Free Things to Do at the Grand Canyon

Visit the Grand Canyon for some of the best free things to do in the world. You will be mesmerized by the Grand Canyon, one of the natural wonders of the world. There is an entrance fee to get into the park but after that you could spend all day doing plenty of free activities.

Free Things To Do

Walk along the Grand Canyon south rim and enjoy the Grand Canyon vistas. There are paved sidewalks that run along the trail and close to the rim lodges and restaurants. One starting point is to park near the El Tovar Hotel and find the sidewalk and then take it west toward the other lodges and then stop near Bright Angel Lodge and Kolb Studio.

You can take photos of the Grand Canyon and all of the historic buildings and lodges around the canyon. The camera is not free but if you already own one then the process of taking photos is certainly free. If you have a digital camera, bring extra memory cards because it is easy to fill up a single card by taking hundreds of pictures.

Hike a trail. Some of the major trails around the canyon include Bright Angel Trail, Rim Trail, South Kaibab Trail and Grandview Trail. If you are going to hike a trail, make sure to take just a short hike down into the canyon, not a long hike unless you know what you are doing. Many people who are out of shape think they can hike up and down the canyon. Do not attempt this. Instead, hike just a short distance, less than a mile, then take your photos and come back up. Leave the long hiking to those who are experienced hikers.

Take the free South Rim Shuttle Bus on its route along different stops in Grand Canyon Village. There are different routes so make sure to look for the bus signs throughout your stay, or check out this website for specific information on the shuttle.

Watch people get on the mules in the morning before they ride them onto the trails. Ask the employees at Bright Angel Lodge when the mules are brought out in the morning and make sure you are there on time with your camera. It is a lot of fun to see people get on these big mules. The sight of this alone is worth having to get up early.

Great Historic Lodges

The lodges and motels at Grand Canyon Village are not free, of course, and you need to make reservations as far in advance as possible, especially if you are going there in the summer.

There are many choices but make an effort to reserve a room at Bright Angel Lodge. Check out the Xanterra website at GrandCanyonLodges.com for information on reservations or call them at 888-29-PARKS or 888-297-2757.

The Bright Angel Lodge offers the most convenient location in the park and some of the coolest, most historic rooms. If you can afford it, reserve a Rim Cabin or Historic Cabin.

Getting to the Grand Canyon

The National Park Service website has a web page dedicated to directions to the Grand Canyon. Basically, if you are coming from California or Nevada, go east on Interstate-40 and travel to Arizona. Once inside the state you will need to look for signs for the city of Williams. Keep going east until you get to Williams and then go north on Highway 64 until you get to the Grand Canyon. Always bring extra maps and plenty of water in your car.

Make sure your plan your trip well in advance of your visit. The National Park Service has an excellent website that offers many tips about visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

The South Rim is open every day of the year, according to the National Park Service Grand Canyon website. The winter season often has lots of snow and thick, dense clouds that cause poor visibility into the canyon. Many people who come during the winter months go away frustrated because the clouds prevented them from having great pictures of the Grand Canyon. Remember that it is less crowded in the winter months but visibility is also poor so there is a tradeoff.

Have fun doing all of these free things at the Grand Canyon.

Sources

Grand Canyon, Wikipedia entry

Grand Canyon NPS, trip planning

Grand Canyon shuttle bus, official website

Grand Canyon Lodges, Grandcanyonlodges.com

Personal experience.

Reference:

• www.associatedcontent.com/article/1827497/arizona_national_parks_the_grand_canyon.htm
• www.associatedcontent.com/article/1831063/free_weekends_announced_at_national.html?ca
• www.associatedcontent.com/article/1863255/free_entry_to_rocky_mountain_national.html?