The third and final national park we visited while on our return trip from South Dakota to Florida was the Grand Canyon National Park. It has certainly been a bucket list destination for us and since we were so close coming from Zion National Park, we decided it was a must. Since campgrounds inside the park were full, we booked 4 nights at Grand Canyon Camper Village RV park just outside the park’s south entrance.
We visited the Grand Canyon in late October, which is considered off-season. We were lucky to have near perfect weather, albeit a bit chilly in the mornings. We were pleasantly surprised at how accessible the park was as far as parking and crowds. As I understand, the line and wait can be quite long just to reach the park’s entrance and we just drove right in. We didn’t have to pay either for this park or Bryce Canyon or Zion since the government was shut down. All 3 parks were staffed and mostly fully functioning. Since the north end of the park was closed at the time we were there, we mainly explored the south rim. Randy and I hiked 2 different days and spent one day walking the South Rim Trail with Sophie in her stroller.
Bright Angel Trail to Havasupai Gardens
Our first full day at the Grand Canyon, Randy and I wanted to hike. We decided to check out the Bright Angel trail which is considered one of the most popular, well-maintained hiking paths into the Grand Canyon. We would have loved to take the trail further down to the Colorado River but it would have been over 12 miles which was too long to leave Sophie back on the RV. So, we agreed to take it down to Havasupai Gardens which would clock in around 9 miles roundtrip. The morning temps started out in the 40’s but by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, it was much warmer and we’d stripped off most of our layers. We were so impressed with how well maintained the trail was and there were restrooms every 1.5 miles. We descended down into the canyon and were stunned with the vastness of the canyon. Getting down into the canyon is the easy part, however, because the climb out is about a 3,000 feet elevation gain over 4.5 miles. We were spent once we reached to the top but what an incredible experience to see the canyon from these viewpoints!
Exploring the South Rim Trail
On our second day, we decided we should get Sophie out of the RV so we checked out the South Rim Trail. The South Rim trail is a paved 13 mile biking and walking trail that passes through main viewpoints, including Mather Point, Yavapai Geology Museum, and Grand Canyon Village. It was yet another gorgeous fall day and it was great being able to push Sophie in her stroller as we took in the various viewpoints. We walked about 4 miles or so in one direction, stopped for lunch and headed back. We were able to see quite a bit of wildlife as well including big horn sheep, deer and an elk that was taking a rest at the base of a tree.
South Kaibab Trail to Skeleton Point
We definitely wanted to hike on our last day at the Grand Canyon, so we decided to do the South Kaibab Trail which did not disappoint. The South Kaibab Trail is another steep and scenic day hike trail that starts off with a series of switchbacks that lead to Ooh Ah Point, a popular scenic spot that’s about 1.8 miles round tip. As we continued past Ooh Ah, it got a lot less crowded and even more scenic. We continued on to Skeleton Point which offered views of the Colorado River and desert canyon landscape. Our hike was about 6 miles roundtrip with over 2,000 feet in elevation gain. Randy and I still can’t decide which trail was more amazing—Bright Angel or South Kaibab. Both offered equally amazing views and similar elevation gain but very different landscapes and trail paths.
After we completed the hike, we decided to walk along the South Rim trail a bit to spot wildlife and were treated to a herd of elk crossing the path right in front of us. Perfect ending to a perfect visit! I think we’ll definitely be revisiting this park again soon.
