-okay (Ref 11). Besides the Navajo and Hopi connections, the spotlight is on the local geology (Ref 12) which is an enjoyable on-site lesson in sedimentary rock formation and differential stream erosion. The national monument covers a v-shaped area that includes lookouts from the rim of two river valleys as shown in the accompanying map of Canyon de Chelly (Ref 13). A single trail into the valley may be followed without the services of a guide but all other expeditions below the rim must be guided. Another interesting activity is to take a horse ride (Ref 14) into the canyon for another perspective.
These two national preserves have much to recommend them whether they have been visited previously or not. Hopefully, you will join the park pilgrimage before long.
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