We stared down one and a half kilometres to the bottom of the gorge, a hole so deep that can take two days to reach on foot by the official trails. And it wasn’t so peaceful this morning either as there was a continuous buzz of helicopter activity taking trips out over the canyon. The helicopters used to drop into the canyon for a closer look but after a number of accidents caused by rising thermal currents this have now been stopped.
From the viewing platform we were looking over the fabulously named Granite Gorge and along Bright Angel Creek which led directly to the North Rim Visitor Centre on the other side which although only fourteen kilometres to the north needs a journey of over three hundred kilometres to get there. The view just went endlessly on and on and was so infinitely panoramic that it was almost impossible to fully comprehend the scale of the barren wilderness stretching out before us.
To get a sense of perspective it is worth remembering that you could fit Dartmoor National Park in Devon into the Grand Canyon National Park five times and still have a bit of spare left over. When it was time to go the coach took us out along a road that followed the line of the canyon with further viewing opportunities and then we parted company as our route took us first east and then north across the Painted Dessert passing Marble Canyon, which is the beginning of the Grand Canyon, and towards our next destination, Lake Powell.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
Not too shabby as far as that goes.
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Is there an equivalent in Australia? Where would you recommend?
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No. I don’t think anything can compare with the Grand Canyon. There are some amazing spots but really quite different. You could do a google images search of the Bungle Bungles or Kakadu for starters.
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Thanks for the tips!
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I meant to ask – where do you stand on the Prince Philip Knighthood issue?
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I have nothing against Prince Philip and he has been a good friend to Australia but it was not necessary. There was a cartoon in the local paper of the Queen sitting on her throne, The Prince standing behind her and Tony Abbott dressed as a court jester saying “Rise Sir Phillip” and HRH turns to the Prince ans says, “And to think that I thought you were an embarrassment.” Sums it up a bit. Abbott is an embarrassment in a lot of ways.
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One of my top suggestions when [people ask where they should go is the Grand Canyon. Our rafting trip on the Colorado through it continues to rank in the top five trips of our lifetime. That last photo is a fabulous capture giving a sense of the depth.
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Lacking your sense of adventure Sue, I took a plane ride down the canyon and even that made me feel sick!
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The rafting likely would have been less scary Andrew. Well maybe not the class 5 rapids but a lot of it was just peaceful floating 🙂
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That plane seemed really flimsy! Floating sounds cool!
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It was an amazing trip. As long as you like sleeping under the stars.
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I could do the sleeping under stars thing but not the shooting the rapids!
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Someplace I’ve always wanted to visit! Unbelievably breathtaking!
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I thought so, but to be honest I preferred some of the smaller National Parks on my visit.
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Really? Would you mind sharing which ones? If I ever do get out that way, it would be great info to have.
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I liked Zion, Bryce Canyon and Arches best of all!
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Ah, thanks for that, Andrew! Seems I’ve heard those names before
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^before 🙂
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I “overheard” your conversation haha, and I agree with Andrew. I think the Grand Canyon is a must-see, and no photo can match the feeling of standing on the edge, but Zion and Arches are two of the best, and do see Glacier NP if you can.
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That is valuable advice. I plan to do this trip again one day but not on an organised tour so I will remember this!
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This is beyond comprehension to me. Wow.
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A few years back we went to the Grand Canyon on a rumbling old train from a place called Williams. It was so hot that day. Will never forget!
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It still runs. I’d rather like to do that!
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The first time I saw the Grand Canyon was as a kid. We parked the car and walked to the edge. My dad said, “That’s a really big hole.” A few minutes later, he asked, “Ready to go?” He was always looking to get to the next thing.
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That is a great story – there must be an entire post about that!
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I’ve visited a couple of times and feel the postcards do a better job with photos than I was able to. While on vacation a person has to manage with the time of day and the light as it is, but professional photographers have made the effort to find the perfect light and angle. The Grand Canyon changes spectacularly in different light.
When I was a teenager, I hiked partway down the trail with my fellow science students. It was a good way to really take it in, with the heat and the lizards, the burros, the colours, and perspectives one can’t get from the top.
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I was there for a day so didn’t have time for that, mores the pity!
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Reblogged this on S.O.U.L. S-P-A-C-E.
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Thanks for posting these stunning postcards. We visited the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. It’s one of the few things that has literally made my jaw drop in wonder and appreciation.
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