
A Road Trip To The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon makes an epic road trip, but it can get hectic with tourists. The park’s Hermit Road offers scenic views that are quiet in the off season.
My road trip to the Grand Canyon with my father begins like road trips usually do in our family: a groggy wake-up before dawn, sweet coffee and greasy donuts at a gas station, and hours of talk radio as the sun comes up and the city fades into desert highways.
And though I’d grown up in Arizona and driven hundreds of familiar miles across the state, our 3-day road trip would still make me feel like an explorer. Arizona isn’t the kitschy cowboy state of golf and retirement that it used to be.
As Highway 87 takes us north, and as the sandy desert turn into rolling hills of pine trees, my father asks: “So how have you been?”
I’d been back home for the holidays for awhile, but we didn’t get a chance to talk amid the madness of shopping and cooking. Now theress nothing but an empty road before us.
So I complain about my job and my father lays out plans for his retirement. Our words come easier and purer in the silence with no TV or phone as distractions.
And even though our family is no longer all piled together in a station wagon, road trips are still what they used to be even when so much else has changed. Despite the wrong turns and the bickering, they’re still times for bonding and creating memories.
A Stop in Pine, Arizona
We spent the first day of our trip in Pine, an unincorporated community roughly 100 miles north of Phoenix that’s a quickly growing vacation spot.
We stay in a wooden cabin and spend the rest of the afternoon walking through the surrounding hills, pine needles scrunching under our feet and crisp air filling our lungs. I spot an old mule deer through the trees munching away slowly and unfazed by our footsteps. A chubby, black-and-white cat stares at us from a porch.
Yes, there are plenty of snowbirds (visitors from the colder states who spend their winters in the Arizona sun), but there are also increasing numbers of young people buying up wood cabins for weekend escapes, and chic Airbnbs with rolling porches overlooking the pine forest.
That evening we head to Old County Inn for a few craft beers over pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. It’s packed inside and the wood paneled walls are decked with antlers, green neon lights and old landscape paintings. A gay couple next to us at the bar jokes with the cook about writing the great American novel. The vibe is more reminiscent of Brooklyn or Shoreditch than a community in rural Arizona that only hit a population of some 2.3k people in the last census.
With a long drive ahead of us tomorrow, we call it a night and head back to the cabin. I nestle in under thick blankets with my packed bags by the nightstand.
The next morning, my father and I pile into the truck to drive a few hours further up north and arrive at the Grand Canyon National Park when the lines at the entrance are still small.
The Grand Canyon
Considered a holy site by the Pueblo people, Spanish invaders would later call the Grand Canyon “profound” and marvel that some of its rocks were bigger than Seville’s great tower. It reaches depths of over a mile, formed over some 70 million years.
The national park is huge and covers some 1,900 square miles. Alongside the looming canyon that stretches out like an ocean into infinity, there are two Visitor Centers, a Market Plaza complete with a post office, a few lodges and a hotel.
It’s easy to get lost, and we do soon after we park. I ask a park ranger: “I’m sorry, but where’s the canyon?” She points us in the right direction and soon we’re looking over its edge.
Not even National Geographic photos can convey the dizzying mix of fear and awe you get when you’re overlooking the canyon. It’s an empowering feeling of unrestrained space.
Unlike the usual horizon line, which neatly divides space into earth and sky, the horizon line at the canyon is ragged and blurred. It doesn’t mark a neat division, but swoops and plunges deep down to the Colorado River to show you the vastness and depth of the earth – and our fragile place in it.
Dangers at the Grand Canyon
A brief moment of inattention with an unruly selfie stick, or an overzealous attempt at the perfect Instagram photo, could send you plunging towards death. Of the 4.5 million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year, an average of 12 people die.
There are times I get lightheaded and grab on to a railing, and other times I walk pathways that skirt too close to the edge and leave me grasping trees for stability.
We never venture past the well-worn trails marked out for visitors, but others do. I see a family egging on a young girl to pose at the edge of a cliff while they snap photos, and a woman protesting as her husband laughs and entices her down a steep trail.
It soon gets claustrophobic with crowds and selfie sticks. I look at my map of the South Rim, and a thin red line in the left-hand corner beckons. It’s called Hermit Road.
Hermit Road
This 8-mile scenic route includes 9 overlooks with canyon and river views. It ends with a snack bar and toilets at Hermit’s Rest. It is the route less travelled and we’re lucky to be at the canyon when private vehicles are allowed (December-February).
The Hermit Trail and other features in this part of the canyon are named after Canadian-born miner and explorer Louis Boucher, who had a mule named Calamity Jane. Though he wasn’t a true hermit, Boucher carved a trail into the canyon and lived alone for years near a spring.
We drive towards the Trailview Overlook and it feels like we’re back on the road trip we’d begun in Phoenix. My father drives slowly as we gaze into the abyss of the canyon and the green hiking trails along the road.
People walk their dogs, sit in the gravel admiring the views, or jog and bicycle down the shady trails. It’s a more leisurely vibe than the crowded lookouts near the visitor centers.
We make our way down the road and pull over at whichever stops look good. The most incredible lookouts on Hermit Road include The Abyss, a dizzying view that goes 2,600 feet straight down. And there’s also Hopi Point, which looks farther out into the canyon than any other viewpoint.
We finish the ride at Hermit’s Rest with some chips and coffee.
The next stop
The sun is starting to decline and we turn to leave. Back on the road, we stop at a drive-through and browse the souvenirs at a nearby gift shop. My father gets me an ochre yellow map of Route 66 that now hangs in my home in Cairo.
Inspiration for next year’s road trip?
It’s dark when we get back to our cabin in Pine. I have a couple beers and watch a documentary about The Nutcracker. We’d already gone over tomorrow’s plans and I have some exciting landmarks circled on the map.
Read more about beating the crowds in travel off the beaten path.
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69 Comments
threegirlstravel
I felt like I was right there with you , can’t wait to experience this with someone I love!
Dee
That’s such a great compliment, thank you! It really is an awe-inspiring place, and I hope you enjoy your trip.
threegirlstravel
My father was born in Arizona and never lost his love for it. He and my mother took a very similar trip, many years ago. Unfortunately I was unable to go, and now that opportunity is no more, but I can create new memories, to carry on his passion.
Thanks again for letting me tag along.
Shoma Abhyankar
Didn’t do this trip but Grand Canyon was a great trip for me too.
Dee
I went once as a teenager, and so glad that I returned again as an adult.. It really is breathtaking.
kagould17
Hi Dee. Great to see you posting and thanks for the memories of my own trip here this past January. I can tell you the crowds are much smaller in January. Agree, the Grand Canyon is one trip not to be missed. Also, the bicycle trip down Haleakala on Maui after watching the morning sunrise is a religious experience. Though I live in Canada, I have never been as cold as I was at the top of Haleakala. Cheers. Allan
Dee
Thank you, Allan! I can’t even imagine how crazy the Grand Canyon must get in the summer.. And with the Arizona heat, I doubt I could manage much more besides sprints to and from an air conditioned car 🙂
judyannet
What a lovely trip with your dad! Thanks for sharing all that beauty with us.
Dee
I’m happy you enjoyed it! It was such a great trip.
learnchineseinqingdao
The photos look amazing and stunning. Roads trips are always great fun!
Dee
I love road trips and that sense of adventure! You can stop and explore whenever you like..
learnchineseinqingdao
Totally right. You are just free and can decide what you wanna do
ianscyberspace
Profound is an apt description for one of the wonders of the world.
Dee
Yes! Especially considering how the Spanish at that time had never seen the canyon before – not in photos or on TV like we do.
Andrew Samtoy
Beautiful writing – thanks for sharing!
Dee
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
thewonderer86
What a great trip. And how lovely that you did it with your dad.
Dee
Thank you! I only visit Arizona once a year, so I try to really spend some time there and make the most of it 🙂
bestregardsfromfar
Hi Dee, thanks for this article. It took me back to the road trip through the States that I did with my parents 15 years ago when I was still a teenager. Times change and reading your post I feel a deep longing of doing another road trip with my dad (sadly my mum passed away recently). These moments together get rarer and rarer! Being from Europe my partner and I will fly to the U.S.A. in April, one of the things we are planning on doing is to hike down the Grand Canyon. Your pictures got me all excited about this adventure about which we will certainly publish some great articles. I’ll be following your adventures. Happy travels! Marcella
Dee
Hi Marcella! I’m happy to hear it’s brought back some happy memories. I visited the Grand Canyon in my early teens as well, but I have to say it was like seeing it anew when I went back as an adult.. Time does fly, and I don’t get to visit Arizona very often, so I try to make the most of my visits and travel with my parents. Enjoy your trip to the Grand Canyon this spring! There are some amazing hikes there, and I’ll be looking forward to reading about your experiences as well.
Content Catnip
Wow you are such a lovely writer I really felt like I was there with you, now I want to go to Arizona
Dee
Thank you for the kind words! And I hope you’ll get to visit Arizona someday – it’s a very diverse state with lots of natural wonders.
Ramona
Excellent post with fantastic images! But it’s creepy how many people die there.
Dee
Yes! I’m glad I heard that statistic *after* we came back from the trip 🙂
Stephanie Cisterna
Hello Dee. Great pictures! What a memorable experience with your dad. Reminds me of the trips I go on with my dad. We’re both quite adventurous! A great way to experience the Grand Canyon is to ride the steam train! It departs from Williams. I think the weekends alternate from diesel and steam. We took the steam train one way and diesel on the way back on our trip because it was very busy. It was a very very neat experience. It was such a pretty way to get there and there’s a few hours to admire the canyon before you have to head back. I would reccommend this route for anyone that isn’t looking to spend a whole day at the canyon.
Dee
Thank you, Stephanie! And what a great tip.. We saw that train parked on the tracks when we were driving around lost, and then I read about it in one of the flyers I picked up. I was thinking how incredible it would be to take that ride next year! It would be so in line with the slow travel that I love to do, and a great way to take in the scenery too.
frejatravels
what a beautiful view:)
Dee
Thank you! The scenery is so gorgeous there.
frejatravels
so many places to visit and so little time:)
The Muscleheaded Blog
This covers the subject very nicely ! 🙂
Dee
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
phoenixfamilyadventures
I’m feeling inspired to take my dad to the Grand Canyon. He is an Arizona native who just celebrated the big 5 – 0 this year and somehow he has never seen this great landmark in person. I went once as a child, it would be a great family trip! Thanks for sharing
Dee
You really should! I think it would make a great family trip, and for you too seeing it as an adult would probably be a completely different experience.
Living with Lils
I’ve always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon! Looks like you had an amazing time: great post :))
Dee
Thanks so much! You really should visit – photos just don’t do it justice.
Elitsa
What a great trip!
Dee
Thanks so much, Elitsa! I really enjoyed it.
Jamie Devine
Love this area of the USA! You covered it so nicely ?
Dee
Thank you, Jamie! I love all the hiking and greenery in northern AZ.
Marsa Alam Desert Retreat
Wonderful post and great pictures. Interesting to see some of the beautiful landscapes and desert in your part of the world. Thanks for sharing.
Dee
Thank you so much, that is amazing! I have been blogging for awhile, but hearing such wonderful words really makes all the effort worthwhile.. And your desert retreat looks gorgeous. I live in Egypt and would really love to visit Marsa Alam again soon.
Marsa Alam Desert Retreat
You deserve this Dee, there are a lot of good travel blogs out there but your blog is really quite unique!?
GentlemansFamilyFinances
great to have the insight of this trip – I would love to visit the desert and see the grand canyon (but away from the crowds and selife-sticks). 🙂
Makes me a bit jealous!
Dee
Thank you! I hope you’ll get to experience it soon – and, yes, it’s so much different in the off-season.
Dippy Dotty Girl
Beautifully written Dee 🙂
Dee
Thanks so much! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
WanderingCanadians
Brings back memories. We visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago in December. And you’re right: pictures don’t even begin to do this place any justice. They really don’t convey the feeling of awe inspiration.
Dee
It’s so true.. the image would have to be 3D to convey even a little of that incredible depth and space.
Natasha MacFarlane
What a beautifully written post! Wow!!
Dee
Thank you, Natasha! I’m happy you liked it.
George St Petersburg Russia private guide
Very interesting. Wonderful photos! Thank you!
Dee
Thank you for reading.. I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Rolandomio
Very good Post!
Dee
Thank you!
Dee
Thank you! I appreciate that.
Spencer Swalm
Enjoyed your Grand Canyon post. And the idea of slow travel. You can probably tell we’re fellow travelers in that regard. Perhaps we can collaborate sometime.
Dee
Thank you, Spencer! It looks like we definitely have that in common. I’m happy you enjoyed the post.
R Balasundaram
Loved your writing style
Dee
Thank you! I really appreciate it.
Matt Landon
Your description takes me immediately back there. Love the Grand Canyon, need to return to it soon.
Dee
Thank you, Matt! I hope you’ll get to return soon, and I’d love to see your photography from there.
Linda Thornton
Really enjoyed this post; have added this trip to my bucket list. Keep writing!
Dee
Thank you, Linda! I hope you make it there someday.
awa
Have you ever tried a walk journey at the bottom of the canyon? I think, I read one post that it’s possible but quite difficult.
Dee
I haven’t, actually! I’ve read that it’s a difficult hike unless you’re fit and experienced.. Then when I was there, I spotted some hikers walking down and the path looked very narrow, steep and scary.
Ron
It looks like a wonderful trip Dee. Beautiful images and excellent information. It is a remarkable place to see and experience. One could just stand there all day trying to take in what our eyes behold. 🙂
Dee
Thank you, Ron! You’re so right.. I could have spent all day there looking out at those views.
John
Wow, just… wow!
Dee
Thank you, John!