Grand Canyon Region

No matter how much you read about the Grand Canyon or how many photographs you've seen, nothing really prepares you for the sight of it. One of the world's seven natural wonders, it's so startlingly familiar and iconic you can't take your eyes off it. The canyon's immensity, the sheer intensity of light and shadow at sunrise or sunset, even its very age, scream for superlatives.

At about two billion years old – half of earth's total life span – the layer of Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the canyon is some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet. And the means by which it was exposed is, of course, the living, mighty Colorado River, which continues to carve its way 277 miles through the canyon as it has for the past six million years.

Explore Grand Canyon Region

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Planning Toolkit

  • Plan a day trip full of local flavor and get back in time with these same-day options.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Grand Canyon Region.

  • Viewpoint

    Cape Royal

    Strategically located on the southernmost tip of the North Rim high above the great westward turn of the Colorado River, Cape Royal takes in almost every…

  • National Park

    Grand Canyon National Park

    Forged by millions of years of erosion by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon captures the history, scale and beauty of the American West. Overlooks peer…

  • National Park

    Grand Canyon National Park North Rim

    Grand Canyon's remote, wild and forgotten North Rim is far less developed, and sees far fewer visitors that its southern counterpart. In part this is due…

  • Museum

    Kolb Studio

    In 1905 Ellsworth and Emery Kolb built a small photography studio on the edge of the rim, which has since been expanded and now holds a bookstore and a…

  • Historic Building

    Desert View Watchtower

    The marvelously worn winding staircase of Mary Colter's 70ft stone tower, built in 1932, leads to one of the highest spots on the rim. From here, slats in…

  • Canyon

    Antelope Canyon

    Unearthly in its beauty, Antelope Canyon is possibly the most famous slot canyon in the world. Located on the Navajo Reservation, a few miles east of Page…

  • Historic Building

    Grand Canyon Lodge

    Enter the front door of the lodge and see...the Grand Canyon, somehow looking even larger framed by the massive windows of the sunroom. Built in 1937 out…

  • Viewpoint

    Shoshone Point

    Walk about 1 mile along the mostly level and shaded dirt road to marvelously uncrowded Shoshone Point, a rocky promontory with some of the canyon’s best…

  • Canyon

    Horseshoe Bend

    Calling the view at Horseshoe Bend 'dramatic' is an understatement – the overlook sits on sheer cliffs that drop 1000ft to the river below, as it carves a…

  • Viewpoint

    Toroweap Overlook

    While not the biggest, or highest, this is perhaps the most dramatic viewpoint in the canyon: you're literally on the edge of a 3000ft drop.

  • Museum

    Trail of Time

    This outdoor interpretative display traces the history of the canyon's formation – each meter equals one million years of geologic history, for a total of…

  • Historic Building

    Hermits Rest

    Commissioned by the Fred Harvey Company and designed by Mary Colter in 1913, this low-flung stone building is the South Rim's westernmost scenic overlook …

  • Historic Site

    Historic Lees Ferry & Lonely Dell Ranch

    Lees Ferry was the site of the region's original ferry crossing, and of Charles Spencer’s 1910 effort to extract gold from the surrounding hills. Today it…

  • Viewpoint

    Marble Viewpoint

    A favorite of the many Kaibab National Forest overlooks, this viewpoint makes a hauntingly spectacular picnic or camping spot. From the bald 1-acre…

  • National Park

    Pipe Spring National Monument

    A vital source of water for desert flora and fauna, the Ancestral Puebloan people, the Paiute Indians, and for the Mormons who followed them into this…

  • Viewpoint

    Grandview Point

    A 1-mile spur off Desert View Dr leads to a spectacular national park highlight. Here, in 1897, pioneer miner Pete Berry built the Grandview Hotel;…

  • Zoo

    Bearizona

    The ostensible main attraction here is the wildlife park – where visitors drive themselves slowly along a road that winds through 160 acres inhabited by…

  • Viewpoint

    Point Sublime

    Not at all superlative, Point Sublime is exactly that – made more so by the difficult access and limited camping (only two sites, reserve at the…

  • Viewpoint

    Lipan Point

    Lipan Point offers expansive panoramas and views of both the Colorado River and the Unkar Delta, the seasonal home of the Ancestral Puebloan people from…

  • Viewpoint

    Hopi Point

    Spectacular Hopi Point juts further into the canyon than any other South Rim overlook, offering magnificent east–west views, making it an excellent choice…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Grand Canyon Region.

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