Night time at the Grand Canyon.
- Ruby Saini
- Oct 4, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 6, 2018
Sunset views on night one of our trip across Arizona, USA.
Best view points for the Sunset:
Hopi Point and Yavapai Point
Tips:
-Arrive at least 2 hours before sunset time (make sure to check into your hotel and be on your way from the Grand Canyon Village to sunset view points with 2 hours in hand). It gets busy with cars trying to go into the national park, finding a parking spot and finding a place for yourself to sit.
-Take a jacket (it gets windy at night).
-Wear comfortable shoes (there are view points with dirt roads and simple hiking might be required to get the best view spot).
-Take something to drink (coffee/tea/water).
-Take tons of pictures.
-If you are staying in Grand Canyon Village (outside the park gates), it takes about 20 minutes to get to the Visitor Centre, which is where the first view points are located. As you go in further, you'll see more view points and another Grand Canyon Village that is located inside the park gates.
-Be prepared to pay the National Park (north and south rim) entrance fee: $25 USD+tax which is good for 7 days.
My sister and I arrived at the Grand Canyon Village around 6:00 pm and were hoping to catch the sunset around 7:38 pm. We quickly checked into our hotel room (Red Feather Lodge) and changed out of our clothes into more weather appropriate wear.
It took us longer than expected to check in, change and get through the park gates. We were at the park gates at 7:20 pm and it took us about 20 minutes (with traffic) to get to the Visitor Centre (where the nearest view points are located). We ended up getting to the visitor centre around 7:40 pm, parked in the parking spot shown below. At this time a lot of people who had taken enough pictures were leaving.
We finally found a spot and rushed to see the sunset.
If it is your first time going to the Grand Canyon, make sure to have a map in hand, it can be a confusing place. It was hard finding the actual view points from the Visitor Centre as we were rushing to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunset. We walked/ran around a bit to find a way down to the view point with no avail (figured out the directions the next day🤦🏽♀️). We ended up exploring the Visitor Centre and its surroundings instead.
Even with minimal first day Grand Canyon views from where we were at the Visitor Centre, it was still interesting and a very beautiful location.
We left the Visitor Centre and decided to drive in more, into the park and ended up at the inner Village where more, higher priced, hotels were located. Drove all the way to the end of the line, where the bus stops are located, and found a place to view the Grand Canyon (a little glimpse before our big adventure into the Grand Canyon the next day). We ended up at the intersection of Village Loop Drive and Hermit Road. There was a shear drop right behind the bus stop.
So we parked our car on the side of the road and walked up towards Bright Angel Trail and Rim Trail.
It was around 8:00 pm now, and it was getting darker by the minute. We decided not to go into any of the trails, but instead stood at the entrance and saw what's pictured below.
And that was the end to our night one at The Grand Canyon.
We returned to our hotel, ate a very over priced dinner at We Cook Pizza and Pasta, across our hotel in the village, and went to sleep early so we could wake up in time for a sunrise the next morning (in my next post!).
End thought:
These pictures do no justice to the grandiosity of the canyon. The sight, smell, environment and the extremity of this place was just breathtaking. It was very surprising, to say the least.
Would DEFINITELY recommend to anyone visiting or not visiting Arizona, USA. Take time out or insert a trip to the Grand Canyon into your busy schedule to experience such an exhilarating place. You will not be disappointed.
Commentaires