Williams, Arizona

Williams, Arizona is your best bet for a nice place to stay outside of Grand Canyon Village. Although Tusayan is much closer to Grand Canyon National Park, Williams is much bigger and has more choices when it comes to accommodations, dining, and entertainment. It's just sixty miles south of the Grand Canyon, or 32 miles west of Flagstaff. It was founded as a railroading and logging camp in the late 1800s so there are historical aspects to Williams that visitors will find interesting. The center of town looks like a set from an old western movie, with brick buildings and small Victorian homes on tree-lined streets. It's also on historic Route 66 , so there is 20th century history to explore, as well as 19th century history.

Directions

Williams is on I-40 near the intersection with state road 64. 64 is the road which leads to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, so if you're driving from the South to the Canyon, you will pass right through Williams. By train, you can take Amtrak to Williams, on the Southwest Chief line. There won't be a Willimas station stop, because the train just stops outside of town to let passengers off. Don't worry, because there's a shuttle van the picks up passengers and takes them to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. This is a good place to stay, obviously, if you're arriving by train and taking the Grand Canyon Railway to the park.

the Grand Canyon Railway

Staying in Williams has its benefits, not the least of which is the Grand Canyon Railway. Excursion trains to the Grand Canyon depart from the Grand Canyon Railway Depot, located in Williams. With traffic snarling the Southern entrance to the Park, and parking at a premium once inside the park, the train from Williams makes good sense to many visitors to the Grand Canyon. Of course, there are also stops along the way so you can play the part of tourist at the tourist traps, but what a fair price to pay for avoiding the traffic mess and parking nightmares inside Grand Canyon National Park. The train is powered by steam and deisel engines and the coaches are from the 1920's, so just the ride alone is a fun history lesson. Most people take the round trip within one day, but you can arrange to stay at the Canyon and come back the next day if you like.

Tips

Williams includes the City of Williams/Forest service Visitor Center located on Railroad Ave. There are historical displays and it's open every day. You can buy books and trail maps for the Grand Canyon and for the National Forest that surrounds it.

Route 66

If you stay in Williams, you may be interested in the bit of Americana here, that is Route 66. The historical highway across the West brings you past historical buildings and souvenir shops selling Route 66 paraphanalia. Bring your camera!