The Grand Canyon is breathtaking beyond belief. I drove up from Phoenix (just over 3hrs) to spend the day at the south rim and camped at Mather Campground that night. Here’s what we did for our perfect day at the Grand Canyon South Rim.

We had booked a helicopter tour of the canyon, but unfortunately as you can see from the photo below it was way too windy and all flights were grounded that day.  What I realized is you don’t need to shell out a bunch of cash to take a helicopter tour. The hiking and lookouts have incredible views and provide the freedom to stop and take as much time as you want soaking it all in.

Where to hike:

We chose to hike South Kaibab Trail, hoping it would be less crowded then the popular Bright Angel trail. The crowds were minimal and it was an easy hike down to Cedar Ridge which was 3 miles round trip. You can continue past Cedar Ridge to Skeleton Point which adds another 3 miles total. All the pictures below were taken along this hike.

Getting to the Trail:

South Kaibab trailhead is accessed by taking the shuttle bus from Grand Canyon Visitor Center. Park at the visitor center and hop on the Kaibab Rim (orange) Route. It runs every 15 minutes. When you return the shuttle it makes a loop at Yaki Point. You can get off here for another look of the canyon before the shuttle takes you all the way back to the visitor center. More information on shuttle schedules can be found here.

The trail starts with some switchbacks, but levels off to a moderate decline the rest of the way. You can see above it’s not crowded at all. At Ooh Ahh Point there were more people, but nothing overwhelming.

The trail juts out into the canyon after Ooh Aah point heading towards Cedar Ridge.

1.5 miles down the trail brings you to Cedar Ridge with plenty of spots to relax, take photos and enjoy the views. There are a handful of shade trees too.

If you have more then just one day it’s a great 1-2 night hike to the bottom of the canyon (crossing the bridge at the Colorado river below). You can camp and hike out Bright Angel trail the next day. I’ll be writing another post on how to backpack the Grand Canyon.

Where to watch sunset:

Shoshone Point is the best kept secret along the south rim. We hiked to it a couple hours before sunset for a happy hour picnic and had the whole place all to ourselves. A handful of other people showed up right before sunset, but still didn’t feel touristy at all. It can be reserved for private events so there is a locked metal gate you have to walk around, but if no event is going on (you can tell if there’s no cars) then you are good to go.

To get to the trail take desert view drive east from Grand Canyon Village. You’ll see a small dirt parking lot a little over a mile past Yaki Point road. It is an unmarked parking lot so there wont be any sign to look for. Walk past the gate and follow the trail for about a mile till you reach picnic tables. Keep heading towards the canyon and you’ll find the point.

Not another soul in site 🙂

The sun actually sets behind you when looking out over the canyon as pictured below, but you still get all the pretty colors and the sky fades to darkness.

Where to Stay:

We camped at Mather Campground in Grand Canyon Village. It was close to everything and only cost $18/night for the campsite. Just make sure to reserve your spot in advance because they fill up quick. Go here to book your campsite. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance.