Explore the Grand Canyon In A Day and A Half

The Grand Canyon is one of America’s most iconic natural wonders. Before I actually saw it with my own eyes, I doubted whether it could really live up to the hype. After seeing the beauty of its many geologic layers and vastness of the canyon I believe that it is something that everyone needs to see at least once. It can be a quick stop to only view from the rim, but to really appreciate it you should see it from as many views and angles as possible. You need to take the time to really explore the Grand Canyon in a day or more.

Updated November 2023

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What to do at the Grand Canyon in a Day and a Half

Despite the Grand Canyon’s massive size, you only really have two major things you have to do while you’re there. The first is to walk along the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, and the second is to hike into the canyon itself.

Don’t take that the wrong way, though. Those two things are both incredible!

Get Acquainted with the Grand Canyon’s South Rim

The first thing you should do when you arrive the Grand Canyon is to wander along the South Rim Trail because you’ll want to save the hike into the canyon for when you have a full day.

The South Rim Trail is very accessible for almost anyone. It’s 13 miles long but is almost entirely flat. In fact, the trail is basically just paved sidewalk with viewpoints every so often.

Don’t let the fact that it’s paved trail turn you off, though. The various viewpoints are all gorgeous. Even if you’ve seen hundreds of photos of the Grand Canyon, there really is something special about actually being on its rim looking into its vastness. As an extra treat, try to be there at sunset when you can see the many layers of the canyon’s cliffs glow with varying hues of orange, yellow and red.

The South Rim Trail is where almost every visitor to the Grand Canyon is dumped out from their RVs and tour buses. Fortunately, it’s incredibly easy to get away from the large crowds to more secluded parts of the South Rim.

Most people will linger around the main parking area for the South Rim, where they’ll look at the canyon then get back in their bus back to Las Vegas. If you just go a half mile or so left or right, the crowds quickly disperse, giving you some peace and quiet to admire this impressive landscape.

Grand Canyon South Rim — The South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Looking Around A Cliff Into The Grand Canyon — The sun setting on the Grand Canyon

I personally think the reason most people boldly claim that the Grand Canyon is overrated and not worth the time is because they don’t explore it at all. They only get out of their car, walk out to the viewpoint, take a few pictures, and then head back to their hotel. Don’t make that mistake. If you just wander along the rim a bit, you’ll quickly see how majestic this natural wonder is!

Hike the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail

Length:	16 miles round trip
Elevation Gain:	4,478 feet
Time:	6-8 hours if you do the entire hike
Difficulty:	strenuous due to high temperatures and the steep climb back up from the bottom

Hiking along the South Rim Trail is worthwhile, but to really experience the Grand Canyon instead of just seeing it, you need to hike into it. With your one full day at the Grand Canyon, plan to hike the Bright Angel Trail to get the best this national park has to offer.

Hiking into the canyon, you can appreciate the forces at play and the sheer scale of the canyon walls more so than when standing along the rim. Around each bend you get a slightly new perspective of the surrounding walls.

You can choose to hike the full 16 miles round-trip if you’re physically able (but be warned, this is very difficult and not recommended). If you don’t want to do the full hike, there are several convenient turnaround points on the way down to make for shorter hikes. Regardless of where you turn around, you will face steep climbs coming back, so you can’t avoid that.

(Keep in mind these are just suggestions. You can and should turn around anywhere if you are running low on water and/or getting fatigued. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself to the limit in this extreme environment.)

The first two turnarounds offer basic rest areas with water available from May to October and toilets. They can be found 1.5 and 3 miles into the canyon.

At 4.5 miles is the next turnaround. This section of the trail is called Havasupai Gardens. It’s a quaint rest area with a trickling creek, a picnic table, year-round water and bathrooms. The hike to get from the second rest area to Indian Garden offers different scenery from the earlier switchbacks. After the switchbacks, the trail levels off and takes you through more of a desert valley landscape. Don’t be deceived: Even though it’s more level, it gets hot here because there’s no shade, so it can still be difficult.

The final turnaround is at Plateau Point. Plateau Point is actually a 1.5-mile spur from Indian Garden that takes you across more desert valley until you reach the plateau overlooking the Colorado River. This spur is considered very strenuous because there is no shade as you cross the long valley. There is water available from May to September.

Michelle At The Bright Angel Trailhead — Michelle is still bright-eyed about hiking into the Grand Canyon. She’d later regret this decision.

The South Kaibab Trail is another great hike into the canyon with several turnarounds to make it a shorter trip based on your needs. Jen from The Lens of Jen has a great guide to this trail if you’re looking for an alternative to Bright Angel Trail!

Tips for Hiking Bright Angel Trail

Arrive early. Starting your hike early offers two advantages. First, you can be alone with the trail for much of your descent. Second, you can avoid the midday heat for much of the hike which is a huge bonus.
Bring plenty of water and snacks. Remember: The recommendation is 1 liter of water per hour of hiking. You’ll also need some nutrient-dense snacks to replenish the calories you’ll be burning along the way.
Take your time. You’ll want to do this to appreciate nature’s majesty around you. From a practical sense, you’ll also need to take your time to avoid burning out on the way back up the trail.
Avoid the mules. There are mule tours along this trail so be careful around them if you happen to cross one. If coming across a tour, stand to the side and try to be still to avoid spooking the mules. Also, watch out for mule droppings on the trail as you definitely don’t want to step in that while hiking.
Keep a close eye out for wildlife. While we hiked, we saw three bighorn sheep along the switchbacks and a mule deer in the valley near Havasupai Gardens. Especially if you’re coming from the east coast, seeing something like bighorn sheep is a real treat since we don’t have anything like that where we live.

Two Bighorn Sheep At The Grand Canyon — Can you see the two bighorn sheep?

Multicolored Cliffs At The Grand Canyon — Looking back at the multicolored cliffs from inside the Grand Canyon

Bright Angel Trail Winding To The Bottom Of The Grand Canyon — Bright Angel Trail

What To Do with More than a Day in the Grand Canyon

Hike to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

The top thing I would have done with more time would be to hike the full distance in and back out of the canyon. Without question, that was my biggest regret from the whole trip around Utah and Arizona.

If the weather is too hot or you aren’t physically fit enough to do the full 16-mile hike, you can camp at the bottom to make it a two-day trip. It should be noted that the National Park Service recommends against hiking down and back in one day regardless of fitness. To camp, you have to reserve a space ahead of time. Campsites go quickly so make sure you book as soon as you know what day you’ll be hiking.

Another option if you want to break the hike up into two days but don’t like camping in a tent is to get a reservation at Phantom Ranch. Phantom Ranch has dorms and cabins for those who want less rustic accommodations. Unfortunately, these are in very high demand. In order to get a reservation, you have to enter a lottery system 13 months in advance. There is no fee to enter, and you can only enter one time per month.

Click here to enter the Phantom Ranch lottery!

Visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

The other thing I would have done with more time (a lot of more time actually) is visit the North Rim of the canyon. It’s about four hours to get from one rim to the other, meaning you need at minimum an additional day to see and appreciate both.

Grand Canyon’s North Rim is a very different from the South Rim due to a 1,300 foot elevation change. Because of this, it’s a vastly different landscape based on everything I have read or heard from other travelers. The North Rim is also nice as there are far fewer visitors here due to how much longer it takes to get here from any major city. So, you can enjoy the Grand Canyon in more isolation when compared to the South Rim.

Staying at Trailer Village with a Day at the Grand Canyon

If you are visiting in an RV, you could do way worse than staying in Trailer Village. Trailer Village has full hook-ups and can accommodate RVs up to 50 feet in length. Each site has a charcoal grill and picnic table. There is also a public restroom with toilets but no showers. However, showers and laundry services are located a short distance away near Mather Campground.

The best part of Trailer Village? Elk! There are many elk that roam freely through the campground munching on foliage and drinking water wherever its available. I realize it’s not the most natural thing, but it is impressive being able to see these creatures in such close proximity to you. Seeing them so close makes you realize just how majestic these animals are.

Even though it may be tempting to think these elk are docile, you have to remember they’re still wild creatures. Like with all wildlife, you should not feed or touch them. You also need to make sure you do not approach them.

We only saw one bull, but it was because I accidentally came too close to a female. This caused him to come out of hiding and actually chase me away. It was pretty terrifying!

Two Elk Drinking Water At The Grand Canyon — Two elk cows who learned how to turn on the water spigot

Important Info to Know When Visiting the Grand Canyon

Extreme Temperatures

The Grand Canyon is in the desert. Deserts get hot. If you are planning on hiking and/or are not in great physical health, bring plenty of water. The general recommendation for hiking in hot temperatures is to consume at least one liter of water per hour.

Knowing that it’s hot is probably obvious for most of you. What might not be as obvious is that the temperature actually increases as you hike into the canyon. Make sure to take this into account if you plan on hiking Bright Angel or South Kaibab Trail.

Grand Canyon Fees

There are two main fee situations I want to mention. The first is that there is a $35 fee for all vehicles entering the park. This fee covers entry into the park for all individuals in the vehicle.

The second is for individuals entering the park through other means (i.e. shuttle bus, train, rafting, etc). This fee is $20 per person. Individuals under the age of 15 can enter the park for free.

I’ve shouted out the America the Beautiful National Park Pass in other blog posts, and I want to do so again here. The pass is only $80 and covers your entry fees for any federally owned lands including national parks, national battlefields, and national forests. So, if you think you’re going to visit at least three of these in a year, you should definitely purchase this pass!

Resources to Book Your Trip to the Grand Canyon

Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Arizona!

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