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Reaching the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff
Flagstaff is close to the meteor crater, the legendary Route 66 and the Grand Canyon. It is also a middle sized city with historical town center. Sounds of trains in the background gave it a special old time flair, as well. The climate in Flagstaff, even in the summer was mild and comfortable.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is about 88 miles away or a 90 minute drive from Flagstaff. You can drive along along Interstate 40 a while until you reached the Williams exit. From there continue along the Highway 64 and follow the signs leading to the canyon.
During the whole trip, you did not have a feeling that you are driving to see the Grand Canyon. Instead of a rocky or desert landscape, it is a surprise to see that Arizona is so green... and that in the month of August. Slowly the sign directing you to the Grand Canyon will appear.
To access the Canyons, you have to pay a national park fee of 25 dollars (as of August 2008) and this fee allows you a 7 day access to the park if in a private vehicle. You will arrive at the South Entrance Road, pay your fare and then drive into the park.
Signs direct you to your destination. To see the south rim, follow the road that leads to Mather Point. According to the park map, Mather Point is 2,170 meters or 7,120 feet high. This is a good place to start. There are plenty of parking spaces available and also facilities. Then walk along the trail provided towards the canyons, and soon enough you will see the canyons. If you are lucky, you will witness condors flying above to give the whole experience a majestic feeling to it.
Walking along the South Kaibab Trailhead
You do not realise the altitude until you are at the canyon itself. Mother Nature painted a lovely canvas of reds and browns on this landscape and one feels so small and unimportant when seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. It is really undescribable. It is like visitors can get a peek into the inside of this planet and discover its secrets that have been well kept for millions of years.
During the walk, you will most likely hear sounds coming out of the brush and notice adorable and curious squirrels. It seems unusual to find so many squirrels at such a location as it is very dried out. But they seemed to survive well in such conditions. Continue walking and the view just kept getting better and better.
There are plenty of points or platforms for tourists to take photos. It is like every new bend offers a totally new landscape. Most areas are secured by fences but occasionally there are areas that are less secure but many cannot resist reaching these areas. Some brave tourists risk going to dangerous points to get the most ultimate pictures. There are so many different rock formations and the layers of colors are gorgeous.
The canyon walls are around 1 mile or 1.6 km deep. There are trails at a later point that one can follow to enter the canyon.
You can either continue or you can consider heading back to your car and driving towards the Bright Angel Trailhead. You can proceed along the Desert View Drive and follow the signs to that destination. There are parking spaces along the railroad tracks. A “Mule Crossing” sign can be seen. Tourists can actually take tours along the canyon riding on the backs of mules. These tours are only offered in the morning hours and should be reserved weeks or even months in advance.
Walking along the Bright Angel Trailhead
While walking you will find great points to stop and absorb the view. At one area, there is sort of a entryway which gives you the feeling you are entering another world.
There is a sign shortly after the arched opening warning tourists not to enter the trail that went off to the right of the arch. The trail looks tempting to approach as it seems to be a good spot to take pictures, but unsafe at the same time because it is uneven and there are no hand rails.
At any given point, the landscape is breathtaking. Every bend seems to be a new reason to take more pictures. The evening sun also adds a hue of red along the canyon walls and throws deep shadows which adds to the intensity of canyon colors.
During the day, it seems mild while walking along the trail. The deeper you go into the canyon, the higher the temperature risese.
There comes a point when it obviously starts to descend. This trail leads deep into the canyon towards the Colorado River, which can be seen at the end. It seems closer than it actually is.
This area fascinates everyone. Not only is it lovely to see, but dangerous at the same time. Many have died trying to reach the Colorado River from this point. The trail goes on for miles and only the strong can survive it. Signs warning the tourists not to exceed their limits are posted at the beginning of the trail. Many underestimate themselves when attempting to reach the bottom of the trail, as it is not possible to make it all in one day. It takes double the amount of time to walk back than down to the river. A night’s rest should be planned during this journey to be on the safe side and plenty of food and especially water should be taken as the heat of the canyon can be unbearable.
The vegetation is fascinating as well as the animals such as the squirrels and the lizards that were scampering all around.
Leaving the Bright Angel Trailhead
While heading back to the car, you will see red cabins. They appear to be quaint and seem to be very popular amongst the tourists. These can be rented out and are not too far from the south rim. In the area are other hotels overlooking the canyons and also shops for the tourists in the area.
There is a location where the horses and mules are kept. These hard working animals happily groom each other and enjoy their evening rest after a long haul through the canyons.
In the distance, the sound of a train can be possibly heard. If so, you can wait along the tracks for it to pass by. It is the Grand Canyon train and as it passes, the passagers and the kaboose gentleman cheerfully waved at you while you are standing and watching.
The drive away from the canyons is again green and so opposite of the landscape of the canyons.
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