Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
530
In the more recent past, the Grand Canyon has been home to several Native American
cultures, including the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi), who are best known for their cliff
dwellings in the Four Corners region. About 150 years after the Ancestral Puebloans and
Coconino peoples abandoned the canyon in the 13th century, another tribe, the Cerbat,
moved into the area. Today, the Hualapai and Havasupai tribes, descendants of the Cer-
bat people, still live in and near the Grand Canyon on the south side of the Colorado
River. On the North Rim lived the Southern Paiute, and in the east, the Navajo.
However, there have been those in the recent past who regarded the canyon as mere
wasted space, suitable only for filling with water. Upstream of the Grand Canyon stands
Glen Canyon Dam, which forms Lake Powell, while downstream lies Lake Mead, created
by Hoover Dam. The Grand Canyon might have suffered the same fate, but luckily the
forces for preservation prevailed. Today, the Grand Canyon is the last major undammed
stretch of the Colorado River.
All this popularity has taken its toll; with roughly four million people visiting the park
each year, traffic during the summer months has become almost as bad at the South Rim
as it is during rush hour in any major city, and finding a parking space is a challenge. But
don't let these inconveniences dissuade you from visiting. Despite the crowds, the Grand
Canyon more than lives up to its name and is one of the most memorable sights on
earth.
ESSENTIALS
Getting There
BY CAR
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is 60 miles north of Williams and I-40
on Ariz. 64 and US 180. Flagstaff, the nearest city of any size, is 80 miles away. From
Flagstaff, it's possible to take US 180 directly to the South Rim or US 89 to Ariz. 64 and
the east entrance to the park. This latter route is my preferred way of getting to the
canyon since it sees slightly less traffic. Be sure you have plenty of gasoline in your car
before setting out for the canyon; there are few service stations in this remote part of the
state and what gas stations there are charge exorbitant prices.
Long waits at the entrance gates, parking problems, and traffic congestion have
become the norm at the canyon during the popular summer months, and even during
the spring and fall there can be backups at the entrance gates and visitors can have a hard
time finding a parking space. However, extra ticketing lanes built a few years ago have
somewhat alleviated the congestion at the south entrance to the park.
BY PLANE
The Grand Canyon Airport is in Tusayan, 6 miles south of Grand Canyon
Village.
Scenic Airlines
(
&
800/634-6801;
www.scenic.com) offers flights and over-
night tours from the Boulder City Airport (near Las Vegas) and charges $299 to $399
round-trip. Alternatively, you can fly into Flagstaff and then arrange another mode of
transportation the rest of the way to the national park (see “Flagstaff,” later in this chap-
ter, for details). See “Getting Around,” below, for info on getting from the airport to your
final destination.
BY TRAIN
The
Grand Canyon Railway
operates excursion trains between Williams
and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. See “Williams,” later in this chapter, for
details.
For long-distance connections,
Amtrak
(
&
800/872-7245;
www.amtrak.com) pro-
vides service to Flagstaff and Williams. From Flagstaff, it's then possible to take a bus
directly to Grand Canyon Village. From Williams, you can take the Grand Canyon
Railway excursion train to Grand Canyon Village.
Note:
The Amtrak stop in Williams is
16
