Grand Canyon Area

There are other things to see in the Grand Canyon area than the canyon itself. Sure, some of us can spend a month at a time exploring the gorge. Some poetic souls can even spend a lifetime without tiring of the ever-changing majesty of the Grand Canyon.

For other folks though, a few days is enough, then they're off to see what else northern Arizona has to offer. If that describes you (or someone in your family), this page might give you some ideas.

If you're driving up to the Grand Canyon area from Phoenix, you'll pass Montezuma Castle. This is touted as the best preserved cliff dwelling in the area. It sure makes a pretty picture. If you want to photograph it though, late morning is the best time. In the afternoon it gets lost in the shadows.

A little further off the path (I-17) is Tuzigoot National Monument. This is the large ruin of a 110 room hilltop pueblo. The towns of Prescott and Sedona are also close-by as you drive north to the Grand Canyon area..

In Flagstaff you'll find Lowell Observatory. You can spend an hour in their excellent visitors center. There are also several observatories, including the small stone one where Pluto was discovered. Another one houses the Clark Telescope. Lowell Observatory is up on Mars Hill, and gives you a great view of the town of Flagstaff.

Drive about 8 miles east of Flagstaff and you can visit the incredibly beautiful, 600 foot deep Walnut Canyon National Monument. The .9 mile Island Trail is highly recommended and passes about 20 ruins. It's a little steep, but there's an easier trail you can take also. If you have the time and energy, you can see literally hundreds of ruins here.

35 miles east of Flagstaff is Meteor Crater, a 50,000 year old impact crater. It's almost a mile wide, and 570 feet deep! This is the only place on earth you can see such a well-preserved impact crater, so if that's what you want to see, you must go of course! The admission price was $12 per person last time I checked, so for some folks (especially if you have kids who are unimpressed by everything) it may be a little high.

The 35 mile loop drive for Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments, on the other hand, was definitely worth the 5 bucks each that the Parks Service charged us. This is one of the most scenic spots in the Grand Canyon area. From Flagstaff, take 89 North for about 12 miles and turn right onto FS 545. It takes several hours to explore these two beauties thoroughly. You'll be closer to the canyon when you finish!

To the North

There are a couple of Grand Canyon area attractions that are close enough to the Park to make a quick drive. A mini Lake Powell vacation is a possibility, since it's only about 110 miles from the north rim. You can be hiking at the canyon and relaxing on the lake in the same day! Water released from Lake Powell flows through the Grand Canyon.

You can also make the "Grand Circle". At its simplest, it's a loop that takes you to the Grand Canyon north rim, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley and Zion National Park.

To the West

Less than 100 miles west of Flagstaff is Grand Canyon Caverns, the only public cave in the Grand Canyon area. Descend 21 stories by elevator to see a rare dry cave. The caverns boast a couple of football field sized rooms (and a LOT more). Only about 3% of the caves in the world are dry, so even if you've seen a lot of caves, this one is different.

Grand Canyon West is being developed mostly by the Hualapai tribe. If you want to see the Grand Canyon area without the people, this is the place to visit! There's a motel, restaurant and services in the area. The also offer popular tours. You can get a permit to drive down into the canyon here! The Diamond Creek Road is 21 miles of gravel and it's the only road that goes down into the Grand Canyon. The Hualapai people are taking control of their future with this venture.

The Grand Canyon Sky Bridge
A glass-bottomed tunnel, thrust out over the canyon. Yikes!

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