The Ultimate Guide to 24 Hours in Grand Canyon National Park

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have a few obsessions. (If you don't follow me - get on that! @TheWeekendress) One of those obsessions is Carolina Basketball. Another is National Parks. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to combine the two for the ultimate Bucket List weekend, watching Carolina compete in the Final Four (and win the National Championship) in Phoenix and a 24 hour trip to Grand Canyon National Park. Needless to say, it was one of the best weekends of my life - and I got to experience with my mom/BFF. The Grand Canyon is on most bucket lists (and if it's not on yours, add it now because it's amazing) and there are a ton of blogs out there about what to do while you're there. However, to fit in everything that is recommended on these blogs, you need to spend a few days in the park. My mom and I only had 24 hours before we needed to be back on the road to make the drive back to Phoenix and make it in time for tip-off. With the help of our National Parks book, we fit in as many canyon vistas as possible.

24 Hours in Grand Canyon National Park

I felt like I did my research before I got to the Grand Canyon. I read my National Parks book, I scoured the internet for recommendations, but nothing could prepare me for when I was standing on the rim looking into the canyon for the first time. Spanning 277 miles long and an average of 10 miles across, the 2,600 square mile canyon is unbelievable. No picture or guide book or conceptual understanding of its size does the Grand Canyon justice. In a park this big, it's hard to determine where to begin and what to focus on. The North Rim drive is open from May-October, so because we were at the park in April, we stayed on the South Rim. This made decision making a little easier, but there is still a ton of things to see and do on the South Rim.

South Entrance Visitors Center

*Overlooking Mather's Point (and obviously repping my Carolina jersey)*

The South Entrance Visitors Center is the most logical place to start your Grand Canyon visit. It offers 4 parking lots, maps, brochures, bathrooms, gift shops, and a café. It is a very centralized location, offering shuttles to various parts of the park - some of which are only accessible via shuttle (but I'll talk about those later). Start here to get your bearings straight and head to Mather's Point for your first view of the canyon - a short walk from the parking lot.

South Rim Trail

Start at Mather's Point and work your way west along the paved South Rim Trail towards Yavapai Lookout and Geology Museum. It's about a .7 mile walk and offers amazing views along the way. We were super lucky to see wild elk just steps off the path enjoying an afternoon snack. This leisurely hike is a great way to take in a long stretch of canyon and is super accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. While it might not be the best view of the canyon (and is definitely the most crowded) it is one of the most easily accessible vistas. If you're pressed for time like we were, this is a great spot.

Desert View Drive

The Visitors Center features a café with a great of grab-and-go selection (including multiple gluten aware options - which made me a happy camper) so my mom grabbed lunch and hopped on Desert View Drive. This 22 mile stretch features many Grand Canyon views, picnic areas and more. We stopped at many of the marked stops along the way, each featuring a different vantage point and a comprehensive history of the canyon. We started at Grandview Point where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and snapped a few unobstructed photos of the canyon. Grandview was much less crowded than Mather's Point and offered a very similar viewpoint. From Grandview Point we continued to Moran Point. Moran jets out farther into the canyon and is a recommended spot for sunrise and sunset according to the South Rim Pocket Map. We were there in the middle of the day and were still able to take in more breathtaking views. We continued our journey down Desert View Drive to Lipan Point, the second best Overlook of the South Rim according to our guide book. Lipan features amazing views of Hance Rapid, Unkar Delta, and Grand Canyon Supergroup. The book did not lead us astray and we enjoyed some of our favorite views of the canyon from Lipan Point - definitely plan on including Lipan on your Grand Canyon itinerary. Just down the road from Lipan stands Navajo point, the highest viewpoint on the South Rim. At nearly 7,500 feet, Navajo features scenic views of the Colorado River and more panoramic views of the canyon below. It was also the least populous of all of the Desert View Drive stops and had great opportunities to freak my mom out and climb further into the canyon for some photo ops. The final stop along Desert View Drive is appropriately named Desert View Point. It features the Desert View Watchtower which offers a 360-degree view of the canyon and surrounding landscape (and is a National Historic Landmark, so bonus points to you for that). Take in the amazing views as you make the 22 mile drive back to Grand Canyon Village.

Sunset

Grab a cocktail in Grand Canyon Village and stay steps away from one of the most breathtaking sunsets of your life. Mohave Point, Pima Point, Moran Point, Mather Point and Yaki Point are known for their unobstructed views. We watched from the South Rim Trail in front of El Tovar hotel and still had a spectacular view. No matter where you are in the park, get to the rim to watch this bucket list sunset!

Stargazing

*GoPro shot of the night sky over the South Rim.*

While the daytime views of Grand Canyon National Park are indescribable, there was something magical about the stars over the canyon. After dinner, head back out to the rim and enjoy the views. If you have a real camera (or GoPro like I used), set your shutter speed as high as it can go, set your ISO and exposure and snap away. This was by far my favorite view of the canyon, and no knowledge of camera settings will be able to capture the awe-inspiring natural beauty.

Sunrise

In addition to simply going to the Grand Canyon, watching the sunrise over the canyon was also on my bucket list. Fortunately my mom and I were still on Eastern Time, so it was a little easier to wake up at the crack of dawn. I have always been #teamsunset, partly because I am not a morning person and partly because I think the sky is prettier at night, but watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon was amazing. The points I mentioned above for sunsets are also great vantage points for sunrise, but we settled for the 30 second walk from the hotel. While slightly obstructed, the sunrise was an incredible experience and one neither of us will ever forget. Watching the giant pit below us slowly fill with light gave us chills (and may have brought a tear or two to our eyes, but we're not going to talk about that). Make sure you set your alarm early and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Hermits Rest Route

Red Shuttle

To the West of Grand Canyon village are a series of viewpoints that are only accessible by (free) shuttle. The shuttle runs every 10-15 minutes and is hop-on-hop-off, which allowed us to fit in a lot in a little time. We hopped off at the second stop (Maricopa Point) and walked along the rim to Powell and Hopi Points, where we got back on the shuttle. There is a paved trail that connects the majority of the overlooks on Hermits Rest Route providing incredible views into the canyon. We made one more stop at Pima Point and headed back to the village. The Red Shuttle is a great way to fit in many vistas without having to worry about parking - definitely save a few hours to visit these viewpoints!

Yaki Point Route

Orange Shuttle

According to my National Park guidebook, Yaki Point was the best canyon overlook on the South Rim. However, we later realized that it was only accessible via shuttle, so we stopped by the Visitors Center one more time on our way out of the park to get on the Orange Line Yaki Point Route which runs every 10-15 minutes. I was a little worried about hitting traffic on the way back to Phoenix and missing part of the game, so I was hesitant to make one last stop, but I am so glad that we did. Yaki Point jets out further than most of the other vistas on the South Rim, providing a different perspective into the canyon. This is a must see and the shuttle makes it very accessible!

Grand Canyon National Park was an unbelievable experience that everyone should have at some point in their life. add it to your bucket list now and get out there!

Tips and Tricks

Entry to the park is $30 per vehicle and is valid for 7 days. Entrance permits are available at each of the Entrance Stations, but can also be purchased at 8 locations prior to entry. If visiting during peak season, consider getting your pass before entering the park to beat the crowds.
Stay in Grand Canyon Village! If you are only in the Grand Canyon for a day, staying close to the rim is essential to ensuring you are not wasting time coming and going, and allows you to have easy access to the night sky and sunrise. Lodging in the park is limited, so plan ahead and book early.
In a conservation effort, Grand Canyon National Park does not sell bottled water. Either bring your own or bring/purchase a reusable bottle - there are filling stations throughout the park.
Plan ahead and pack accordingly! There was a 40-degree difference between when we arrived in the park mid-afternoon and sunrise the next morning, and we definitely did not have enough layers. Check the weather forecast ahead of time and look at the lows (we focused on the highs which was a big mistake). Pack layers!
If you are hiking, plan your route ahead of time to ensure you have enough food and water - once you get below the rim, there are very few options.
If you don't want to fly into the Grand Canyon airport, both Phoenix and Las Vegas are great options for a short road trip!