Desert View Drive
You can take a road trip around the national parks in the western United States, such as the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Antelope Canyon, and Zion Canyon, which is referred to as the Grand Circle. Depending on your travel schedule, you can add more locations and choose to travel clockwise or counterclockwise. We planned our Grand Circle trip for 3 nights and 4 days in May, which has the most suitable weather, and completed our accommodation and tour bookings last December.
We traveled counterclockwise because there was a saying that seeing the Grand Canyon last could lead to disappointment compared to the other canyons. Additionally, since we had already taken helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon’s West Rim twice, we decided to start with the Grand Canyon and go counterclockwise. Thus, we left LA at 10 PM and arrived at the Grand Canyon at 6:30 AM the next day. At the Grand Canyon, we planned to drive along Desert View Drive, exploring each point and trekking along the Rim Trail.
The first point we arrived at was Yaki Point, and despite the cold, I was amazed by the unbelievable view. As I mentioned earlier, I thought I wouldn’t be as impressed since I had already taken a helicopter tour, but I was deeply moved by the majestic view. It was truly disappointing that I couldn’t capture this wonderful landscape in photos as I saw it with my own eyes.
Desert View Drive offers various views from Yaki Point to Grand View Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, Navajo Point, and Desert View Point, and since each point has a different feeling, I recommend visiting all of them. The most impressive points were Navajo Point (the third photo) and Desert View, as Navajo Point felt like the closest view of the Grand Canyon, while Desert View allowed us to see the Grand Canyon from the Watchtower.
At Desert View, you can climb the Watchtower seen in the photos above, which is open from 8 AM to 6 PM, and you can go up the tower from 8:20 AM to 4:40 PM. The tower has a capacity of 25 people and there is a 20-minute time limit. We arrived around 8:40 AM, and since many people were already up there, we had to wait about 10 minutes before we could go up.
The photos above were taken while climbing inside the tower, which was filled with beautiful murals, making the ascent quite enjoyable.
Looking out the windows inside the tower at the Grand Canyon felt like viewing a picture in a frame; it was truly a picturesque landscape.
There is also an outdoor area leading from the Desert View Watchtower, where you can enjoy the vast Grand Canyon and take some amazing photos.
On the way out, I stopped by a souvenir shop where there was a Starbucks. Browsing through the souvenirs and sipping on a warm coffee made me feel like my cold body was melting away.
Desert View Watchtower
Rim Trail
Leaving Desert View Watchtower behind, I headed to El Tovar Hotel. We had a reservation at El Tovar Hotel, and although we had plenty of time until check-in, I heard there were limited parking spots, so we went to park first. As expected, there were no spots available, and after circling around about three times, we finally managed to park. It would be better for those staying at El Tovar Hotel to park in advance and use the shuttle.
Before walking the Rim Trail, I filled my stomach with Slow Smoked Tri Tip and Pepperoni pizza at Maswik Food Court. It wasn’t amazing, but it was quite tasty.
After lunch, I returned to El Tovar Hotel and headed towards the Rim Trail, which was conveniently located right in front of the hotel. I had already seen countless stunning views while driving along Desert View Drive, but the views from walking the Rim Trail were different. This trail has many areas without safety rails, which made it quite scary, but sitting right at the edge and looking down at the Grand Canyon filled me with awe and a sense of being overwhelmed by nature. It’s crucial to be very careful when taking photos in areas without safety rails, as there have been many accidents involving falls at the Grand Canyon, so safety should always be a priority.
While walking the trail, I encountered a Bighorn Sheep, and it was so graceful and magnificent. I had never seen sheep during my visits to national parks before, so I felt lucky. It took about 2 hours to walk from El Tovar Hotel to Mather Point, and there were no difficult sections, so anyone can enjoy the beauty of the Grand Canyon without any strain. I think it would be great to walk the trail and experience the Grand Canyon from various angles.
El Tovar Hotel
After finishing the Rim Trail trek, I took a shuttle back to El Tovar Hotel. The check-in time was at 4 PM, but when I asked if early check-in was possible, they said it was, so I was able to check in at 2 PM.
We had booked a Standard 1 Queen room, and although it was an old building, it was cleaner than I expected, and there were no particular issues, allowing for a comfortable stay. Above all, just being able to view the Grand Canyon right in front of the hotel adds immense value to this hotel. There are several hotels besides El Tovar, but this one is quite popular, so it’s best to make a reservation in advance before your trip.
Heading to Antelope Canyon
The next morning, I hurried to move towards Antelope Canyon. I thought I had leisurely enjoyed the Grand Canyon from Desert View Drive to Rim Trail the day before, but as I was about to leave, I realized how much I would miss it.
There are still many trails I haven’t explored, so I promised to come back and took one last photo before heading to Antelope Canyon.
El Tovar Hotel
As I wrap up my journey through the Grand Canyon, where I could feel its immense scale and grandeur, I hope this helps those planning a trip to the Grand Canyon. Next, I will share a post about Antelope Canyon, the next destination in the Grand Circle.
