Is it possible To Avoid Crowds When Visiting The South Rim Of The Grand Canyon?
As a photographer and avid hiker who has been visiting the Grand Canyon since the early 80s I get asked every once in a while if it’s possible to avoid crowds when visiting the very popular South Rim of the park. The short answer is that with nearly 5 million visitors annually, not really. However, I can share some personal tips and strategies that have worked for me over the years to mitigate and sometimes avoid dealing with busloads of tourists at popular view points on the South rim.
Visit During The Winter Months.
I get it that visiting Grand Canyon National Park during the winter season is not an option for everyone- including families with school aged kids. But for me visiting during the quieter winter months is basically the only time I will go to the South Rim now. There will still be plenty of park visitors at this time of year, but nowhere near the amount during the high season of Spring and Summer. I would also recommend trying to visit during late fall (end of October and November) which sometimes also be a good crowd avoidance option- especially on the weekdays.
Winter Weather
At an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet, it can be cold and snow during the winter months on the South Rim. Occasionally, the South Rim will experience a severe winter storm with significant snow accumulations causing the park to being temporarily closed. So, it is advisable to always check the park service website and weather before planning a visit in the winter. As a photographer, visiting after a snow storm is a great time to capture unique images and video at the canyon. And the big bonus is its also generally not very busy after a big snow storm.
Avoid Visiting on The Weekends
This is probably common sense to most people contemplating a trip to one of the most popular National Parks in the country. Its important to keep in mind that the South Rim is only about a 3.5 hour from the very populated Phoenix metro (approximately 5 million people) area so its not unusual for people to make day trips to the park including on the weekends. I have made plenty of day trips myself up to the Grand Canyon, but never on a weekend as highway travel to Northern AZ on weekends is just way to crazy for me.
Choose The North Rim
If you are seeking to avoid big crowds but still want the Grand Canyon experience, I would suggest considering visiting the remote but equally stunning North Rim of the Grand Canyon. According to the park service the North Rim only receives about about 10% of the annual visitors to Grand Canyon National Park. One of the primary reasons why is because it’s a much bigger commitment to get to the remote North Rim- its about a 6.5 hour drive from the Phoenix area. In addition, unlike the South Rim its only open seasonally because of its higher altitude and the real winter weather it experiences. Although the last few years they have been experimenting with keeping access to the North Rim open later till the end of October. I personally prefer the North Rim for a myriad of reasons which you can read about here in another blog post.
Navigating Crowded View Points On The South Rim
Its no secret that popular view points on the South rim like Mather, Moran, Yavapai, and Desert view can be ridiculously overcrowded at times. I have visited all of them multiple times over the years and at times it can be very frustrating finding an open space to shoot some images- particularly during sunrise or sunset time. I have also witnessed some really bad and cringe worthy tourist behavior over the years at these busy view points that has also persuaded me to look at other less crowded view options.
I have found the most effective way to avoid the congestion and crowds at busy and designated overlooks is just to hike left or right them on the trail along the rim. I have found many people are unaware that there is generally always a trail on the rim next to most of these major and designated overlooks where its actually possible to find some great and unobstructed views. And if you are lucky maybe even capture a little solitude. You will see in some of the images below that is exactly what I usually do at the Desert View/Watch Tower overlook.
The Rim Trail:
Speaking of the Rim and trails these is in fact a trail or pathway called the Rim trail on the South rim that’s a good option to consider if its really busy at popular overlooks like Mather or Moran point. This trail, which is mostly paved and level, begins at the South Kaibab trailhead and heads west past Mather & Yavapai point and goes all the way to Hermits Rest- nearly 13 miles according to the park service map. I have only gone a few miles on it, but it is a viable and relaxing alternative if you are allergic to large groups of people packed, jostling, and craning for a view on a designated overlook.
Summary:
So is it possible to avoid crowds at the very popular and easily accessible South Rim Of the Grand Canyon? The most honest answer I can give is probably not, particularly during the busy season. However, If you can be flexible about what time of year you visit, and don’t feel its absolutely necessary to spend time at the most popular designated overlooks. With a little effort and some walking down an adjacent rim path or trail, there is a chance to find some great canyon views without the crowds.
More Info: Feel free to contact me if you have any questions of special requests.
Obscured by trees, I found this cool view point or ledge by doing a little exploring away from the designated viewing area.
I took a little walk from a very crowded designated overlook at Desert View and found this awesome and crowd free view point. The Colorado river is in view below.
I never would have discovered this cool old building if I did not decide to walk 5 minutes down a trail from the main overlook at Desert view.
I think a lot of visitors dont realize that there is a very scenic and rustic seating area on the other side of the famous Desert Watch tower on the South Rim
Most of the designated overlooks have a rim trail nearby that can lead you away from the crowds.