North Rim or South Rim

[red911sc]

No, not at the Bunny Ranch, at the Grand Canyon

We booked our vacay for next year (week of July 4th). South Rim inside park is sold out, North Rim was available so we reserved it. I am thinking South Rim outside the park would be better as there is more to do on the South Rim. What are advantages and disadvantages of each Rim? It will be 5 adults and 4 boys ages 8, 10, 15, and 17 (we are going with my MIL, BIL & SIL with their 2 boys)

What are the "must do's"? We will be heading across 44/40 through Saint Louis, Amarillo and Albuquerque.

[avi8torny]

The North Rim is the better experience in my opinion. Plus you have access to the sights in Southern Utah like Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands and Arches NP. Buy an annual pass online to the NP which give you access to all the above for one price. There's not much to do once you have seen the sights except for hiking which can be stressful with little ones....especially in the GC.

Desert Pearl Inn in Springdale UT is a home run if you have kids and need a large room with ammenities like a pool. Its within a 2 hour drive from the North Rim.

Hope that helps.

[Rick Lee]

North Rim is definitely better. I HATE crowds. Besides, at 10k feet you can catch a buzz a lot faster with fewer beers.

[tevake]

1+ on the above!! alot more peaceful on the N rim. I hate being at a nature wonder spot and have the experience over shadowed by a huge mass of people.
Its kind of like people disturbing a church service
Lots to see in the area also.

Cheers Richard

[A930Rocket]

We didn't have much of choice when we went in 89. There were a lot of fires on the north side and were lucky to see what we did on the south side. Lots of smoke.

[DanielDudley]

I lived on the South Rim, and I have to say the North is a very cool experience. South rim is about 90 miles from Flagstaff and it is a nice jaunt through the mountains to Flag and then down Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona. There is the train ride from Willams, and of course the plane or helicopter rides over the canyon. There are also of course the rim trails, and about 35 miles of canyon side road that you can drive.

It is about a four hour ride from north to south. I am just not as familiar with the North Rim attractions, but it is by far the more rustic and scenic.
I'm sure you will really enjoy it.

[porsche4life]

I'm about halfway between OKC and amarillo on I40. Give me a shout if you have any trouble on the highway in OK...

[Heel n Toe]

Monument Valley is nearby... try to make time for it, too.

Seriously looks like another planet... incredibly beautiful and haunting.







Monument Valley; Jeep Tours, Lodging, Scenic Flights, Visitors Guide

[rattlsnak]

if all you want to do is see the GC, then the South side is much better as there are many more things going on. defintely more tourist friendly, especially with kids. If you want to go into Utah to MV , etc then go to the north side. It really depends on which way you are arriving. Coming from the south and not seeing Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona would be a waste! You can also take the chairlift up Mt Frisco in Flag, all very cool stuff..

[sammyg2]

I've been to both a few times. Remember that scene from the movie Vacation where chevy stands there with his kid and looks at the canyon for a second and then says lets go?

That's exaggerated but there's only so much to see from the rim. It looks like a picture and you can only stare at it for so long. It's just too darn big and too far across to grasp and fully experience unless you down into it.


IMO there's stuff to see in southern Utah that blows the grand canyon away.
I still have the image burned into my memory the first time i stood at the opening of Bryce Canyon and looked up to my dad and said, we're going down in there?
Or the first time I climbed an arch and stood on top, or saw the wind carvings in the sand stone in Zion.

[Grady Clay]

Jeff,

That time of year, I recommend you approach and return the desert south-west by the High Rockies.
More on that later.

rattlsnak, sammyg2, others; Good posts.
Those age kids will love the South Rim but they will remember (forever) their experiences on the North Rim and Southern Utah parks.
I do from the '50s.

I recommend planning both, with the emphasis (time) on the North Rim and Utah.
Thers is a route via SW Nevada

There are some important stops east of the Grand Canyon in Arizona (easily off I-40); Painted Desert and Meteor Crater come to mind.
There is more in western New Mexico and Colorado depending on your route.

Most important are all the National Parks and other in Southern Utah.
No literate person should live without experiencing this grandeur.

Many of these parks and other get skipped because they are not on I-something.
These areas are among the most beautiful of the “desert south-west” but not easily accessible without planning.

I have been to only ‘bits’ of your tour over six decades (probably seen it all – just not in sequence).
I plan to see more – mostly on the North Rim and Southern Utah on the way to RRIV upcoming in October ‘11.
I am VERY interested in your planning.
Several (Eastern) Pelicans have offered to take me on this trip through Utah en route to CA.
I plan to lead a ‘historic’ (3-4 day) tour of some of the most speculator country in the world.
Your trip can help (and vice versa).


Jeff, lets discuss (on another thread?) ideas on how to best take our kids (age dependent) on these summer trips.
I remember all of mine from the ‘40’s, ‘50s’ and 60’s and more.
I also remember the descriptions from parents, grandparents and aunts/uncles in the generation 1920s-‘40s.
I am firmly determined that ‘pre-education’ greatly enhances kids’ learning and enjoyment of the ‘trip’.
This gives the kids the perspective (geologic, historic, more) of what they are seeing.
Come prepared.
My grandparents (and earlier) came touring the West in the teens and earlier from NY, KY and other. Many to early California and the desert SW.
This West is still some of the most spectacular experience in the world – and safe & accessible.
You might consider one way through Canada (by RR) to Banff and the spectacular Rockies there.
Consider (in your budget) some air tours. This country is lost without an areal view.

More to come: ‘thought experiment’ trips don’t cost anything.

Best,
Grady

[5String43]

I much prefer the North Rim. The South Rim is much busier and much more tourist-oriented. Motorhomes, El Cheapo gift shops, the whole deal. It's easily accessible.

The North Rim is rather more difficult to get to, kind of an you-can't-get-there-from-here deal, but is very much worth the effort, in my view. Not nearly as crowded, and is about 1,000 feet higher, if i remember correctly, than the South Rim, so tends to be cooler. Just as much to see, if you know where to look. Last time we were there we stumbled on the foundations of a prehistoric dwellling, right there on the surface near the rim. Pretty cool stuff. Just out of the immediate area there are a number of dirt roads that will take you right to the edge. Nobody around. Really nice, if you appreciate peace, quiet and solitude. (If you appreciate Solitude, on the other hand, you have to go to Stuttgart, and once there you'll find only segments of the old track....)

If you select the North Rim, you might want to take along as a companion book Edward Abbey's novel, "The Monkey Wrench Gang." Parts of are set in those precincts.

[red911sc]

Guys I appreciate the suggestions and comments, please keep them coming. I am feeling better about selecting the North Rim.

Grady, I am planning this with my wife, BIL & SIL, not everything I suggest will fly but I will keep as much posted on here as possible about what we decide. I see the next 7-8 months as information gathering then we'll all sit down and hash out exactly what we will do. I'll probably point them to this thread so they can see the comments first hand.

Thanks again all!

[red911sc]

There are some stunning pics above BTW

[911Freak]

+1 on the stunning pics.

Reminds me of the movie I watched last night "127 Hours" about the hiker who went on a weekend hiking trip, alone, and got his arm caught under a rock - hacked it off with a dull multi tool! Movie was pretty good, epic scenery as well as an interesting true story. Amazing landscapes in that picture that echo those posted above. Other worldly for sure!

So much beauty in the American SW!

Thanks for posting all the suggestions/tips, will be taking notes on where this thread goes as we'll be taking the family on similar trips in the future...

Best time of year late fall?

[legion]

Why not do both? Is that considered "tossing a salad"?

[sammyg2]

We didn't have much money when i was a kid so several times a year we'd all pack up the camper and take off for the weekend to one of the parks in the state. Didn't cost much at all back then.

I was prolly 12 the last time we went to arches.
We pulled up in the camper and my three brothers and I instantly took off in a sprint.
My mother was yelling something along the lines of "be back before it starts to get dark" or something like that.
My oldest brother was 16, youngest was 11, all big tough kids. Together we didn't have to worry bout people messing with us too much.

We ended up on top of an arch that had a depression in it that had partially filled up with rain water.
It made a pool about 20 feet across. We couldn't tell for sure how deep it was because the sides were steep sandstone and it was hard to get close to.
We tied our belts and shirts together to make a rope so we could lower each other down the steep sides to get in the water.
Turned out to be only several feet deep, but it was still warm and fun. We could only go in one at a time otherwise we prolly wouldn't be able to get out.

Later we took turns lowering each other over the side of the arch.
The object was to get far enough over to be able to look straight down at the ground about 150 feet below.
Couldn't get anywhere near that far but it was still exciting. Prolly never got past 45 degrees.
Hay, what could go wrong?
Don't know why my mother was so nervous or got grey hair.

Some of the best times in my life were spent in So. Utah when I was young.

[Rich76_911s]

Everywhere that has been mentioned are all great suggestions. A trip around the southwest is a special time. I lived in Durango Colorado for 14 years and I still have a lot I want to see in that part of the world.

One of my favorite places that no one has mentioned is Chaco Canyon. It is the site of Anasazi Indian ruins. Chaco may very well be the oldest major city that we have evidence of in the United States. Construction began in the mid 800's AD. Chaco is way off the beaten path, only has dirt road access last time I checked. The remoteness works in your favor though, because they don't have a heavy load of visitors, the park is much more open to visitors getting inside of the ancient dwellings without a ranger standing over you like a grizzly momma watching her cubs. It is even on your way from ABQ to the North rim. One thing I would suggest before going to Chaco is watching a PBS special on it called "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon." Learning about the place, the people, and the sundial there make it all the more impressive. If you go, take the hike up to the top of the cliff overlooking Pueblo Bonito.

Moab, UT has tons of cool stuff. If you and the boys 15 and 17 year old wanted to you could rent mountain bikes and ride the slick-rock trail. Just be on the trail by 6:30 am if at all possible. I, like Sammy, have wonderful memories of Arches. One of my favorite places. The hike to delicate arch is an easy hike, and well worth the trip.

Couple of things you should prepare for.
1) The high desert is HOT HOT HOT in the middle of the day. Upper 90's to low 100's is not out of the ordinary. With the potential for quick 10-15 minute thunderstorms in the afternoons.

2) Depending on your altitude it can cool off to the 50's at night.

3) The sun is SUPER strong out there. Wear at minimum 30 SPF sunscreen, and reapply at mid-day if you are going to be out in it all day.

4) Buy everyone a camelback and make sure everyones is full of water before you go on a hike. It is a very dangerous place to be caught without water.

I can't wait to do these trips with my son.

[sammyg2]

Chaco Canyon, does that have anything to do with the native ruins at Mesa Verde?
Went there many moons ago.

[Burnin' oil]

We visited the North Rim a few years ago. It was awesome. We drove 60 miles on dirt roads and then, BAM!, there it was - completely, totally immense. No people, no fences, no warning signs, no nothing. Fantastic.

Bonus was driving through Colorado City and visiting family.