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WEEKEND ITINERARY
GRAND CANYON COUNTRY
For many, the Grand Canyon is a crossroads of historical landmark, road-trip bucket list and sheer natural awe. Here’s one Wildsam-recommends plan for a short trip. Note: Pack a camera.
FRIDAY
FLAGSTAFF
A cowboy-meets-college town split by Route 66, “Flag” is the unofficial capital of Grand Canyon World, mixing progressive spirit with just enough Western weird. The Museum of Northern Arizona provides a deep primer on landscape, ecosystems and cultures, putting modern Canyon fascination in context—the permanent exhibits function as a cross-sectional introduction to the region’s crucial themes. Take the temperature of a vibrant literary scene with stops at Bright Side for new books and Starrlight for old books. Respected Mother Road Brewing adjoins Pizzicletta, purveyor of a superb wood-fired margherita.
When you’re ready to hit the high, park-bound road, Highway 180 is by far the most scenic of two main driving routes. Pause to offer due thanks at Chapel of the Holy Dove, a tiny, conical roadside sanctuary perfectly placed to express reverence for landscape.
SATURDAY
Grand Canyon VILLAGE
MORNING: Do some dawn recon on the Rim Trail, heading west to less trafficked areas as light transforms the Canyon. (The Bright Angel Lodge coffee kiosk is clutch.) Plan an early departure for a Bright Angel Trail hike to 1.5 Mile Resthouse, plus just a little further for choice views. Figure 2-3 hours; prepare for heat.
AFTERNOON: Seek recovery beers and “totchos” in Bright Angel Lodge’s Arizona Room. (Noted artist Fred Kabotie’s ‘50s murals gently satirize the tourist scene.) Kolb Studio’s museum documents intrepid early photography. Mary Colter’s 1905 Hopi House rambles eccentrically and sells authenticated Native arts.
EVENING: A contemplative Pioneer Cemetery stroll takes in Canyon-rock headstones. Hit Mohave Point to watch sunset shadows creep and umbers deepen. After a bully day, consider booking dinner in El Tovar’s wood-snug Teddy Roosevelt Room.
SUNDAY
SOUTH RIM TO NORTH RIM
Embark on one of America’s greatest drives: Highway 64 to 89 to 89A. Head eastbound, past Desert View Watchtower, north into Navajo Nation’s vast desert lands. Salmon-hued panoramas lead to lofty Kaibab Plateau, toward the North Rim park boundary and landmark Grand Canyon Lodge.
Consider a breakfast stop at Cameron Trading Post, a historic waystation where today, Chinese tourists eat Navajo tacos beneath pressed-tin ceilings.
BLM Road 1065: Watch for a small roadside farm compound and an almost invisible BLM sign. Thirty miles of righteous dirt off 89 link Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Coyote Buttes wilderness, and former Grand Staircase-Escalante. Permits needed for coveted hikes: blm.gov.
Ponderosa pines: Geologist Clarence Dutton described the North Rim’s ponderosa pine forests in 1882: “The trees are large and noble in aspect and stand widely apart . . . like an infinite colonnade.” Today, several remote North Rim tracts, well west of Grand Canyon Lodge, provide a partial glimpse of what these forests looked like before logging, roads and suppression of wildfires. Powell Plateau and Fire Point were never logged or grazed by livestock, while periodic lightning fires burned unhindered due to remoteness. As a result, the areas remained largely open and grassy. (In the words of Pete Fulé, forestry professor at Northern Arizona University: “Indeed special—valuable fire ecology examples in the Southwest.”) Taking in a canyon view from these forests is like stepping grandly, if imperfectly, back in time. Powell Plateau is accessible via a challenging trail (permit, water, and backcountry skills required); Fire Point, by long and bumpy dirt road.
LODGING PICK
JACOB LAKE
Any North Rim-bound drive passes through this pine-shaded spread of cabins and rooms on the Kaibab Plateau, where dreamy summer-camp vibes run strong. Wander straight out into the woods for awhile—but do circle back for a milkshake.
PHOTO CREDITS, top to bottom. Matt Baxter (Flagstaff); Tomas Mata; Laura Saman; Jacob Lake Inn Historical Archive, St. George News
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