The Grandeur of the Grand Canyon

If there is anything that inspires awe in me, it would have to be the majestic natural wonders of this world. Their sheer size and scale alone are enough to humble me and remind me that I am but a tiny speck in this immense universe, a small fragment of the grand scheme of things, which for the most part, is a big mystery to us all.

In my books, very few can top the Grand Canyon of Arizona. One can only fully grasp its dimensions (446 kilometers long, up to 29 kilometers wide, and reaching a depth of 1,857 meters) when one comes in contact with it in person. Imagine a huge expanse of canyon, dated to be six million years old, carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries, exposing nearly two billion years of Earth’s geological history on layer after layer of rock!

The canyon and its adjacent rims are contained within several national parks and reservations – the Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, and the Navajo Nation. For thousands of years, Native American peoples have built settlements around the canyon and its many caves. For them, it is a sacred site, and I can see why.

There are different distinct ways of experiencing the Grand Canyon – its North Rim, South Rim, West Rim, through Havasu Falls, and through Grand Canyon East. The first two are contained in the Grand Canyon National Park, which is managed by the National Park Service. The third is located within the territory of the Hualapai Nation and managed by them. Havasu Falls is in between the West and the South Rims and is in an area owned by the Havasupai Nation (“people of the blue-green waters”). Grand Canyon East is located in the area along the Colorado River to the north and east of the South Rim and its primary attribute is the Little Colorado River that was responsible for carving several of the smaller canyons in the region.

Rim-to-Rim Hike

They say that a raven (a very common bird in this part of the country) flies less than 32 kilometers across the canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim, but obviously, humans will have to take the longer route, which is a drive on a winding road around the canyon. The distance between the North and the South Rims is roughly 346 kilometers and takes about four to five hours by car.

However, there are those that do the rim-to-rim hike, which is extremely challenging. There are two trails – the North Kaibab/South Kaibab Route, which is around 34 kilometers, and the North Kaibab/Bright Angel Route, which is about 39 kilometers. Both trails take about twelve to fifteen hours to complete, including the recommended breaks.

But take note – this is an extremely difficult hike that includes an elevation gain of 1,762 meters on the North Kaibab Route, 1,463 meters on the South Kaibab Route, and 1,341 meters the Bright Angel Route. Some areas are very rocky and steep. This is not for non-experienced hikers and the non-physically fit. They say that less than 1% of the six million annual visitors embark on this hike and most prepare for months, or even years, for this expedition.

North Rim versus South Rim

Basically, the North and South portions of the canyon are bisected by the Colorado River, and the two rims are very different in scenery, climate, and vegetation, mainly due to the differences in elevation. It’s like having two parks in one.

The North Rim, which is a full 305 meters higher than the South Rim runs 10 degrees cooler and supports plant and animal life that the drier South Rim cannot. Photographs taken from the North Rim will give you hints of green – aspen, birch, maple, and oak trees growing among the rocks. Photographs from the South Rim appear more rugged.

West Rim and the Skywalk

The West Rim is located farther west of both rims and is the closest to Las Vegas (202 kilometers away versus the 446 kilometers between the South Rim and Las Vegas), that’s why most day tours from Vegas are to the West Rim.

And because the property is owned and run by the Hualapai peoples, the National Park Service pass is not valid here. One has to pay a separate entrance fee which includes a meal and an opportunity to walk on the glass-bottomed Skywalk.

Unlike the North and South Rims where outdoor activities are the main attraction, the focal point here is the Skywalk experience. This glass bridge is three meters wide and stretches 21 meters over the Grand Canyon in a horseshoe shape. In addition, there is also an emphasis on the Hualapai culture – a historical exhibit on the walls inside the Skywalk building, Native American dance performances, and a restaurant that specializes in traditional Hualapai dishes.

Havasu Falls Access

The Havasu Falls access, on the other hand, is not accessible by road. It is reached by a 16-kilometer hike or saddle ride down the canyon and requires special permits and fees. However, at this more secluded location, one will have the opportunity to see four other world-famous blue-green waterfalls from up close, aside from the Havasu Falls – the New Navajo Falls, Rock Falls, Mooney Falls, and Beaver Falls. It’s like an oasis in the desert. This can also be accessed via helicopter, but will still require a 3.2-kilometer walk each way to the first waterfall.

Unofficial East Rim and Horseshoe Bend

There is no official “East Rim” and Grand Canyon East isn’t an official designation used by the National Park Service. Nevertheless, the most intrepid adventurers go there. This is the most difficult area of the Grand Canyon to access, but one is rewarded with close-up views of the canyon. One of its notable sights is Horseshoe Bend, situated seven miles before the beginning of the Grand Canyon.

As the name suggests, it is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River and is accessible by a 2.4-kilometer trail from a parking lot off the highway. And because of the mineral content in this area, the waters of the river here turn a beautiful deep blue in the summer, and almost blood red during the rest of the year.

This is also the starting point for other attractions within the area such as the Little Colorado River Gorge (which is strikingly different from the Grand Canyon because of its gray walls, the Antelope Canyon (a slot canyon located on Navajo land), the Marble Canyon (that marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River meet), and the Navajo Bridge (one of seven Colorado River land crossings).

It would take days, even weeks, to explore the entire canyon, but since we only had two days, we had to make the most of it.

My brother recommended going to the South Rim. He said first time visitors like us should see the canyon from the South Rim first.