In the last two years, I’ve made two visits to Grand Canyon National Park to experience some of the most breathtaking views in the United States. In 2014, Julia and I hiked from the South Rim to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and in 2015, we hiked from Rim to Rim to Rim, South to North to South. I’m always blown away by the beautiful desert landscape that allows visitors to walk back in time some 2 billion years. Few words can express the journey one takes hiking into the Canyon through layers of tapeats sandstone, bright angel shale, and redwall limestone. There is also an abundance of resilient wildlife teeming in the Grand Canyon’s geologic marvels, and let’s not forget the whitewater rafting to be enjoyed on the Colorado River.
Sadly, most visitors only visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and never make a visit into the Canyon itself or to it’s North Rim. The South Rim is beautiful, but visitors are missing the full Canyon experience by only stopping there. Here are 20 pictures that I hope will motivate you to take a trip to the Grand Canyon, and inspire you to explore the South Rim, North Rim, and the beautiful canyon in between.
1.) There are few sights more beautiful than watching the sunrise from South Kaibab Trail on the South Rim
2.) The desert landscape is a series of silhouettes and towers you’ll never forget
3.) The size and scope of the Canyon starts to hit you as you make your way down towards the Colorado River
4.) I might never see a sky like that again in my lifetime
5.) If you ever need to gain some perspective on life, visit the Grand Canyon
6.) As you head down on South Kaibab towards Phantom Ranch, you’ll pass through a rock tunnel that leads to the crossing bridge
7.) The suspension bridge over the Colorado River
8.) Mules at Phantom Ranch, a great place to stop for a break or to camp
9.) Be prepared for thunderstorms in the desert, this one was quite nice on a hot day
10.) You’ve got to be tough to make it out here
11.) The Canyon floor can be brutally hot, but has it’s own charm
12.) The landscape begins to shift as you approach the North Rim
13.) Trails carved from stone
14.) Heading towards the North Rim with views back to the Canyon floor
15.) The breathtaking Coconino Overlook
16.) Arriving at the North Rim with views back towards the South
17.) The North Rim Lodge
18.) The North Rim has some great lodging, camping, and dining options
19.) Strike a pose for sunset
20.) Ready to visit the Grand Canyon!? Leave me a comment below!
Love it, Drew. You can never go wrong with South Kiabab.
Thanks, Max! South Kaibab is an incredible trail for sure!
No gracias ya me voy de viaje, no me molesteis mas, a la proxima os bloqueo.
2016-07-15 0:30 GMT+02:00 Trail to Peak :
> Trail to Peak posted: “In the last two years, I’ve made two visits to > Grand Canyon National Park to experience some of the most breathtaking > views in the United States. In 2014, Julia and I hiked from the South Rim > to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and in 2015, we hiked fro” >
Amazing pics! It totally worked, now I wanna go so badly 😉
haha, thanks!
Bellissimo posto e bellissime foto. Che invidia!
Thanks!
These pictures are breathtaking! We are going on a road trip to California this year and are planning to stop at Grand Canyon on the way back. So I didn’t really need persuasion but now I am even more excited about visiting this park. We won’t have too much time, though. 2-3 days maybe. Any spots you think are a must to visit?
Thanks, Oleksandra! Great to hear you’ll be visiting the Grand Canyon on a road trip soon. So many great places to see! Where will you be stopping in California? If you can manage two days at the Grand Canyon, it’s nice to spend a day on the North Rim and maybe a day and half on the South Rim. The tough thing is that it takes 6 or so hours to drive from Rim to Rim. If you only get to explore the South Rim, you’ll still get to enjoy plenty.
During my up to now single visit in the US I also did the South Kaibab Trail and liked it a lot. I do well remember the spots you are showing. Amazing photos as always – thanks a lot!
Thanks, Jakob!
Drew, your photos and stories are so inspiring! Thanks for sharing with the world!
Thanks, Joni!
Amazing photos!
Thanks!
How long did it take you to hike rim to rim to rim?
We did it in two days, with about 8-9 hours of hiking from South to North, and about 10-11 hours from North to South. Our legs were tired on the return leg. It’s about 24 miles each way when you include the walk from the North Rim Trailhead over to the lodge. You can break it up with a stay at Phantom Ranch or Cottonwood Camp. We stayed at the North Rim overnight to rest and regroup in between our two hikes. I’m thinking of trying to do the full R2R2R 40+ mile hike in one go this Fall. I’ll have to see if I can get in shape for it.
Thanks for the info!
No problem!
this r2r write up is an inspiration to me to do during nov 2017
thank you
Thanks, Henry. November is the perfect time. I’m considering a R2R2R in one day attempt for November. Maybe I’ll see you out there.