10 Best Things to Do with Kids in the Grand Canyon
Ride a bike, take a hike, attend a ranger program, become a Junior Ranger, watch the stars and more things to do with kids in the canyon.
Explore Grand Canyon National Park
Without the Colorado River, one of the Seven Wonders of the World wouldn’t exist. Digging deep into 1.8 billion-year-old rock, the river revealed ancient history and unlocked thousands of stories while forming the Grand Canyon. Today, the stunning mile-deep canyon is protected as a national park. While people often refer to Grand Canyon National Park as one place, there are actually several distinct areas you can visit including the popular the south rim and quiet north rim. Browse our pages to plan your own personal trip of a lifetime.
Guided Tours
Get the most from your Grand Canyon vacation by taking a guided tour.
What to Pack for Your Grand Canyon Vacation
How do you pack for vacation in this desert climate? Here are the top 21 items to bring along with you to the Grand Canyon.
24-Hours in the Grand Canyon Photo Story by Grant Ordelheide
What do 24 hours in the Canyon look like? From sunrises to afternoon rainbows, and night hikes lit by headlamp, every hour in the park brings surprises.
48 Hours in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Get ready for adventure. Here are some of our favorite things to do while at the South Rim from biking in solitude to exploring some of the rim’s most historic treasures.
Grand Canyon Hiking Trails
The Grand Canyon has hundreds of miles of hiking trails, most departing from the South Rim Village or the North Rim Village.
10 Best Things to do in the Grand Canyon
What to do and see on your Grand Canyon vacation. Go hiking, ride a train or a mule, raft down the Colorado River, and more.
9 Nearest Arizona State Parks to the Grand Canyon
Visit Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, right in the heart of Flagstaff, and Homolovi State Park, just outside of Winslow.
Which Trail Should I Hike in the Grand Canyon?
Descriptions tell you what to expect on the trails from an easy, historic landmark tour to strenuous hikes with 2,000-plus feet elevation changes.
Where is Grand Canyon National Park?
The Grand Canyon was carved out by the Colorado River in northern Arizona in the United States. The northeast end of the Grand Canyon starts at Lake Powell and the city of Page at the Utah-Arizona border. The western end of the Grand Canyon is where the Colorado River empties into Lake Mead at the Arizona-Nevada border.
Which rim of the Grand Canyon should I visit?
There are three rims to the Grand Canyon – north, south, and west – with long driving distances between. The South Rim houses Grand Canyon Village and has the most developed attractions. The West Rim is the location of the Skywalk glass bridge. Tusayan, Flagstaff, Page, Kingman, Williams, and Sedona are gateway towns close to the park with many hotels, camping areas, and attractions all their own.
4 Sides of the Grand Canyon: North, South, West plus Havasu Falls
What is the difference between the three rims? Two are in the national park and the third is owned by the Hualapai Nation. And Havasu Falls is in between.
Grand Canyon West
The region to the west of the national park is privately owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe. It's 242 miles from Grand Canyon National Park visitors center.
Gateway Towns
Towns in the greater Grand Canyon area are destinations in themselves. These include Tusayan, Williams, Kingman, Flagstaff, and Page.
How should I get to the Grand Canyon?
Most people drive to the park. check out our road trip ideas. If you fly, the nearest international airports include Phoenix, Arizona, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Once you get to the park, you will need a car or tour transportation to get around the more remote park roads. However, the South Rim has shuttles and bike rentals during the high season.
7 Best Road Trips to the Grand Canyon
Driving to the Grand Canyon is the ultimate road trip. Here are scenic, adventure-packed itineraries with interactive maps and best places to stop.
Airports Near the Grand Canyon
Commercial airlines are in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Plus there is limited air service into the Grand Canyon Airport.
Ride the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, Ariz.
If it's adventure, sightseeing and history all rolled into one that you want on your Grand Canyon vacation, then Grand Canyon Railway is your answer.
Where should I stay on my Grand Canyon vacation?
There are several campgrounds and lodges inside the park. There are also many lodging options in gateway towns to the South Rim. Depending on the season, you will need to reserve hotels and campgrounds well in advance.
Hotels and Cabins
Visitors to northern Arizona will find lots of hotels to choose from to fit every need and budget near the North, South and West Rims and in the park.
Campgrounds & RV Parks
Sleep under the stars inside the national park. The greater Grand Canyon region is also chock full of campgrounds and RV Parks.
What is there to see in the Grand Canyon?
Visit the many overlooks on top of the canyon for views that change with the time of day. Scour the skies to see endangered condors and falcons fly overhead. And at night stargaze at the deep dark skies lit up with the Milky Way.
Natural Wonders
See mile-deep canyons, lush waterfalls, and glorious overlooks at the rim in Grand Canyon National Park and the northern Arizona region.
Wildlife
From reptiles to rodents, bighorn sheep to wolves and coyotes, the Grand Canyon is teeming with wildlife.
Attractions
Natural wonders aren't the only attraction at the Grand Canyon. Visit a wildlife center, observatory, or garden. Watch an IMAX movie. Or learn at a visitor center or museum.
What is there to do in the Grand Canyon?
Hiking, mule riding, rafting, museum browsing, and air tours are the main activities here. See our list of the top ten things to do in the park and beyond. Are you prepared for desert weather? Be careful of the heat and bring a bottle to top off at our water filling stations.
10 Best Things to do in the Grand Canyon
What to do and see on your Grand Canyon vacation. Go hiking, ride a train or a mule, raft down the Colorado River, and more.
Outdoor Recreation
Hike hundreds of miles of trails that provide unmatched scenery and panoramic views. Raft a stretch of the Colorado River. Bike along the Rim.
Guided Tours
Get the most from your Grand Canyon vacation by taking a guided tour.
What's New
California Condors in The Grand Canyon
Catch a glimpse of this majestic bird as it soars high above the canyon floor scanning the rocky terrain for its next meal.
Explore a Meteor Crater East of the Grand Canyon
It's as deep as a 60-story building and as wide as 20 football fields. Don't miss this popular meteorite impact site, located on I-40, 35 miles east of Flagstaff.
Yavapai Lodge Wants to Keep the Grand Canyon Grand
When you stay at the Yavapai Lodge in Grand Canyon National Park, you’ll be experiencing a piece of the park’s history, but you’ll also be actively participating in its future.
Starry Nights in Tucson's Catalina State Park
Explore the great outdoors at Catalina State Park, a museum that is 85% outside, and Biosphere 2, an enormous glass terrarium.
Centered in Sedona, Arizona
A 2-hour drive from the Grand Canyon's South Rim, discover Sedona's seven secrets to a fantastic getaway or browse one of 80 art galleries.
6 Stops in Phenomenal Flagstaff, Arizona
Two hours from six national monuments and Grand Canyon National Park, Flagstaff is a thriving university town with a charming historic downtown. Here are six things to do.
Kingman, Ariz., the King of Route 66
See heartbreaking photos and life-sized depictions of the Dust Bowl refugees at the museum, then eat and sleep in iconic Mother-Road spots.
