Attractions in and around the Grand Canyon

Some people come to see the great Canyon. Some people come to hike down into it and sleep on the Canyon's floor under the stars. Others come to raft down the rapids of the Colorado River, while others come to stand on serene lookout points and gaze into the distance at far-flung buttes and plateaus and feel the spirituality that is omnipresent for many visitors. Whatever your reason for visiting the Grand Canyon, and whatever attractions you end up seeking out, your trip here will stay with you the rest of your life. The Grand Canyon has earned its name: it's a mile deep and 227 miles long and in some places it's 18 miles wide. The scale of the Grand Canyon is hard to imagine, and almost as hard to perceive even when you're standing on the rim, gazing down into its overwhelming space. It's truly grand. The first Europeans to make maps of the area were obviously affected by the grandeur. You can tell by the names they gave certain geological aspects of the Canyon: they named buttes and plateaus after gods. Visitors will be equally impressed, and the god-names that accompany the major natural formations of the Grand Canyon will not seem at all out of place. There's really no way to describe the feeling you get when you first see the Grand Canyon for yourself: a rush of excitement, a swelling of reverence, a sense of thrill and majesty...these words, no matter how overblown they may seem, hardly do justice to the feeling visitors get with their first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon sneaks up on those arriving on the flat lonely desert and through the ponderosa forest. But for National Park signs, you could almost be surprised by your arrival at the giant chasm. The colors are surprising as well, for there aren't many places on this planet where two billion years of geological history are exposed to the sunlight, and the interplay of shadows creates a special Grand Canyon light and gorgeous colors. Sunset and sunrise will take your breath away.

Attractions in the Major Areas of the Grand Canyon

Click on the area you wish to visit, to learn about attractions in that spot.

Williams

Flagstaff

Tusayan

Grand Canyon Village

Lees Ferry

The South Rim

The North Rim