The Grand Canyon Mistakes To Avoid as a First-Time Visitor
When I was planning my Grand Canyon trip, I had already seen the photos and knew it was going to be incredible. But the photos didn’t necessarily tell me is where I could go wrong in my planning or what mistakes I might make. Obviously I already knew some things, whether that be from previous national park visits, common sense, or an occasional online tip I came across, but a list or some sort of first hand account from a friend would have taken me much further. So, after I spent a long weekend exploring the South Rim in February, I came back and made my own list: here are the Grand Canyon mistakes to avoid as a first-time visitor:
Speeding on the Drive into the Park
The road from Williams to the Grand Canyon is a single lane in either direction country road and I can confirm there will be cars trying to pass and speed around you. I know it’s tempting, but I wouldn’t recommend following their lead. Highway patrol is a regular presence along this particular stretch, and getting pulled over just to save a few minutes off a drive that ends in an entrance line anyway just isn’t worth it (my partner and I saw this happen to a few different cars along the way). Plan enough time for your drive into the park so you can reduce the temptation and drive safely.
Skipping the Visitor Center
This is one of the non-negotiable activities my partner and I do whenever we visit a national park, new or otherwise. And it only takes about 15 minutes and costs you nothing. The park rangers at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center are incredibly knowledgeable and will give you specific, real-time advice based on the current weather, what’s open, and how much time you have. While we were there, we asked about driving Desert View Drive versus Hermit Road and what the best times of day for each were so we could game plan our driving day (we actually received advice opposite to what I had previously found online!). So, I’d recommend visiting if only to get tips directly from the park insiders themselves! It hasn’t led us astray yet
Trying to Hit Every Viewpoint
I began the second day of my trip to the Grand Canyon with this exact “goal” in mind, but quickly abandoned it once I realized how far out everything was spaced and how the viewpoints start to blur together after a while. The canyon is so massive that each overlook, while technically different, starts to feel more and more similar the further along you go.
What I’d recommend for your visit is be more selective from the start. Along Hermit Road, I’d pick one or two stops rather than pulling over at every single one, and do the same near the Visitor Center and once again along Desert View Drive. A curated handful of viewpoints will help make each place you stop feel special and ones you actually remember by the time you get back to the car!
Treating It as a Quick Stop
On the flip side, I’ve heard of people swinging through the Grand Canyon for 30 minutes on a road trip and while I understand the impulse, you will definitely be leaving feeling like you barely scratched the surface. The South Rim alone has two distinct drives worth exploring, multiple trails, a historic village, and viewpoints that look completely different depending on the time of day and the light. I spent two days there and still felt like there was more to do. So, give yourself at least a full day, and ideally two if you can swing it!
Underestimating the Hike Back Up
I didn’t do a serious hike on my visit on account of a knee injury, but this is a mistake that park rangers will often tell you about unprompted, and for good reason. Heading down into the canyon can be deceptively easy since the trail drops quickly and the views keep pulling you forward. The hike back up, however, is a completely different story! The elevation gain alone will likely take you twice as long. And, it’s often done during the hottest part of the day (the afternoon). The National Park Service strongly advises against going past 1.5 miles down and back in a single day unless you’re very experienced. If hiking is on your agenda, start early (before 7AM), turn around earlier than you think you need to, and bring enough water and salty snacks to replace electrolytes along the way. Drinking water alone isn’t enough, but it can help.
Not Being Prepared for the Wildlife
I went to the Grand Canyon in winter and didn’t expect to see much of anything in terms of wildlife, but boy was I wrong! I saw maybe 20 elk roaming freely all along the South Rim. And from what I heard from the park rangers, they can be seen year round, having originally been introduced from Yellowstone between 1913 and 1928. We came across a huge herd of them along Hermit Road near Mohave Point and again at Hermit’s Rest, and they got surprisingly close, leading up to carefully try to gain back our distance. It was one of the most magical parts of our whole trip!
Beyond elk, the Grand Canyon is home to bighorn sheep, bison, mule deer, mountain lions, condors, and more species than most people expect.
Secret Tip: As with any national park, please make sure to give any animals you encounter plenty of space and resist the urge to approach them, no matter how unbothered they seem.
Wandering Desert View Watchtower Grounds Before Getting Your Ticket
If Desert View Watchtower is on your list (and it should be), the very first thing you need to do after getting to the parking lot is head to the tower for your your free timed entry ticket. The ticket will allow you to access the upper floors and deck of the tower, but these are not available online, they’re only available in person directly on the first floor of the watchtower. And even if you’re visiting in the off-season, there’s typically about a 30 minute wait between when you get your ticket and when your entry window opens. During peak season, this can certainly be much longer! If you wander the grounds first and then go to get a ticket, you may find yourself waiting around longer than expected or deciding its not worth the wait altogether. So grab your ticket first and explore second!
Not Downloading Offline Maps Before Arrival
Like most US national parks, cell service inside the Grand Canyon is unreliable at best. I’d download the official National Park Service app before you leave home, along with offline maps for the drive in and out of the park. It takes five minutes and saves a lot of unnecessary stress once you’re inside and realize your navigation has gone dark.
Not Bringing Binoculars
Ok, so I’m being a bit self-indulgent in including this one on the list. While not bringing binoculars isn’t a “mistake” persay (you can still visit the Grand Canyon without binoculars and have a great time!), this is one I regret not having done. There’s so much beauty here, but since the scale of the canyon is so massive, a lot of the details you see across the canyon stay frustratingly out of reach. I wish I had brought binoculars so that I could post up for a little while and see all the different things across the way that I know I missed!
And, doing a little game of “I spy” with the binoculars would have added some fun once the viewpoints start to feel a bit repetitive. Now, there are coin-operated binoculars built into the ground at spots like Hermit’s Rest, and I’d say use them whenever you find them, but having your own pair is even better.
Forgetting to Use Restrooms Whenever You See Them
This sounds minor, but take it from me, you do not want to be half an hour into the drive back to Williams and realize you passed the last restroom ages ago. Bathrooms inside the park are fewer than you’d expect along Hermit’s Road and Desert View Drive, and the route back to Williams is open country road with very little cover and a lot of highway patrol. There is one rest stop along the way, but it’s easy to miss (and a lot of places don’t have public restrooms available to those just passing through). My advice: every time you see a restroom inside the park, try to use it. And find one before you get in the car to head home!
Showing Up to El Tovar Dining Room Without a Reservation
El Tovar is the historic hotel right on the South Rim and its dining room has served the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, President Clinton, and Sir Paul McCartney. Now, this one’s a bit of a two-fer, because one: it’d be a mistake not to try to dine at El Tovar at all and two: because it’s easy to get stuck not dining there because you showed up at the wrong time and/or with no reservation.
The Grand Canyon Railway pulls into the park around noon and deposits a wave of hungry guests directly into the dining room line. So, if you don’t have an advanced reservation, you’re likely not going to be able to dine there. What’s more, if you make a reservation around noon, I’d expect to wait in a long line at the host’s stand. Instead, do what I did and book your lunch in advance for around 11AM. If you’re visiting in winter, you’ll likely be able to walk right in! And the service and your food will come much faster earlier in the day than it would in the afternoon. Also worth noting: do use the restaurant’s bathroom before that train arrives, because that line gets just as bad as the dining room one!
