The Grand Canyon stretches 277 river miles (446 km) across Northern Arizona and in this expanse there are three rims from which to base your visit: the South Rim (location of Grand Canyon Village), the West Rim (location of Grand Canyon Skywalk®) and the North Rim (located on Hwy 76 south of Jacob Lake).
Each view point has its advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a suggested list of factors to consider when planning your trip:
Price-Point: Admission varies widely from these two experiences, depending on how many people are in your party (the National Park charges by car, and Grand Canyon West charges by person) and what you’re interested in doing (each location has add-on experiences available at add-on costs). You may also want to consider the time, transportation and opportunity costs involved.
The time of year: Like an episode of Nature, featuring all the depth and vibrant colors that the American Southwest has to offer, the Grand Canyon’s elevations also range from just 4,700 ft (1,430 m) at the West Rim to over 8,800 ft (2,680 m) at the North Rim. This can mean temperature changes from 0°F (-18°C) in the winter to over 100°F (38°C) in the summer.
What you want to see: The Grand Canyon reveals twelve primary rock layers spanning two billion years, and its width varies from only 4 miles (6.5 km) to 18 miles (29 km). Depending on what you want to see (especially for taking pictures) you’ll want to consider the time of day of your visit, the geography you’re interested in seeing and how you want the experience presented to you (such as a National Park format or from the perspective of Native Americans).
Your Itinerary: When traveling the American Southwest, especially in the Grand Circle region, you’ll want (and have the opportunity) to see many attractions. But there can be vast distances between areas of interest. So you might make a list of other attractions you’ll want to visit and plan your trip with all attractions in mind. Some suggested attractions might include Route 66, Sedona, the London Bridge, historic sites, other area National Parks and Las Vegas.
