Gone With The Family

Adventures in Family Travel

Photo Memories from the Grand Canyon

Arizona, United States / by / 68 Comments

Photos from our visit to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

We have just returned from a visit to Las Vegas that included a road trip to spend two nights at the Grand Canyon’s south rim. It was a highly-anticipated first-time visit and I will never forget the feelings evoked as I approached the canyon edge and caught that first glimpse of one of the world’s natural wonders. 

Photos can’t begin to do justice to the breathtaking beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon but these are a few of my favourites from our two day stay.

Arriving at our hotel in Tusayan, Arizona toward the end of the day after a long drive from Las Vegas and a stop at the Hoover Dam, we paused only long enough to drop off our luggage before heading to Grand Canyon National Park to see the canyon for the first time. Fortunately, we made it just in time for sunset.

Upon arrival, we parked the car and headed to Mather Point which is quite close to the Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center. I was simply awestruck by my first view of the canyon. We have all seen images of the canyon in print and on screen but nothing can compare to the experience of seeing it in person. My 9 year-old daughter’s immediate reaction was “Wow! The Grand Canyon rocks!!” and that summed it up quite perfectly. The sun was starting to set when we arrived which made the lighting difficult for taking photos but just seeing the canyon at that time of the day was incredible.

Arizona-Grand Canyon
My first glimpse of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon - Mather Point
Grand Canyon South Rim – near Mather Point
Near Mather Point-Grand Canyon-Arizona
Near Mather Point – Grand Canyon
Arizona-Grand Canyon-fading light
Enjoying the fading light at the Grand Canyon

We returned the next morning and stopped for the obligatory photo at the Grand Canyon National Park sign.

Arizona-Grand Canyon National Park entrance
At the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park

We spent some time in the morning walking around Mather Point again as we were waiting to attend a presentation by one of the Rangers on wildlife in the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon - Near Mather Point
Near Mather Point in the morning
Mather Point - Grand Canyon
Two of us at the Grand Canyon

Our daughter was excited to earn her first Junior Ranger badge at Grand Canyon National Park and is keen to visit more parks so that she can collect additional badges.

Grand Canyon Junior Ranger badge
Emma with her first Junior Ranger badge

After our daughter had earned her badge, we boarded one of the shuttle buses heading to Yaki Point and South Kaibab Trailhead to take in different viewpoints.

At Yaki Point - South Rim of the Grand Canyon
At Yaki Point – South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Near South Kaibab Trailhead - Grand Canyon
Emma near Yaki Point

One of my favourite photos from our two days at the canyon is this one of a squirrel sitting on a ledge overlooking the canyon near Yaki Point apparently enjoying the view as much as we were.

Arizona-Grand Canyon-squirrel
A Grand Canyon squirrel appreciating the view

After returning to the Visitor’s Center, we transferred to another shuttle bus that transported us to Grand Canyon Village where we walked along the rim near the El Tovar Hotel, had an ice cream break, purchased a cap to protect Emma’s head from the sun and shopped for souvenirs at the Verkamp’s Visitor Center.

View of Grand Canyon South Rim near El Tovar Hotel
View of Grand Canyon from rim near El Tovar Hotel

We were starting to tire at this point as it was getting on into the afternoon, but decided to take the Hermit’s Rest shuttle to Hopi Point in order to get a view of the Colorado River.

At Hopi Point - Grand Canyon South Rim
At Hopi Point – Grand Canyon South Rim

We opted to hike between Hopi Point and Mojave Point and the path was a bit narrow, icy and slippery in parts but we made it safely and the views were spectacular.

View of Colorado River from Mojave Point - Grand Canyon
View of Colorado River from Mojave Point

Wildlife sightings were an unexpected highlight of our visit as well.

Wildlife at Grand Canyon National Park
Wildlife sightings in the park

We were spoiled by picture-perfect weather for the length of our visit to the Grand Canyon and enjoyed every moment of our stay. I am thankful to have had this opportunity to experience one of the world’s natural wonders firsthand.

Grand Canyon National Park Facts

  • The Grand Canyon is 277 river-miles long, an average of 10 miles wide and nearly 1 mile deep;
  • The Grand Canyon began to appear 5 to 6 million years ago when the Colorado River began downcutting into the rock of the Colorado Plateau;
  • The area was first established as a forest reserve in 1893 and gained national park status in 1919;
  • Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 1,218,375 acres of land in northwestern Arizona;
  • The south rim of the Grand Canyon is open year-round;
  • Entrance to the park is currently $25 per vehicle and $12 per person for pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists and is good for 7 consecutive days. 12 month passes are also available (pricing current as of March 2013);
  • There is a free shuttle bus service at the south rim which transports visitors around several routes in the park;
  • Maps as well as information on hikes, ranger-led programs, weather and other activities are available at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center;
  • Kids ages 4-14 can receive Junior Ranger badges and certificates by completing a list of activities in the Junior Ranger Activity Book that can be obtained at the Visitor Center free of charge;
  • There are seven distinct lodges located within the park at the south rim;
  • Visitors may travel from Williams, Arizona on the vintage trains of the Grand Canyon Railway.
  • Additional Information is available on the National Park Service‘s website.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrea J.

    Love this article. I am wanting to visit the Grand Canyon sometime soon with my family. No concrete plans as of yet. My mom had always wanted to see it but didn’t get the chance before she passed away this past October from cancer. In one of her last conversations with me she told me to go see the Grand Canyon. Your pictures are tempting me even more to make it happen. So thankyou! I especially love the squirrel.

    Reply

  3. Tonya

    I’ve always wanted to visit Las Vegas with a day (or two) trip to the Grand Canyon. Love the pictures of your trip and the beautiful weather. I’m still waiting for some of that here in Ohio. 🙂

    Reply

  5. Lisa Goodmurphy

    Andrea, I’m so sorry that your mom didn’t get the chance to see the Grand Canyon and I’m sure that it would please her a great deal to see you visit. We all tend to put off fulfilling our dreams thinking that there are an endless number of days ahead but, as you know, that isn’t always the case. The Grand Canyon is so awe-inspiring – I do hope that you get to visit with your family soon!

    Reply

  10. Cheryl @ Kids On A Plane

    Beautiful photos Lisa! I have only visited once and I don’t remember much (was a teenager and thought I was too cool travelling with my parents so I fell asleep on the plane ride LOL). Will definitely have to revisit with my kids to take it all in

    Reply

  12. Lisa Goodmurphy

    Thanks, Cheryl! What a completely teenager thing to do! 🙂 Mine wasn’t with me this trip but as we were hiking the entire day I couldn’t help thinking of the complaining that I would have been hearing if she had been!

    Reply

  13. Lisa Wood

    Gosh those photos are stunning, can only imagine what the grand canyon looks like in real life!
    What did Emma have to do to get her Junior Ranger badge? Its looks like a great idea to get kids excited about learning as well as exploring at the same time – be great to hear if any National Parks in Australia do the same thing!
    Love that squirrel – its like its looking at the beginning of the world.
    Do you have to be careful about the wildlife in the area while walking around?

    Reply

  14. Lisa Goodmurphy

    Thanks, Lisa! In order to get the Junior Ranger badge, Emma had to complete 4 activity pages in her Junior Ranger booklet and attend one Park Ranger-led activity – we attended a talk on wildlife in the park. It’s a great program! The Canadian parks that we have visited have activity booklets for the kids but no badges.

    The squirrel was quite the character – he raced all around the area and then scampered out onto that ledge and just sat as if he was taking it all in!

    We only saw mule deer/elk and squirrels and they were oblivious to the presence of people although there are warnings everywhere reminding visitors that they are wild animals and should not be approached or fed. Apparently several people are bitten by squirrels every day when trying to feed them!

    Reply

  16. Nicole @ Suitcase Stories

    Great photos! When we went last year there was a lot of smog so the photos didnt turn out good at all.

    We have been twice now and loved it both times. Its such a beautiful place.

    Im new to your blog so Im off to have a little nosy through your posts! Reading blogs is about my most favorite thing to do! I have my own but I much rather read others! 🙂

    Reply

  19. Steve

    I’m pretty sure the squirrel is sitting on the edge thinking “Drat! I left my nuts on the other side of this thing!”.
    That’s easily my favorite shot of the Grand Canyon ever, and I might even let my fondness of that shot nudge the Grand Canyon up in ranking from “ditch” to “chasm”. Glad you guys got to enjoy it, and I hope Katie’s not too mad that she missed out.

    Reply

  20. Leigh

    The Grand Canyon has to be seen to be believed. I have been several times and in fact have stayed at the El Tovar twice. You can’t beat breakfast there with that view. A few years ago I hiked the Rim to Rim to Rim – one way one day, a rest day and then returned back to the North Rim. Every step of that 44 mile trip was beautiful.
    I LOVE your squirrel photo.

    Reply

  22. Lisa Goodmurphy

    Thanks, Steve – I’m glad I prompted you to upgrade the Grand Canyon in your rating system! Given the amount of hiking that we did, my guess is that Katie will be happy that she missed out. On the other hand, she may be doing more of it than she would choose to in Ecuador.

    Reply

  23. Lisa Goodmurphy

    We wanted to stay at El Tovar but it was fully-booked for the dates that we were going to be there. I would have loved to have enjoyed breakfast with that view! Rim to Rim to Rim would be awesome – maybe in a couple of years when Emma builds up her endurance a bit!

    Reply

  25. Marisol@TravelingSolemates

    Hi Lisa, can I whisper something to your ears? Here goes..”I live in the US and I’ve been to about 50 countries, but I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon. ”
    I know its embarrassing:( I will go sometime soon, I promise. For now, I have to live vicariously through your lovely photos and narratives.
    P.S. Love the photos of Emma. She’s a natural.

    Reply

  26. jenny@atasteoftravel

    I have only seen the Grand Canyon from the air but after seeing your wonderful photos I’d love to spend more time on the ground. Your trip sounded fabulous!

    Reply

  27. budget jan

    What a fantastic place and certainly is somewhere I would love to see one day. I love your “enjoying the fading light”and squirrel photos. Are there a lot of squirrels or were you just extremely patient, or lucky?

    Reply

  29. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    Great photos! I’m so glad you finally made it to the Grand Canyon and you’re so right that it does need to be seen in person to fully appreciate its beauty. Love the squirrel photo. So glad you spotted wildlife too. Just in case you get to Liberty Island in NYC when you’re there, they have a Junior Ranger Program 🙂

    Reply

  31. Sophie

    I lived in the USA for 5 years, and never managed to visit the Grand Canyon. That really needs to be rectified. Sounds like fun for kids, too 🙂

    Reply

  34. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    I haven’t been to the Grand Canyon since I was about Emma’s age. I think what’s so impressive about it is the shear magnitude and scale of the place that photos can’t capture. Your pictures are wonderful, especially the squirrely one.

    Reply

  35. Margaret

    I have such fun memories of visiting the Grand Canyon when I was a kid! I love those junior ranger programs. My daughter always enjoys those, and I think the make the place so much more enjoyable for parents and child.

    Reply

  36. Lisa Goodmurphy

    It’s okay, Marisol, there’s a lot of things I’m embarrassed to admit too! We have been to a lot of countries but I have never taken my kids to the Rocky Mountains in Canada – hoping to get at least one kid there this summer! When you finally get to the Grand Canyon – it will blow your socks off! 😉

    Reply

  37. Lisa Goodmurphy

    Jenny, I was afraid to see it by air – I have a bit of a phobia about helicoptors – but hiking around the rim was awesome! Would love to go back sometime and either hike down into the canyon or rim to rim to rim like Leigh has done.

    Reply

  38. Lisa Goodmurphy

    There are quite a few squirrels but mostly I was lucky. We had stopped at one of the look out points and this one was racing around everyone. He stopped about a foot in front of me at one point and I snapped a photo of him looking at me. My husband was giving me a hard time saying “it’s just a squirrel” but I replied “it’s a Grand Canyon squirrel”. When he ran out onto the ledge, I zoomed and clicked and it ended up being one of my favourite pics. 🙂

    Reply

  42. Lisa Goodmurphy

    It’s definitely worth a visit, Sophie! We only had the 9 year old with us and she loved it. I expect the teenager might have done a bit of complaining about the amount of walking we did! 🙂

    Reply

  47. Cathy Sweeney

    I agree – the Grand Canyon rocks! Too long since I’ve been there, but I’ve been lucky enough to have been there twice — once when I was about 6, once as an adult and each time I was thrilled. Great photos of the scenery and family fun.

    Reply

  48. Nancie

    Your shots are spectacular. I do love that one of the squirrel…priceless. I really do need to figure out how to get to the Grand Canyon from Korea…on a budget!

    Reply

  52. Sonja

    My husband and I saw the GC for the first time together years ago – we were in awe. Since then we’ve taken our kids and had just as great an experience watching their reaction to the first look. There’s nothing like it.

    Reply

  53. Lesley Peterson

    Loved this post! It’s hard to imagine the Canyon’s immensity, definitely something I’ll have to try to see. Loved the pics of the ‘Junior Ranger’ and the sightseeing squirrel. The JR program sounds terrific.

    Reply

  67. Molly S

    Love these photos – I’m wanting to go back to the Grand Canyon and do some hiking. It must have been amazing to get your first glimpse at sunset – very special!

    Reply

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