I had been dying to see the Grand Canyon for most of my adult life. I’ve seen it from the window of a commercial jet. I’ve stared at photos, skimmed the travel blogs and read the National Park guides. When I finally laid eyes on it up close (though as big as it is, up close maybe isn’t the best description… more on my actual up-close look while hiking Rim-to-Rim here/link) and in real-life, I was stunned. The vastness overwhelmed me; the stunning layers of color were impossible to describe, photograph or recreate. There really is no way to understand and appreciate the Grand Canyon for its spectacular space on this planet without seeing it in person. I believe I could have stood and stared for hours. Except we brought the kids, and they eventually must eat. 

The Overall Plan 

We had three goals for experiencing the canyon: by foot/hike, by mule, and on the river. As a family, we almost always try to see new places through these three lenses. We all enjoy each of those experiences and it gives us a varied way to explore our destinations. Sticking to those goals really shaped the planning. 

Our trip was essentially a circumnavigation of the entire canyon. We entered the park at the South Rim in AZ, drove east along the rim, exited the park at the East Entrance, and eventually re-entered the park at the North Rim. While the majority of visitors to Grand Canyon National Park visit only the South Rim, and less than 1% actually go below the rim, I decided neither was acceptable. And so, the plan was made. 

We flew into Las Vegas because we also wanted to visit the Hoover Dam (about 45 minutes outside of Vegas) and because I thought it might be nice to have a couple of nights of comfort/luxury after all the outdoorsy effort. Since Vegas is near the west end of the Grand Canyon, it also made a nice starting/stopping point. Las Vegas is four hours from the South Rim. Phoenix is also about four hours from the South Rim, but directly south and not convenient to our large loop or the Hoover Dam. Flagstaff is closer to the South Rim, about 2 hours. 

We landed around noon, grabbed the rental car, and headed toward the Grand Canyon South Rim Park Entrance. An easy drive, with some nice views, but also stretches of nothing much to look at. We filled with gas and grabbed some supplies in Tusayan, AZ, the last town before you officially enter the park. 

Yavapai Lodge 

I felt lucky to have scored a reservation inside the park at Yavapai Lodge –  accommodations inside the park can be completely booked a year in advance. Yavapai Lodge is one of six lodging options inside the National Park at the South Rim. (I didn’t want to camp, but that’s an option, too.)  There are three main areas of the South Rim: Visitor Center (no lodging, but great viewpoints); Market Plaza (where our lodge was); and the Village/Historic District (on the rim, and all other lodging is located in this area.) All are easy to navigate on the shuttles or by car, bike, or foot. Yavapai Lodge does not sit on the rim; rather, it’s “inland” a bit, but it’s very close to a market/general store and a tavern, and we appreciated the proximity to those spots. We picked Yavapai Lodge simply because it was the only accommodation available; initially I wanted something on the rim, but I’d pick Yavapai Lodge again. Basic, but clean and good space for us. You can shuttle from so many places in the park that being away from the rim was no problem. I do wish Yavapai Lodge had outdoor seating areas set up like other areas of the park. The night sky is lovely, and we’d have loved to sit and gaze. We stayed at Yavapai for two nights. I wish we had booked a third night and I’ll explain why later. (Tip: If you want those rim views from your bed, start your plan a year in advance and keep checking back for cancellations.)  

Goal One: Hike the South Kaibab Trail! 

Our first morning, we hiked part of the South Kaibab Trail. There’s a shuttle depot at the Visitors center, so we shuttled from our lodge to the Visitors Center, and picked up the shuttle to the trailhead in the morning (not crazy early like the rim-to-rim hikers, but up and out.) There are handful of options for trails/hikes on the South Rim. We picked South Kaibab because I really wanted our family to adventure into the canyon a bit (and not just walk along the rim). It came recommended as “do-able” for reasonably fit kids and while still offering spectacular scenic views. Other trails along the South Rim include the Rim Trail (which is paved, level and long as it winds along a great stretch of the South Rim) and Bright Angel Trail. Bright Angel is possibly the most well-known, often crowded, and steep for the top few miles. On South Kaibab, we hiked to Ooh Aah point (about 3/4 mile down). This could easily be a turn-around point if you weren’t up for going farther. We went on to Cedar Ridge Point (about 1.5 miles down). It was a great stopping point for us – bathrooms, lots of open flat space to eat (we packed heavy snacks to serve as early lunch). This is pretty much as far as most people go on this trail unless they are hiking to the bottom. (Two important notes: Park staff warn people about venturing below the rim. It is easy to walk down, hard to hike back up. Water is limited. Be aware and plan ahead. And stay away from the squirrels! They’re bold and they carry disease.) 

The hike back up from Cedar Ridge to the trailhead was a challenge for my youngest – age 10. Not un-do-able, just tough. We rested frequently and took our time. I had no concern that she wouldn’t make it; it just took lots of encouragement. There were spots of shade around bends in the trail, so we’d sit for a few and sip water, then keep going.  

Hiking notes: The trail down felt slippery. The gravel and sand slides around underfoot a lot, and I wished we had trekking poles and trail shoes instead of sneakers. The hike up was tough on the quads and gluts, but the footing was steadier. Shortness of breath comes quickly as the heat and altitude rise. It’s important to remember that as fun and easy as it seems on the way down, you have no choice but to hike back up. Know your limitations and don’t lose sight of the uphill return. 

(Tip: I bought my kids hydration backpacks, and Jeff and I had water bottles in our backpack along with snacks. We were there in early June and, while it was hot on the way back up, it was not extreme, thankfully. We went through every last drop of water and Jeff was offering the last of his water to the girls. Salty snacks are important… sweating in the dry heat evaporates the salt from your body. We did pretzels and nut butter, trail mix, etc. Electrolytes would have been good, too.) 

Ultimately, this hike was absolutely worth every drop of evaporated sweat. At Cedar Ridge, we felt immersed in the canyon and its views in every direction, including up. For our family, this challenge was the right mix of adventure but not scary. All of us experienced heaps of pride when we visited Mather Point at the Visitor Center the next morning and could look down at the trail we followed and see the ridge we rested on.   

Meals in the park at the South Rim are decent and easy to access. We stocked up on snacks that could serve as breakfast and lunch for convenience. The tavern across from Yavapai Lodge had a great patio area and fun beers. Not spectacular food, but plenty of choices and priced reasonably. That evening we did a low-key Rim Trail hike during sunset for views. Plenty of easy places to hop on this trail and hit a viewpoint. 

(Important note: we have ATT and had no cell service in our lodge, on the trail, or at the Visitor Center. We did pick up service near the other lodging in the Village and the Bright Angel Trailhead. I heard that Verizon has better service in the park.) 

The next morning, we hit the Visitor Center and viewpoints up there. We were due to check out this day, but this is when I realized I wish I had another night. There were TONS of bikes for rent and I really think a bike ride along the rim trail would have been so fun.  

Desert View Drive and Moran Point 

After check-out, we headed away from the South Rim and drove East Desert View drive around the southeastern perimeter of the Grand Canyon. (Remember, we filled up with gas before we entered the park on Day One. And thank God we did because we didn’t see a gas station for hours!) There are so many great viewpoints and although we didn’t stop at all of them, we hit a few based on recommendations. My absolute favorite and the best view IMO was Moran Point. If you drive this path, this could be the one and only viewpoint to stop at and it would be totally worth it! Long range, red rim layers with the sharp teal of the Colorado River cutting through. We exited the Grand Canyon through the East Entrance and headed north through Navajo territory toward Page, AZ. This wasn’t a lovely drive. It feels and looks desolate and gave us pause to consider Native American lands and resources. 

Goal Two: River Rafting on the Colorado River 

We stayed in Page, AZ for two reasons – I couldn’t get a reservation inside the park at the North Rim. And, as river rafting was one of our goals, the only nearby half-day rafting excursion on the Colorado River leaves out of Page and heads down Glen Canyon to where it meets with the Grand Canyon. (There are other Grand Canyon/Colorado rafting adventures that are multi-day trips where you camp along the way.) At two hours away, Page is still one of the closest cities to the North Rim entrance. (The North Rim offers little cabins and we’d love to book one of those next time.)  

In Page, we stayed at Lake Powell Resort. Although Lake Powell is beautiful, the resort was mediocre. If we go back, we’d definitely opt to rent a houseboat, which looks like a ton of fun! We stayed two nights – a third would have been ok, because the extra day/night would have given us time to rent at a boat and spend time on Lake Powell. We booked our rafting adventure through: https://www.riveradventures.com/   

The check-in process was frustrating – huge crowds, long lines, massive bus shuttles to the launch point – it didn’t start out so great. But then, at the launch point, we boarded a river raft along with a small group of other visitors and a delightful, knowledgeable Navajo guide. It’s an amazing way to see the canyon, on the water, from the bottom looking up. FYI – the water is frigid year-round (a crisp 43 degrees), but a fantastic refresher to the desert heat. We loved this outing. We saw wild horses on the banks and rafted through Horseshoe Bend! 

The next morning, we checked out and made the drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon – lovely sights along this drive, parts of it twisting and winding through Kaibab National Forest (watch for animals!) I was disappointed that I didn’t give us more time for this drive. We drove right past the look-out point for Horseshoe Bend and didn’t have time to make the short hike in and out. It’s a bucket list item for me and I was crushed to drive right past it and not be able to stop. Give yourself an extra hour or two so you can add this sight in to your itinerary. 

Goal Three: Mule Ride on the North Rim 

I should add here that the North Rim may or may not be a must-do for your crew. It is a much smaller part of the National Park – and far less crowded and nearly 15 degrees cooler because of the higher elevation. I really wanted to see as much of the Grand Canyon as possible, not just the South Rim where most visitors end up. For us, it was important; might not be for everyone else. The North Rim has a couple of trails branching out from the Visitor Center (there’s just one main area at the North Rim, and everything is right there.) Views are also really amazing and surprisingly different than the South Rim. Also, we wanted to do a mule ride while at the Canyon (one of three original goals!) And with the age of my kids, a one-hour mule ride was the only option… and those only leave from the North Rim (overnight rides leave from the South Rim). We loved this – it was my husband’s favorite adventure and he was bummed we didn’t ride longer. The mules are so steady, but fair warning… they like the outside of the trail… as in the side that drops off into the canyon. We weren’t on the rim for very long, so otherwise it was a nice ride with forested views.  We didn’t regret our detour into the North Rim. It was very much an important piece of our overall visit to the Grand Canyon. 

After our day and mule ride adventure at the North Rim, we were off headed back toward Vegas to wrap our week-long adventure with some pool time, the Hoover Dam, a magic show and sushi! (As I mentioned, we definitely could have saved a night in Vegas and applied it to extra time in either the South Rim or Lake Powell.)  

Next time, I’ll… book early enough to stay inside the park in the North Rim, add a night to the stay at the South Rim so we can ride bikes, and leave enough time to hike to the Horseshoe Bend overlook. 

Itinerary At-A-Glance: 

Day One – Arrive in Las Vegas; drive to Grand Canyon South Rim Park Entrance; check-in to Yavapai Lodge 

Day Two – Hike upper portion of South Kaibab Trail; explore South Rim Village & Hopi House 

Day Three – Check out of Yavapai Lodge; drive East Desert View Drive; stop at notable lookout points; arrive in Page, AZ and check-in to Lake Powell Resort 

Day Four – River Rafting Adventure from Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry 

Day Five – Check out of Lake Powell Resort; drive from Page, AZ to Grand Canyon North Rim Park Entrance; Mule Ride along Canyon Rim; drive to Las Vegas; check in at Bellagio (This was a LONG day, but there was no real way around it.) 

Day Six – Relax by the pool! 

Day Seven – Visit Hoover Dam; see David Copperfield 

Day Eight – Fly home!