If you are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon and need advice on how to spend a day in the park, then this post is for you! In March, we enjoyed a brief trip to Phoenix, Sedona, and then the Grand Canyon. We chose not to stay in the park, but opted for a lovely hotel in nearby (relative term) Flagstaff. Today I’m sharing our one-day itinerary in the Grand Canyon where we really packed in the day as well as our short time in Flagstaff. It also happened to be my birthday, and talk about a great way to spend it! You really can’t beat celebrating another year around the sun by staring at a gaping crack in the earth’s core.
We got up super early on Monday morning to drive an hour and a half north to the Grand Canyon National Park with an aim to arrive in the park around 8am. Before we got on the road though, we made a stop at Tourist Home All Day Cafe for food to go. They are open 7 days a week at 6am and we were there at 6:05am ordering breakfast, coffee, and lunch for the road. We wanted to have a filling breakfast because we were planning to hike and had read that lunch in the park was not that great, so it was suggested to pack your own lunch. Both of these decisions ended up being brilliant. Once we got on the road, we drove through some icy and snow covered passes that were a bit sketchy. I’ll be honest and say that making that drive in any condition other than clear is nerve wracking, particularly in a tiny rental car. We made it to the park at 8:10am, stopped for a photo op at the sign, and then found a great, close parking spot. We unloaded the car, loaded up the kid in the Lillebaby carrier, stopped at the bathroom, filled up our water (Pro tip: free, spring-fed drinking water is available from bottle filling stations at major trailheads, visitor centers, grocery stores, and lodges. So no need to buy bottled water, just bring a refillable bottle) and then walked out to get our first glimpse of the canyon at Mather Point.
Mather Point is the main viewpoint from the Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center. It is an approximate 5 minute walk from the parking area and from the visitor’s center. If you are a first time visitor, I think it is the perfect spot to start your tour of the canyon and the best first impression of the sweeping landscape. There are picnic tables and amphitheater seating areas nearby as well. My second visit to the park, it’s still an incredibly memorable moment walking up to this view. My dad and step-mom brought us here when I was in high school and being the classic wanting teen, I didn’t truly realize the magnitude of a visit here. I did appreciate it, but maybe not fully. While I remember the visit, details are hazy, so it was great to come back as an adult with my own family. This was my husband’s (and of course Asher’s) first visit to the Grand Canyon and it’s really something special to witness the amazement on their face as they gaze out on this spectacle for the first time.
From there, we recommend hopping on the free shuttle bus service along the yellow line out to Yavi Point and the South Kaibab Trailhead. The main shuttle bus loading station is found outside the Visitor Center. There you will find multiple bus stops and will need to locate the color of the line you want going in the direction you want to take. Hopping on the wrong bus could ruin your entire day of plans so be careful. Construction during our visit prevented us from going to Yavi Point, but we rode the bus out to South Kaibab to get an early start on a 0.9 mile hike down to Ooh-Aah Point. This short hike down into the canyon allows day trippers the chance to experience what many visitors miss out on – views from inside the canyon itself. Getting an early start is crucial though as this popular trail gets crowded by mid-day. You can hike further down to Cedar Ridge, which is a total 3 mile hike round trip. With a baby in tow, we opted to keep it shorter. If you plan to hike, be prepared with ample water and snacks as there are none once on the trail. Lots of trail signs also advise against attempting to hike from the rim to the river and back in a day. While the distance makes it seem possible, the elevation change and heat can make you sick to the point of death.
South Kaibab Trail very quickly starts a downward elevation climb with a ton of switchbacks.
After nearly one mile of hiking down into the canyon, you’ll arrive at a lookout called Ooh-Aah Point with sweeping views inside the canyon.
If you hike down to this point, be careful and cognizant of the edge. There are no fences or rails to protect you or your children. Yes, grown people have fallen to their death here.
Definitely take a few minutes to rest up and catch your breath for the return hike because you know it’s nothing but uphill back to the top.
The entire 1.8 mile hike down to Ooh-aah point took us about an hour and 10 minutes, but that was with my husband carrying a 20 lb toddler on his back. We made it down in 25 minutes, but the hike back up took us 40 minutes. It’s a short, but tough hike and a seasoned athlete could do it in 40-45 minutes roundtrip. If you don’t get on the trail early enough to avoid the crowds, then plan for 2 hours.
We hopped back on the shuttle bus so we could make our way back towards Mather Point and our car. Lunch was in our car, but also we had planned to spend the second part of our day driving along the eastern part of the South Rim on Desert View Drive so we could depart from the East gate. But first, our shuttle bus stopped at Pipe Creek Vista for about 10 minutes before heading back to the Visitor Center.
Once back at the Visitor Center bus stop, you can hop off and walk along the paved rim trail or hop in your car and drive either direction. However, the bus does provide the simplest solution to getting around. After enjoying our to go lunch we picked up that morning from Tourist Home Cafe, we actually decided to get back on the bus to visit the last stop on the yellow line at Yavapai Point and Geology Museum. We figured we might as well be able to say that we did the entire yellow line in a day. By the way, we were sooo glad we had packed our lunch because we didn’t really have a lot of time to head over to the Village area for a sit down meal. You can find a nice spot near the rim trail or at a viewpoint to have a picnic lunch with a view too. The Geology Museum is inside a small log cabin building that can get crowded inside, but the giant topographical map in the center of the museum and the reference point maps below panoramic windows looking out at the canyon are worth the stop. There is also a time lapse exhibit showing how the canyon was formed over centuries. If you are looking for a souvenir, this will be an option for where to purchase as there is a small shop inside as well.
Yavapai Point is also a stop along the paved Rim Trail and begins the Trail of Time path featuring Geology exhibits that ends at Verkamp’s Visitor Center in the Village.
Next up, we took the shuttle bus back to the Visitor Center, found our rental car, and finally gave up our prime parking space to drive toward the Desert View Tower on the east side of the South Rim. It’s a 22 kilometer distance from the Visitor Center to the Desert View Tower, but there are multiple viewpoints along the way worth a stop. First of which is Grandview Point. There were a couple of turn offs before you get to Grandview, which confused us at first, but you’ll know when you’ve arrived at Grandview. It has a sign and an actual entrance with a large parking area, it is not just a pull off.
You will pass a forested picnic area on the left side before eventually seeing a sign for the Tusayan Museum and Ruin on the right. This is an 800-year-old Pueblo Indian site, and is considered by the National Park Service to be one of the major archaeological sites in Arizona. You can walk the flat 0.1 mile trail around the ruins, which include living quarters and the kiva. The museum is a replica of a Hopi structure filled with interesting 2,000–4,000 year old artifacts along with the traditional handicrafts made by regional tribes.
Drive yet further east and you’ll arrive at Moran Point. Moran and Lipan Point were two of our most favorites along the Desert View Drive. The scenic views are incredible. You can see such an array of colors and you get a really good view of the river below. Moran Point is named for painter Thomas Moran, whose brilliant canvases of the scene influenced Congress in the decision to create the Grand Canyon National Park.
Lipan Point offers one of the most spectacular Westward views of the entire park. The Colorado River cuts through the deepest part of the Canyon near here. Apparently sunset views are incredible as well making this a very popular spot for it. Far below the rim, cradled by the river, is the Unkar Delta, a rich alluvial accumulation that supported the farming efforts of early Native Americans.
Navajo Point is just half a mile west of Desert View and offers an alternative view of the Colorado’s ‘big bend’ area. It is the highest overlook on the South Rim – unless one is standing on the top observation deck of the watchtower itself. Navajo Point is also a great spot to get a different view of the Desert View Watchtower.
Finally, the last stop along Desert View Drive is the Desert View Watchtower itself. The structure is an unusual stone tower designed by architect Mary Colter. Perched on the rim of the canyon, the Watchtower reflects the architecture of the ancestral Puebloans in the Four Corners region. Climb the very narrow, winding stairs up three levels for views up and down the canyon. On a clear day, you can see well over 100 miles. This is the largest stop on the eastern side of the South Rim with a large parking area, restrooms, market, Trading Post snack bar, and gas station making this a perfect final stop for a packed day inside the South Rim of the park. Additionally, inside the Watchtower is a small gift shop and bookstore.
To sum up our one-day itinerary for you, here are our suggested stops…
Park at Visitor Center, take the free shuttle bus service to complete the entire yellow line.
- Walk to Mather Point & Visitor Center
- Hike 1.8 miles into the canyon to Ooh-aah Point at South Kaibab Trailhead
- Pipe Creek Vista
- Yavapai Point & Geology Museum (break for lunch before or after)
For the second half of your day, take your car for a ride along Desert View Drive….
- Take in Grandview Point
- Explore Tusayan Museum and Ruin
- Moran, Lipan, and Navajo Point make great stops to view different angles of the canyon along the eastern side
- Climb the Desert View Watchtower
Exit through the East Gate and head home. Home for us was Flagstaff for another night. We stayed at the Little America Hotel, which was just perfect. Our room was spacious with a king size bed, sitting area, desk, kitchenette with a mini fridge and microwave. The bathroom even had two separate vanities and a beautiful stand up shower. This hotel room was one of the nicest we’ve stayed in and all of the little touches made it so comfortable traveling with our toddler. They brought a pack-n-play to the room for him to sleep in and made sure we had plenty of sheets for it. We heartily recommend staying at the Little America if you are in Flagstaff. It’s right off the interstate and pretty convenient to downtown attractions. The staff are very friendly and accommodating as well.
Our first evening in Flagstaff, we ate at Pizzicletta. This is a tiny 800-square foot pizza joint with a small menu focused on sourdough style wood-fired pizza. It is actually the inspiration restaurant for our very own local A Dopo. The owner of A Dopo staged here for a period of time devoted to learning their methods – he was really intrigued by the idea of using sourdough leavening in the pizza crust and found this to be one of the few places in the country doing it. In fact they share a similar style pizza on each other’s menus, which we tried – the Amore Oi Mori known as The Pizzicletta in homage to this Flagstaff landmark on A Dopo’s menu. Knowing all of this, we of course had to try it.
Stepping inside, you can see just how tiny this restaurant is with one long communal table flanked by bar top seating along the window and by the register. There is an open view to the kitchen and wood-fired oven where pizzas, salads, and more get assembled before your eyes. Our goofy son loved being by the door so he could entertain anyone who came inside.
We tried the burrata & fruit starter (those black beads are balsamic vinegar pearls!), the margherita and amore oi mari pizzas, and then shared a couple of gelato flavors. The food definitely lived up to our expectations. It was a comforting reminder of our lovely little A Dopo Pizzeria back home.
Our second night in Flagstaff happened to be my birthday, so we found slightly fancier digs for dinner. We went early enough that we hoped to avoid crowds and avoid our toddler ruining anyone else’s dinner experience, although he does really well out in public. Tinderbox Kitchen shares ownership with Tourist Home All Day Cafe where we had picked up our breakfast and lunch to go that morning. That was such a delightful experience that we thought we’d give their other more upscale establishment a try.
Tinderbox has a robust drink menu – a leather bound book filled with pages of cocktails sorted by profile or liquor and brimming with unique flavor combinations. On the left is my Turmeric Tonic, Turmeric Infused Gin, Cynar, Lemon, Carrot, Ginger, Honey & Lavender Simple Syrup, Rosemary, Soda, and on the right is the Hip Stag, Grilled Pineapple Infused Mezcal, Montenegro Amaro, Ancho Reyes, House Made Cilantro Lime Bitters, and an Ice Sphere. The Tumeric Tonic was refreshing and basically a health drink loaded with carrot, ginger, and rosemary. The Hip Stag was strrrrrroooooooooong.
For starters, we tried the Beet salad (ever a favorite of mine) with fennel, mandarin oranges, and goat cheese, and the Fried Brussels and Cauliflower served with housemade marinara.
For a main dish, we shared the Pan Seared Butterfish with potato leek puree, charred romaine, tomato confit, and toasted pistachios. We also asked for a side portion of their butternut squash risotto. It was on the menu served with one of the mains, but they graciously obliged our request. It was my birthday and I wanted some risotto, but couldn’t pass up that butterfish. The potato leek puree and charred romaine were something else, and the butterfish was, well, buttery.
Finally, we shared the Death by Chocolate dessert, which was chocolate three ways – cheesecake, mousse, and brownie. Then…we got the Lemon Crème Fraiche Doughnuts to go for later. Haha. Remington could not say not to homemade lemon doughnuts with a blueberry compote. And while the chocolate desserts were very good, those doughnuts were the bomb. They are clearly a staple on the dessert menu and rightly so.
While I did not get any pictures of our breakfast or lunch on-the-go from Tourist Home Cafe (riding in the car trying to eat a massive breakfast burrito is not the best set up for photos), I did snap a photo of my pretty little matcha macaron from their bakery case. Yes, they had a bakery case loaded with tons of goodies, including cookies, pastries, cinnamon rolls, etc. The macaron was not quite the best one I’ve ever had, but the rest of the food was delicious and again we highly recommend. I had the breakfast burrito with ham and it was HUGE, but a perfect way to start an active day at the GCNP. For lunch, we had sandwiches that would hold up fine in the car. They had a great kid’s menu too, so we were able to get Asher a grilled cheese with ham.
We didn’t get any pictures of Flagstaff itself because we were really only there in the evening, but it was charming. Situated at an extremely high elevation, they get some gnarly weather changes, including snow very late in the season, but sitting in the middle of the Coconino National Forest makes it a pleasant respite in the middle of the Ponderosa pine forest. The town has a mix of Asheville meets Knoxville meets Old West. It’s a small town, large on life. We would love to return and check out more of the town, including the Lowell Observatory.
To end, I’ve put together a map for you for spending one day on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon with all of our recommended stops and a few helpful tips to make your visit great.
Tips:
- Check the weather before you go. The high elevation of the GCNP is deceiving, lying at nearly 8,000 feet elevation, the weather can be extreme and change unexpectedly. Be prepared for anything, but particularly wind. It is extremely windy near the canyon. While we were in shorts in Phoenix, we had to pack winter gear for our visit to the Grand Canyon and we definitely needed those gloves in the early morning hours. By the afternoon, we were both shedding outer layers.
- Get an early start. Arriving at the park means a better parking spot and the chance to experience popular views with less people in your way.
- Sunscreen. Wear sunscreen. And more sunscreen. Or cover up with long layers.
- Pack a reusable water bottle and fill up at the free spring fed water spickets throughout the park.
- Bring your own food into the park for a picnic lunch. This saves time and beats an expensive mediocre meal at the overcrowded restaurants.
- Use the free shuttle bus system. The bus drivers provide entertainment and educational information during your ride. The buses are very consistent, but you might have to wait through a bus or two at popular stops because they can fill up quickly later in the day.
- Hike down into the canyon. Or at least walk the Rim Trail. Either way, get out and walk it. You experience so much more of the Canyon this way.
- Do not attempt to hike from the rim to the river and back in a day. Heat exhaustion and elevation sickness can kill you.
- Take in the Canyon view from different points throughout the South Rim. The scenery can change drastically from one spot to the next.
- Learn something. Explore the many museums and ruins found throughout the park.
- If you stay in the park or can get there early or stay late, be sure to witness a sunset or sunrise at the Grand Canyon. I’d suggest Moran or Lipan Point on Desert View Drive. We weren’t able to see a sunset or sunrise, but I can only imagine how incredible it would be to see.
- Most important of all, take time to take it all in and enjoy it. While you can pack a lot into one day, don’t rush through it all just to say you saw it, but really consider the immense measure of this place.
Enjoy! <3 K&R
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