Here’s a recent question we received from a reader. For some, the answer may seem obvious, but we thought it was a reasonable question for anyone who has never traveled to the West and can’t picture the lay of the land.
Dear Arizona Travel,
My wife and I are thinking about taking a trip to Las Vegas and making a day trip to the Grand Canyon. I noticed that there is a park fee as there is at all national parks. But with the Canyon being so big, has the National Park blocked all the roads to it so everyone has to go through the Park Service to see it? Or are there a few free stops along the road to look and take pictures? I don’t mind the fee, but I am just curious. Please let me know so we know what to do and how to plan. Either way, if we go we will be stopping by to see it.
–JT
ChristinaToo says:
Dear JT:
The Grand Canyon National Park is in a remote part of northern Arizona, and thus there are very few roads that access the park. There are National Park gates or guard stations at every entrance to the park.
For a day trip from Las Vegas, you’ll want to check out either the West Rim or the South Rim. The West Rim is closest to Las Vegas - 121 miles or about 2 hours 30 minutes. The West Rim is not part of Grand Canyon National Park, but is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation and therefore requires its own set of fees. See our West Rim fact sheet for more details.
If you’re planning on driving a little further, (278 miles, about 4.5 hours) you can check out the South Rim - the most popular spot at the Grand Canyon. You’ll find South Rim information on nearly every page of our website, www.thecanyon.com.
In both cases, you’ll see that the road parallel to, or even as you drive directly into the park, does not afford any views of the Canyon. You really can’t see anything until you get into the Park, park your car in one of the parking lots, and walk 1/4 mile or so to the rim. The surrounding area is a forested plateau, so you can’t see the Canyon from the highway.
Enjoy your trip!
–Christina