📷 Photo by Jennifer Rogalla on UnsplashGrand Canyon National Park
A canyon 277 river miles long, cut by the Colorado River through almost two billion years of rock.
- Established
- 1919
- State
- Arizona
- Depth
- about 1 mile
- Best season
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Before you go
- The South Rim is open all year and has the most services.
- Free shuttles connect viewpoints along Hermit Road, which is closed to private cars for much of the year.
- It is much hotter at the bottom of the canyon than on the rim. Don't try a rim-to-river day hike in summer.
Viewpoints
Mather Point is the busiest viewpoint. Yavapai Geology Museum explains the rock layers, and Hopi Point is the classic place for sunset. Desert View Watchtower, 25 miles east, makes a good last stop if you are heading out.
FAQs
How far is the Grand Canyon from Route 66?
About an hour north of Williams on AZ-64, which makes it a popular overnight detour.
Places to see
Photo by Miguel Ángel Sanz on UnsplashGrand Canyon National Park – South Rim
A mile deep and up to 18 miles across. The South Rim is open all year. Watch sunset from Hopi Point or…
© Grand Canyon National Park · CC BY 2.0Grandview Point
A forested South Rim viewpoint on Desert View Drive with one of the widest panoramas of the canyon. The…
© brewbooks from near Seattle, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Cape Royal
The end of the winding Cape Royal Road, where an easy paved trail passes Angels Window, a natural arch,…
© Grand Canyon National Park · CC BY 2.0Desert View Watchtower
Mary Colter’s 1932 stone tower at the east end of the South Rim, with Hopi murals inside and wide views of…
© Famartin · CC BY-SA 3.0Point Imperial
The highest viewpoint on either rim, looking east over the Painted Desert and the start of Marble Canyon.…
© Jarek Tuszyński · CC BY-SA 4.0Wupatki National Monument
Red sandstone pueblos built after the Sunset Crater eruption, the largest with around 100 rooms and a ball…
Campsites nearby
- Mather CampgroundCampsite1 mi fromTentsCaravans
- Trailer Village RV ParkMotorhome stopover1 mi from · 123 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityWaste disposal
- Hermit RapidsCampsite5 mi fromTents
- Grand Canyon Camper VillageCampsite6 mi from
- Desert View CampgroundCampsite17 mi fromTentsCaravans
- Wander Camp Grand CanyonCampsite22 mi fromTents
All campsites in Arizona · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
