This is a guide on how to have an epic adventure at Grand Canyon National Park. This guide is meant for people of all ability levels. When I say people of all abilities I mean those with disabilities, those with physical or mental limitations, and those who don’t have any limitations at all. I like to find hikes and activities that accommodate everyone with or without their families and friends depending on their level of independence. Remember everyone is different in their levels of independence and that is okay. Always remember to stay safe.
When to visit
The best time to visit the Grand Canyon is during the spring or fall because of the cooler temperatures. It gets very busy during the summer and it’s very hot also. I visited towards the end of summer because of my schedule, but I can’t wait to see what it’s like in a different season. I went during August so it was definitely cooler during the frequent rain storms but overall not too bad.
What to bring
Along with our regular traveling gear and essentials these were a few things that we were happy that we brought along.
Rain jackets – We visited in August during the rainy season. The thunderstorms were amazing, but having a rain jacket in my car or hiking bag was very handy. Here is the kids rain jacket my daughter has in a different color.
Sun shirts – The sun was hitting us really hard and many places had no shade. Getting a nice quality sun shirt has been a life changer for me since getting outside more.
Bike – The Grand Canyon has GRAND views (pun intended). The Greenway and Hermit Road are great ways to see more of the park without worrying about parking. Click here for a great bike lock that I recommend using to keep your bike safe and secure if you decide to dismount and explore the areas around these roads.
Lunch and snacks – Save both time and money on your trip by packing lunch and snacks. There are so many yummy places to eat in the grand canyon and I will share those in this guide, but eating out for every meal on trips makes me feel gross and ends up being much more expensive. Click here to see two day coolers I’ve enjoyed using during my travels.
Where to visit
This is a breakdown of my favorite things to do in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and what we had time to do in our two days there. Remember that everyone goes at their own pace and this depends on many things such as whether or not you have kids, you or abilities or limitations, or if you like to just go go go or if you like to take it slow. The nps.gov website is a great resource to utilize and I definitely recommend checking in with the park rangers to see the conditions of the trails and weather.
The Rim Trail
The views from the Rim Trail are so beautiful and accessible but the trail itself is very long. I would suggest parking near the Grand Canyon Village or Grand Canyon visitor center and walking to Mather Point viewpoint that is wheelchair accessible and then walking or rolling from there. I also parked near the south Kaibab trailhead and walked north and south along the south Rim Trail. That had a few less people than at the main visitor center.
Hermit Road
I highly recommend this road. However, there are only two ways to access it: by bike or by taking the Grand Canyon Shuttle. There is a great place to rent bikes at the Grand Canyon Village in the park. Click here for more information about bike rentals. Be aware that sadly there are no adaptive bikes for rent currently which is why I had to travel with mine.
Hermit Road has several accessible viewpoints and is less crowded than the rest of the park, so I would recommend it just for those few reasons alone. Hermit’s Rest has a beautiful parks store,more beautiful viewpoints, and great picnic tables for taking a lunch break at before biking back.
The Grand Canyon Greenway trail
This is also a great trail if you want to see a lot of the park and visit different visitor centers without having to worry about the parking lots that fill up quickly. Here is another great resource to help you understand the rules and regulations for the trails, including bike restrictions and maps of the Grand Canyon Greenway Trail.
Desert view drive
We were coming from the Salt Lake City area and our GPS took us through Bryce Canyon, down through Kanab and Lake Powell, and finally through Page, Arizona. If your GPS takes you this way I also recommend doing the Desert View Road for the great viewpoints. It runs East-West from the East entrance to the South entrance. The Desert View Watchtower is my favorite. It has some good places to get snacks as well as beautiful art by a local artist and shops.
Fun activities to do besides hiking
Once upon a time I was an angsty teen that went to the grand canyon and when I was 16 all I wanted to do was just sit in the lodge and text my friends and not experience the Grand Canyon mules. I really regret this now. My family said this was a huge highlight for them back then. Now I really want to go but I’m going to have to wait until my little ones are older so that I can experience them with my little family. Here are some details if you want to ride mules down into the Grand Canyon.
Where to stay
Are you a camper? Glamper? Lodger? We used to camp more in the National Parks but with my disability and since we have littles now it’s been a lot tougher on my body. Because of this we’ve started staying at hotels more or glamping. I highly recommend staying at the Clear Sky Resorts near the Grand Canyon #hosted. It was just under a half hour drive from the resort to the park.
The dome we stayed in was the Deluxe XL and was wheelchair accessible. They had an accessible rain shower and it was very spacious. It also had a loft above for other people in your party to stay in. For this trip I went with my mom and sister and they each had their own beds up in the loft. I had the nice big bed in the main area and in the evenings I was able to just lay in bed and watch the amazing thunderstorms across the horizon. The Clear Sky Resort has amazing amenities for families, girls trips, or just weekend getaways for couples. They have fire pits, a dome with a projector for movies, live music, and indoor and outdoor games. The stars are also amazing, but we didn’t get to see them because of the thunderstorms. The lightning and storms definitely made up for it though.
Where to Eat
We always love to pack our own snacks and lunches to save a few bucks on our trips, but one of my favorite things to do is try out at least one yummy breakfast place and one place for dinner. Here are a few of my favorites that I would recommend that are in or around the Grand Canyon.
El Tovar
The EL Tovar hotel has very yummy breakfast along with a beautiful seating area with views of the Grand Canyon. If you want to get the best views I would definitely recommend calling in advance or booking online. I had the eggs benedict and a yummy mocha. It was all delicious and got us fueled and ready to head home that morning. The service was also top notch. They were so kind and are happy to make any accommodations that you may need.
