Day 3: The Grand Canyon

I awoke to the frigid morning air when my alarm blared at 6 AM. The sun had just risen, casting an early-morning glow across Mather Campground. Birds chirped and ravens cawed as nearby campers packed their cars in preparation for a day at Grand Canyon National Park.

I decided to make this day the day of my long run for Indy Mini training. Little did I know, I was in for a treat…

Who Put That Big Hole There?

I stepped out into the cold air, donned my running shoes, threw on some warm clothes, and began running towards the South Rim. I waved at fellow campers and cars as I navigated walking paths, roads, crosswalks, and the buildings of Grand Canyon Village.

After 1.5 miles, I reached Mather Point at the South Rim. My jaw dropped as I caught sight of the unbelievable view.

Below me, the 10-mile wide, 1-mile deep Grand Canyon interrupted the otherwise flat landscape around me. I couldn’t fathom the scale, the depth, and the geologic age of what laid in front of me. My face broke out into a smile as I walked towards Mather Point, squeezing past tourists to get a better look. It looked like I was staring at a green screen. Nothing I had ever seen – except maybe Yosemite Valley – compared to the sheer magnitude of the cliffs and the colors below me.

The next 8 miles of running were (mostly) a blast. I followed the Rim Trail past Yavapai Point, Grand Canyon Village, and Bright Angel Lodge. I encountered a steep climb once reaching Hermit Road, which – combined with the high elevation at the South Rim – caused my pace to suffer. But it didn’t matter: the view kept me distracted from the pain in my calves. I stopped at an overlook of the Bright Angel Trail – halfway through the run – to FaceTime Maria and show her the view.

Plan your trip to Grand Canyon National Park

After a difficult return run to Mather Campground, I reunited with my dad. We ate breakfast, got ready for the day, and stopped by the Camper Services building so I could take a shower. Then, we planned out our day and drove to the visitor center.

Views, Views, and More Views!

For the rest of the day, my dad and I donned our tourist hats. After stopping at the visitor center and gift shop, we began a quest to visit most of the major overlooks along the South Rim. It seemed like an easy task, but it ended up taking us most of the day.

We started at the classic Mather Point, where my dad got his first look at the Grand Canyon. Like me, he was blown away, dumbfounded by the unfathomable beauty below our feet. At Mather Point, we navigated a crowd of tourists to take some photos, then headed to Hermit Road.

Hermit Road features a lineup of overlooks along the western South Rim. During peak season – from April to October – the road is not accessible to private vehicles. Instead, visitors can ride a free shuttle bus (or hike the Rim Trail) to see these overlooks. The shuttles run every 10-15 minutes, and its schedule is available on the NPS website.

Below, you can find a full list of all the stops along Hermit Road, from east to west. The ones in bold are the ones I recommend stopping at:

• Trailview Overlook
• Maricopa Point
• Powell Point
• Hopi Point
• Mohave Point
• The Abyss
• Monument Creek Vista
• Pima Point
• Hermits Rest

The Hermit Road page lists distances between each stop: some are a short walk from the one next to it.

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My dad and I stopped at most of the stops along Hermit Road, some of which we walked to instead of riding the shuttle. From start to finish, it was a 3-hour excursion.

Desert View Watchtower

After our time along Hermit Road, we returned to our car and began the drive to the South Rim’s eastern end: Desert View. Here, you can find a campground, stunning views of the canyon, and a famous watchtower. The tower – design by Mary Colter and erected in 1932 – is a must-see stop for first-time visitors. Not only does it offer unbelievable views of the Grand Canyon, but it features beautiful architecture and a collection of unique Native American-inspired artwork.

Along the road to Desert View, there are a number of overlooks. Like Hermit Road, some of these overlooks are fantastic and others are skippable. The full list of stops along Desert View Drive is below, and I recommend visiting the ones in bold:

• Pipe Creek Vista
• Duck on a Rock
• Grandview Point
• Moran Point
• Lipan Point
• Navajo Point
• Desert View

Desert View easily was the best part of day 1 at the Grand Canyon. Once we arrived, we immediately noticed the different perspective of the canyon that the viewpoint offered. The ground dropped off to the east, revealing distant views of eastern Arizona. We spotted tributaries of the Colorado River that carved smaller canyons leading into the main canyon. We could even see the distant Vermillion Cliffs and Page, the home of Horseshoe Bend, to the north.

The most important part of the stop was – of course – our chance to climb to the top of the watchtower. We managed to nab a free ticket to enter the tower, where we soaked in the paintings, architecture, and views of the canyon. Without the crowd of tourists that we faced at the overlook, it was even better.

Gearing Up for the Big Day

With that, we wrapped up our time at Desert View and ended our day of activities on a high note. On the way back to Mather Campground, we made a brief stop at Grandview Point to catch some views of the late-afternoon sun bathing the canyon walls in golden light.

Back at our campsite, we began preparations for the next day: our big hike into the Grand Canyon. Following dinner, we loaded our hiking packs, filled up water containers, and reviewed the morning shuttle schedule. Since I planned to hike all the way to the Colorado River and back – a feat that the NPS cautions against – we discussed the less strenuous hike my dad planned to do and agreed on our meet-up point later in the day. In addition, we loaded two-way radios with batteries so we could communicate while I was in the canyon.

After a day of relaxation along the rim, I was ready to get intimate with the trails in the canyon. The next day was going to be epic…