Need suggestions on Grand Canyon South or North Rim??

OK, I am rethinking my idea of trying to visit both the South Rim and North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the amount of time that I have for my upcoming trip. For those of you that have been there and spent time seeing both rims I really really need your suggestions. Right now my plans are to arrive in Sedona on the evening of Monday June 18th and I already booked a hotel in Sedona from Monday night through Wednesday night. So Tuesday and Weds will be spent in Sedona.

My plan was to drive up to the South Rim on Thursday and spend Thursday and Friday night in Mather Campground tent camping, then Saturday morning make that long 5 hour drive up to the North Rim and spend Saturday night and Sunday night in the North Rim Campground. I'm starting to think that trying to see both rims in just those 4 days is just not going to leave much time for sightseeing and photographing.

So, I was thinking maybe just spend the full 4 days at one rim, either the South Rim or the North Rim. I have already made reservations at each rim in the campground for tent camping for 2 night, so I could just cancel one of the reservations at either rim and then look for lodge or hotels for the other 2 nights. One this will give me more time with electricity to charge up my camera batteries and secondly, without all the extra driving from rim to rim I will have more time to actually take photos instead of being in the car.

Suggestions if you think just trying to focus on one rim from Thursday morning June 21st to Monday morning June 25th would be better, and allow time to do a helicopter ride over the canyon, maybe go down into the canyon and spend one night in Phantom Ranch.

I know the South Rim is super busy and crowded but the most popular spot, the North rim does not get that much traffic. So I am torn trying to decide what to do..

My personality is that I cannot stand super crowded places and throngs of people and I tend to get a little crabby with tons of people, I realize this will be the busy season for the Grand Canyon but since my daughter is still school age, this is the only time that I can go.

Please help with some suggestions. I have never been to the Grand Canyon before, so I have no idea if I am trying to do too much in just 4 days by trying to see both Rims.

Hi Michelle,

Both rims are great and each has its own unique personality and character. It is true that the South Rim has more visitors and the popular points such as Mather, Yavapai, Powell, and Hopi can be very crowded in the summer months. The North Rim doesn't have as many visitors and it has cooler temps, but it also doesn't have as many "iconic" spots to shoot from.

In my opinion it is possible to spend a couple of days on the South Rim, and a couple on the North Rim, and get some shots that you will be proud of, and it's not a bad idea for a first visit. This gives you a chance to be both a tourist and a photographer. If you research the locations and plan carefully you will most likely go home happy, but tired. Two days on each rim with a day set aside for the drive in between is really a better option if you can swing it.

The advantage to spending all of your time on one rim is that you will get to know the place in a little more intimate way. It also gives you the opportunity to re-shoot a location that you might really connect with but perhaps the light wasn't optimal on the first attempt.

If you want to minimize time in the car, and enjoy the canyon, then I suggest shooting the South Rim and leave the North Rim for another visit. Spend your first 2-days shooting the points along the Hermit Road (on the South Rim west of Grand Canyon Village), and then move your camp to the campground at Desert View and spend the last 2 days shooting from the east end of the park. You'll also find the Desert View Campground to be a much more enjoyable experience compared to Mather Campground.

A word of advice about shooting from either rim...the typical visitor tends to view the canyon from the handrails at the designated spots. There is nothing that says you can't walk the rim between locations and find your own spot. You will get away from the crowds and have a much more enjoyable time.

I hope you have a great trip!

I just realized that I've been lurking for way too long!

Adam Schallau wrote in post #14153743
I just realized that I've been lurking for way too long!

Boy, I'll say!

(Greetings from farther down the I-17 in Chandler)

Thanks! Nice to meet you!

It looks like I actually have two accounts. I may have posted once or twice before under a different account.

Well, the S. Rim IS a zoo in mid summer....

I don't think losing 5 hours out of 4 days is too awful. Which way are you headed afterward? If you need to double back (to Phx?), the 10 hour total may(?) be excessive.

It's hard to give advice. 4 days for both is, IMO, 'on the fence.' I do hear you when you speak of the hordes of tourists. S. Rim will be overrun with them in Mid June...

(Personally, I'd head straight for N. Rim, and stay there. The cooler weather, much thicker forest, and low Touron density do it for me. )

If you are returning to the S., maybe you could do a 1/2 day blitz of S. Rim on the way home?

N. Rim lodging can be problematic, with limited rooms and campsites available, the chances of landing a 'walk-in' room/site are slim.

One nice aspect of N. Rim is the superb camping available just north of the park boundary. There are many, many miles of Nat. Forest Roads, with gobs of pretty (if primitive) camping sites available - all for free. If you prefer a more formal site, with a host ranger, etc., there's a fully developed Nat Forest campground about 8 miles N of the park. http://www.fs.usda.gov …0-%20DeMotte%20Campgroun​d
Sites are first-come. Unless it's a weekend, you should (?!) be OK if you leave S. Rim early and arrive in the very early afternoon.


Keep an eye out for the Grand Canyon Star Party from June 16-23. Both N and S rim will have a scope field set up for the general public to enjoy.

I agree with Adam that both rims are good, but south rim is better in terms of more locations and walking along the rim helps avoid crowds. Still, there will be people on south rim. I was set up for sunrise once, all by myself. Just before the light started, a bus arrived with 50 Japanese tourists. But, I had my spot so just ignored everything around me but the canyon. I saw only north rim in 1979, then south rim in 1995 or so. I remember feeling that I had finally seen the canyon.

Rather than drive to north rim, I would spend the time shooting. Hiking into the canyon would be a good option. I've flown over the canyon and found it difficult to get good shots. The flight wasn't just for me, so I couldn't "direct" it as I would like.

Another option is to visit other sites in the area. Wupatki NM and Sunset Crater NM are interesting. Coal Mine Canyon is one of my favorite places, although less accessible than it once was. Cathedral Wash and Lees Ferry is another day trip. On the way, Navajo Bridge has great views of Marble Canyon, and there are California Condors in the area.

My Arizona gallery might help.

Adam Schallau wrote in post #14153743
I just realized that I've been lurking for way too long!

Yes you have been lurking for too long! Thank you so much for the info! And for everyone else too that gave me suggestions..

After I finish at the Grand Canyon my next destination is heading up to Page, AZ to see Antelope Canyon and then head east toward Colorado.

Right now I have 2 nights reserved in the campgrounds at each rim, I looked online last night and right now there are no other cabins available inside the park on the South Rim, so I would be looking at finding something outside of the park, I actually found rooms at the Hualapai Lodge in Peach Springs, AZ for $75 a night and since that is closer to the West Rim I could go and see that area but then would have to end up back toward the North rim anyways because I'm planning on hitting Antelope Canyon before I head east to Colorado.

You've gotten a lot of good advice. Personally, I would just stick to one rim and unless you are doing a lot of hiking, I would probably not spend as many days at the canyon and instead spend them in Page.

Hum... Since you're headed north to Page anyhoo, I'll suggest that you do visit the N. Rim one way or another.

If you're up for some pretty scenery along a well maintained dirt road, you could do worse than to explore House Rock Rd. en route. http://g.co/maps/g6rf4
The southern section is a bit bland, but soon it climbs to encounter fantastic scenery. You'll pass only a few miles from the fabled 'wave' and can visit similar terrain by taking a short hike down Wire Pass to the bowels of Buckskin Gulch. Once in BG, you can explore for hours if you like. Note: While the canyons are surprisingly cool, the 1/2 mile hike back up to the parking area is fully exposed to Mr. Sun and the area will be downright hot in June. Fortunately, there's only a gentle grade as you hike upstream. You might want to lug a gallon of water down and cache it near the entrance to Wire Pass.

IMO, given your limited time, I'd give the whole 'West Rim' area a pass. It's pretty, but can't compare to the NP, which is where it is for a reason!

Sedona is great, pink jeep tour into backcountry is worth it. Hot air balloon ride was not.

I would skip the south rim and head to Page Az for 1 night, go to antelope canyon that first day pm, take or rent a tripod , most tour guides rent them. (I didn't ), mid day is best for light but worst for dust and number of people there. sDrive back out to the horshoe bend and get early a mpics, do the smoothwater float ride down Glen Canyon, head for north rim and overnight. Spend am at north rim of Grand Canyon and then get to Bryce for 1 - 2 nights before heading east. Bryce is only place like it that I have found and not that far off your path. Zion is right in the same area and is another awesome spot but if my time was liimited, I would visit Bryce over Zion

pics here if you want a glimpse

http://s278.photobucke​t.com …ion%2009/#!cpZZ​3QQtppZZ20

http://s278.photobucke​t.com …ion%2009/#!cpZZ​3QQtppZZ20

so many more good suggestions!! Thank you everyone very much!! I apprecaiate all the extra info on things to do and suggestions. I'm still pondering what to do..I'm glad I still have a few more month to decide, but I know that I would have to try and make a decision soon if I decide to spend time in just one rim so I can arrange more lodging..I might have to just do tent camping as the south rim is already booked up for their cabins and rooms inside the park.

I've only been to the Canyon to view it from the Glass Sky walk so I'm no expert by any means on where to view the Canyon or how much time to stay. I was pleased with the awesome scenery, photos, would like to return to the Canyon again sometime but my opinion is that there is so much to see in the South West and there are many areas that are very impressive I like to stay flexible. I like to research the areas I'm planning to visit, this forum is excellent for this,but I will not wait long for that perfect moment , I live too far away . Anywhere North of I 40 in AZ, NM, UT and CO deserve attention, not just the Canyon itself and I'm not against purchasing those perfect photos from some one else rather than staying in one location and waiting. I was given excellent advice on this forum about a recent trip we took to Yuma and I managed to visit 7 out of 10 planned areas and very glad we did but we missed hundreds of other beautiful areas doing so. When traveling out West there is always one more MUST see just 30 miles off the road you are driving on.