An Account of One Editor's Experience at America's Most Famous Park

Here is an article that I was debating on whether to write. I visited the Grand Canyon several weeks ago with a friend of mine visiting from out-of-town. The majestic, famous, and breathtaking Grand Canyon. The canyon is all that they say it is. A geological wonder and a geographical monument, it is an amazing sight to see. However, there is one major complication of the Grand Canyon experience which is only caused by its popularity, and that problem is people.

The Road to Grand Canyon

We traveled north out of Tempe early in the morning, trying to beat any resemblance of rush hour and make it north early. We narrowly missed getting to truly tour Arcosanti by a half hour, but we were burning daylight and needed to get north. Pressing on through Arizona’s beautiful range lands and canyons that extend north of Phoenix towards Flagstaff and the Colorado Plateau. The landscape changes slowly, but surely, from Sonoran Desert and Saguaro Cacti to an impressive expanse of grassy range land near Cordes Junction. Climbing up and over the rolling countryside, eventually dropping into the Verde Valley.

If you have the time on a trip, and when touring this part of Arizona I highly recommend setting aside several days to explore, there are a lot of places to see. From Cliff Dwellings at Montezuma’s Castle and other National Monuments in the area, to just the geography of the Verde Valley.

As we made our way toward the cut-off to Sedona, we did not realize we were making a common travel mistake: not checking road conditions.

The road to Big Park and the Village of Oak Creek was clear and the state had finished their construction on new round abouts through the little village. A village not unlike places like Aspen, where rather than Joe’s Diner and Steve’s Hardware, you have Tommy Hilfiger and boutiques. Not exactly what you wanted to experience when standing in a village surrounded by towering red-rock canyon walls. Sedona is not much different.

However, what there was in Sedona was a 25 mile an hour zone that really was about 10, for about 10 miles, do to construction. It isn’t the state’s fault, it was ours. We made a newbie mistake and took a trip without checking first. Oh well.

We traveled up Oak Creek Canyon, as I have in the past, although we did not stop. We were running short on time as it was nearing 10 AM and we had many miles to go.

Oak Creek Canyon Bridge, near Sedona Arizona

After touring through Flagstaff and doing a little yarn shopping, we headed north on US 180 toward Valle, Tusayan, and Grand Canyon National Park.

The views of the San Francisco Peaks as we drove along US 180 were stunning to say the least. I didn’t take any pictures from the moving car, because without stopping I did not want to spoil the beauty with a poor shot. The road traverses some beautiful ponderosa pine forests before letting out into more grassy range land of the Colorado Plateau. This is where you encounter Valle, Arizona. A small town, which is more like a wide-spot in the road, greets you. Turning north, we continued on State Route 64 / US 180 toward Tusayan.

Tusayan, Arizona – A Cafe, and the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We finally stopped to eat at Tusayan, and chose the Tusayan Cafe for lunch. The place obviously, at one time, was a Denny’s or similar joint (becuase of the standard 1-10 lighted numbers that never get used hanging from the ceiling). The place was clean, and the food was good, but the service… well,  lets just say I’ve received better service from a fast food burger place. The waitress knew nothing of their beverage selection, and the waiter was impossible to flag down. However, that’s the extent of my complaints.

In Tusayan, there is an Imax theatre that shows The Grand Canyon, a film done in association with the National Geographic Society. Had we had more time, I would have insisted seeing the film.

The Canyon, Grand

We arrived at the entrance to the Grand Canyon and paid the $25 entry fee (it’s good for seven days, if you’re wondering). I knew that the Grand Canyon was popular, but I was not expecting what I saw.

Mather Point, the first view point, was packed. Signs along the road informing drivers that shoulder parking was prohibited were apparently only there for amusement. The lack of respect for our National Parks by park visitors not heading the National Park Service’s notice to park only in parking spots was disheartening enough. However, the view was hardly enjoyable with hundreds of people pouring along the narrow trails.

A View of the Grand Canyon from Mather Point

The Canyon View Visitor’s Center was a short hike away, and I must warn you that restrooms in the park are a commodity, and one that is not readily available. Lines stretched out of even the Mens’ room (yes, gents, even we are not immune at the Grand Canyon). The bookstores and visitor centers were wonderful oasis’ from the heat of the Arizona sun, which compared to our trip to Lake Havasu City earlier in the week, was pleasant.

We decided to snag a parking spot near the National Park Service Headquarters and use the shuttle buses to see the sights. In the future, I think I’ll take a bicycle rather than subject myself to conditions that are commonly reserved for cattle. The shuttle buses, full sized transit buses just like what you would find in Metro Phoenix, were frequently filled to “Groping-room Only” capacity. Getting off at your stop required some diplomacy, especially for those like me that are of size. While the National Park Service does it’s best to cut down on traffic by offering the transit buses, they’re clearly on the wrong end of the visitor-to-resource ratio. The Village Route was the worse, and by the time we had arrived at Hermits’ Rest Transfer, we were tired and sweaty. The Hermits’ Rest Route buses have a rule requiring each person to have a seat. It was this rule that was evident by the queue that had formed, at least 4 buses would be seen before we would even consider seeing the route. Hermits’ Rest Road is closed to non-bus traffic for all except the late winter months.

We decided at this point that we had seen enough of the gaping hole in the ground and fought our way on a Village Route bus back to NPS headquarters and proceeded east out of the park. We found some wonderful lookouts along the road to Desert View, and toured the Ruins at Old Tusayan and the Watchtower at Desert View.

The Watchtower at Desert View, Arizona (GCNP)

The trip home involved seeing the vast range lands of the Navajo Nation, which without the aid of a map and the ever present roadside shops, you would never know you had entered their lands. As we drove back to Flagstaff and into Tempe, I reflected on my day while nursing my knees.

The Grand Canyon is definitely a must see part of the American landscape, and one I want to see again. Only next time I think I am going in the off season, and I will go with days to spend between the two rims, Grand Canyon West, and if I can swing it, Toroweep. Perhaps even a rafting trip down the Colorado. Either way, there is one thing for certain that I have come away with: never, ever again for a day trip, and never, again in the height of the tourist season.

If you can’t experience the canyon for several days at a time, including staying in one of the historic lodges, you are truly just setting yourself up for utter disappointment. Between having to fight the crowds to see, quite frankly, a big freaking hole in the ground, and living your daily transit commute on-board the shuttles, you’ll realize that the Grand Canyon is one place you really do want to just spend the money and let someone take you around.

Oh, of course, take the train if you can. It will keep you from being one of those people who disgrace our parks by damaging the landscape with shoulder parking, but it is also worth the money from everyone I have talked to who has taken the rails.

Finally, if anyone from the National Park Service reads this, your hospitality was great, just add more buses to your fleet and you’ll be doing fine. Heck, I’ll even write a letter to my congressman saying funds are needed for that light rail project that was proposed. Either way, transportation needs a change. Even if it is a fleet of thousands of Segways, something needs to be done.

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Tags: Arizona, AZ 64, Grand Canyon, highways, National Park Service, National Parks, Road Trip, US180

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 18th, 2009 at 11:02 pm and is filed under Destinations, Experience. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.