Grand Canyon Travel Forum

Hi,

I am planning a trip to the GC in April and am curious about how curvy the roads (64 and 180) are from Williams to the South Rim. (I realize there is not really an objective answer, but I wanted to get some sense of the roads).

Also, are there cliffs along the roads to the South Rim. (I assume there a cliffs once we are in the park along the Rim Drives, is that right?)

Thanks in advance.
Brian

Not too curvy and no cliffs. Yes, the roads in the park along the rim have many pulloffs to view the canyon.

Between Williams and the Grand Canyon is pretty flat. 180 is slightly curvier, but also fairly flat. It's at its curviest closest to Flagstaff though.

Once in the park, there are limited places you can drive. However, there is a free shuttle which runs several miles along the rim with a number of stops at beautiful overlooks. You can get off and on as you wish so can see many spectacular views. It is well worth jumping on the shuttle no matter how much time you have since you can go as far and spend as much time as you want.

Also, I suggest you hike at least a little way into the Canyon on Bright Angel Trail or another one. Only 5% of the visitors ever go below the rim and it is beautiful. The ranger talks are excellent as well. We particularly enjoyed the ones on California Condors (and they flew right over us during the talk), the fossils and the Colorado River. Be prepared for undescribably beautiful scenery.

The road from Williams to Grand Canyon is so flat and straight that you will find it quite boring. If you are able to return to Williams, you could consider taking the train to Grand Canyon. It looks like a lot of fun. Here is the URL http://www.thetrain.com/

Thanks for the quick responses. You have allayed some of our concerns about the drive.

Brian

That is a nice road winding through the Kaibab Forest - what are you going to do there?

Try hiking a bit below the rim. Bright Angel or outh Kaibab trails. My hme page will give you an idea of the trails and their locations.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the response on the drive from Williams to the South Rim and your advice on hiking below the rim. We will have two kids and 2 adults and plan to go down a little bit on either Kaibab or Bright Angel.

Our next dilemma is where to stay. It appears that rooms are available in Maswik or Yavapai. I read your advice on where to stay (excellent info on your site), but would like to know which of two you prefer (and why). Anyone else can also chime in.

Thanks,
Brian

I've stayed in both and if I had to choose between the two I would probably choose Yavapai. However within those choices there are different accomodations. I stayed at Maswik South which is like a somewhat moderized 1970's motel. The advantage is that it is a five minute walk to the rim.
At Yavapai I stayed in the West section which are more rustic without AC or TV. They do have ceiling fans which are usually adequate for sleeping in the evening and would certainly be fine in April. It is a long walk to the rim from here so you need to give yourself lots of time to do that or take the shuttle or drive.
Both places have nearby restaurants and since Maswik is close to the rim there are other eating places there. However Yavapai is near the general store where you can buy food to eat outside or in your room.
So really the question is how close do you want to be to the rim.

In June I will be going back to the Grand Canyon. Looking forward to it!!

I will stay at a Bright Angel Cabin and then Yavapai (West). I too have stayed at both the Maswik and Yavapai. At Maswik you would be within a couple of hundred yards of the rim and everything (shops, restautants etc.) in that area. I like Yavapai because you are in the Kaibab Forest and and it is quiet. You are only like a 1/4 or so away from the rim. Shuttles run like every 10 minutes. So it does depend upon which location you prefer. You can't go wrong with either one.

Try to book as early as you can - Xanterra gets filled up fast. Keep calling them in case they have a cancellation. That's how I got the cabin - and with the economy, I am sure there will be a lot of people changing their plans. The Xanterra website might show that a lodge is sold out, but if you call they can advise you of cancellations.

Oh yeah, the Maswik is a bit newer compared to Yavapai. I had a TV in my room at Yavapai both times I stayed there. Yavapai (west) will be a bit less money too.