In 2006, the Grand Canyon was voted as the new Eighth Wonder of the World. Known for it’s expansive views of beautifully shifted tectonic plates, it welcomes visitors from all over the world each year.

Perfect for capturing stunning and breathtaking landscape photography, you will not be disappointed even if you only stop to visit for an hour. What many people don’t realize when planning their visit to the Grand Canyon is that since it is such a world renowned location, it is nearly impossible to visit and it not be incredibly busy. They also don’t know that there are two locations from which the Canyon can be seen, the North Rim and the South Rim. Read on for some insider information on planning your next trip to see the Grand Canyon.

Don’t Go in Monsoon Season

So out west, they have something called Monsoon Season. It makes travel really difficult especially when you aren’t familiar with directions and the roads are muddy and slippery. My friend might have been aware of this, but she really enjoys lightning images, so she wasn’t deterred by the terrible weather.

However, if I could make one suggestion to anyone that wants to go see the Eighth Wonder, it would be to go before or after Monsoon Season. When we finally got to the South Rim before going to look over the edge, we scrambled to get our stuff to our room, chose lenses, and anxiously approached the edge of the Canyon like the little nerdy photographers we are – only to find that since it had just finished pouring rain over the intensely hot rocks, the entire canyon steamed up and we couldn’t even see five feet over the edge. Talk about a disappointment!

The rain also proved to be difficult (and deadly for some risk-taking hikers) in our visits to other National Parks during that trip, but I will save that for another post. In short, make the trip worth your time and don’t go in July.

If you can only see one rim, make it the North Rim

There is no doubt that the South Rim is where most people think to go when they want to see the Grand Canyon. After all, that is where Grand Canyon National Park is located.

The view from the North Rim Lodge.

Both Rims are absolutely stunning and worth seeing, but if you want to take your time and not be worried about a careless bystander accidentally pushing you over the edge, I highly recommend the North Rim. The North Rim Lodge in and of itself is breathtaking (and very affordable… I went the summer before my freshman year of college) with its log cabin town feeling and makes you feel like it would be a vacation you could hardly afford.

By far, the best part of the North Rim Lodge is the gorgeously kept vintage great room with a giant window overlooking what I personally think is the coolest view of the Grand Canyon. It is set up like an early 1900’s lodge with lots of large leather couches, stone and wood work, and an old radio playing classical music softly in the back ground.

The great room at the North Rim Lodge.

If you are able to make it to both Rims, some really interesting sights dwell along the road between the two sights.

They include many Navajo Indian jewelry stands (I am one quarter Navajo, so this really excited me), a reservation, and very little places to fuel and get food. Many people worry about the Navajos being dangerous based on rumors they might have heard on the television or the internet, but let me assure you they are false! They are some of the most wonderful and kindhearted people I have ever met. I convinced my friend to pull over to see the Navajo Dwelling and the little jewelry stand next to it, and the people who worked there were fabulous! The little elderly Navajo woman, upon hearing my mom and I were also Navajo gave me two pairs of handmade earrings free of charge and said, “May you always remember that you are one of us.” It was an almost spiritual experience to be able to connect with people who probably would have known my biological grandfather.

Anyway, not to discredit the time we spent at the South Rim, it really was unlike anything I have ever seen before. They offer a ton of educational exhibits and classes/workshops and even have affordable (and very nice) lodging right within the National Park. We got to the South Rim around three o’clock and left the following day after breakfast, if you choose to not do the hike, it was plenty of time.

Make Time and Prepare for the Hike

One of the only things I regret about my visit to the Grand Canyon is not having done the hike. When I went, I was with a friend who wisely did not want to risk the heat to make the full day hike. Both Rims are plastered with warning signs for heat and stories of people who “thought they could beat the weather.” They say that even if it feels okay when you wake up in the morning, the temperature at the top of the Canyon is completely different than what it will be as you descend the Canyon.

I believe there are guided hikes available for purchase on both Rims of the Canyon. It would have been wonderful to fully see the spectacular views close up, but when it comes to seeing views or risking our lives, we decided that we would come back again someday and try the hike when it wasn’t so dangerous.

In short, I am so glad that I was able to see the Grand Canyon and I tell everyone that has the opportunity to go see it to take it! It’s amazing to think that our country has a feature of such prestige and admiration. So grab your camera bag, a friend, some water and your sunscreen and hightail it to Arizona. I promise you will not be disappointed.