Grand Canyon on a budget

Our Local Expert Says:

Microbrews served from all over Arizona, and the pie is fresh and homemade. Otherwise, standard fare.

Description:

Local restaurant that serves Microbrews from Flagstaff, Tuscan, and Phoenix. This place has a casual atmosphere, home-style large portions for low-prices, and great pie!

Our Local Expert Says:

This is a great way to gain a first impression of the canyon before deciding on a good day hike.

Description:

The Rim Trail on the South Rim is one of the most popular things to do for visitors just arriving at Grand Canyon National Park. It's easy to see why: this path is easy on the soles and represents a great introduction to the panoramic wonders of the park. The path follows the South Rim westward from Yavapai to Hermits Rest, and is paved and fairly level for the first few miles, making this one of the park's best wheelchair accessible trails. The canyon will unfold as you move west, and once you manage to pry your eyes away from the canyon below, you'll notice you are surrounded by ponderosa and pinyon pines, shrub oaks, and chipmunks and squirrels playing in the woodland. To get here, leave your car at the visitor center and take the free shuttle to Yavapai Point. You can return to the visitor center from several points along the trail, making it easy to customize your schedule from here.

Description:

Taking "the road less traveled" CAN make all the difference, especially if you are camping the backcountry of Arizona's Grand Canyon. Pitch a tent at Crazy Jug Point and feast your eyes on sweeping panoramic views of Grand Canyon National Park, including Fishtail Mesa, Steamboat Mountain and Tapeats Amphitheater. Travelers can obtain overnight backcountry permits, maps, and more at the North Rim Ranger Station, located one mile north of Grand Canyon Lodge along AZ 67. Reservations are recommended.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Desert View Watchtower is must-see for its spectacular views, easy accessibility, and rich artistic qualities.

Description:

This easily accessible landmark was constructed in 1932 as replica of a prehistoric Indian tower. Each stone was handpicked, ensuring a solid structure as well as an aesthetically appealing design. This seventy-foot tower is the highest point on the South Rim and offers visitors a magnificent view of the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, and the to the south, the mighty San Francisco Peaks. This place is very popular in the summer, but nearly vacant during colder months. The interior walls of the tower feature murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. The Desert View Watchtower can be found on the easternmost end of the South Rim.

Description:

One of the most popular things to do at Grand Canyon National Park is to hike this popular, highly-trafficked South Rim trail that starts just steps away from the Grand Canyon Lodges, and ends at the bottom of the canyon. Day hikers, guests staying at Phantom Ranch, and mule riders all share this busy, scenic route, making for some interesting people- and animal-watching. Bright Angel Trail offers great views from the inner canyon--so great, in fact, that hikers can easily lose track of how far they've traveled. Although well-traveled and maintained, Bright Angel Trail is quite steep at some points, and hikers should expect to take twice as long to come back up. The 12-mile trail is not recommended for hikers seeking a one-day, round-trip adventure, but there are plenty of popular outlooks and switchbacks for easy turn-around.

Our Local Expert Says:

Experienced hikers should break out a good pair of boots for this trail. Water is available, but must be treated.

Description:

Give uphill hikers the right-of-way as you descend this steep, rocky trail. On the way back up, you'll appreciate it. The Hermit trail, which is not maintained, but does retain integrity, offers hikes to Santa Maria Spring, a quick 5-mile round trip and Dripping Springs, a 7-mile round trip. The Hermit Trail begins 500 feet west of Hermits Rest. Water from both of these springs is cool and tasty, but must be treated before drinking. If you don't have a water filter, which can be pricey, use iodine tablets. They can be purchased at any outdoors store for only a few dollars.

Our Local Expert Says:

Experienced hikers should take this rocky but rewarding trail. Bring your own water, as none is available anywhere on or near the trail.

Description:

The Grandview trail offers a challenging hike through steep, rocky terrain beginning on the South Rim. Experienced hikers should take this trail, which is not maintained, and plan to reach Coconino Saddle in 2.2 miles and Horseshoe Mesa in 6.4 miles. Don't let the steep trail deceive you. The hike back up will take twice as long. Trail conditions are much tougher than the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails. A good set of hiking boots with ankle support is recommended, as it is easy to twist an ankle on this rocky trail. The Grand View Trail begins on the canyon side of retaining wall at Grandview Point on Desert View Drive, which is 12 miles east of the village. There is no water available on this trail, so bring plenty.

Description:

This steep, well-traveled South Rim trail is one of the most popular with day hikers and mule riders at Grand Canyon National Park. Many visitors make the day hike to Cedar Ridge, which offers great, expansive views and is recommended for hikers who only have a short time to spend in the park. The trail is steep and well-defined with little shade--hikers are advised to bring along plenty of water. Thee are no private vehicles allowed in this part of the park, so to get to the trailhead, take the shuttle bus to Yaki Point Road.

Our Local Expert Says:

Take this trail, which is one of my favorites, for a day hike or take your time and make a weeklong trip out of the Tonto. No matter how many times I walk this trail, I experience something new.

Description:

Gaze at the spectacular vistas jutting toward the sky in hues of red, purple, and white on the largest stretch of continuous trail in the entire canyon. Though the trail itself extends 70 miles throughout the canyon, many sections are used to form fascinating loop hikes from, to name some popular loops, South Kaibab to Bright Angel, Hermit to Bright Angel, and Red Canyon to Grandview. The sections of the Tonto Trail near Horseshoe Mesa were used frequently by miners at the turn of the century who extracted copper ore from the mines within the mesa. Much of the trail was reworked and altered as a result of the miner's burros. A great entrance to this trail is at the beach created at the mouth of Red Canyon.