The Grand Canyon is located in northwestern Arizona and is an awe inspiring sight to see. It is a canyon that stretches 277 miles, cut by the Colorado River over a mile deep, and displays geologic formations that date back to our worlds beginnings, though much of it is not readily available for the average visitor to see. What most visitors to the park do see is made up of the two distinct visitor areas on the North Rim and South rim. The North Rim has an elevation of 9000 feet, 1200 feet higher than the South Rim. It also has a different character than the South Rim. For this reason and because the two areas have so much to see the Grand Canyon Page is actually two sets of pages.
No matter where you view the canyon what you see is a magnificent feat of nature. But as stated the North and South Rim each have their own character. The North Rim, more remote than the South Rim, has noticeably fewer visitors. It also has one entry road coming in through Jacob's Lake, a town that consists of a general store/restaurant/gift shop, gas station, and motel all rolled up into one, the restaurant is pretty good. The road into the North Rim and the roads between the overlooks contain prettier scenery than South Rim. Besides the tall pines there are Quaking Aspen, whose brilliant yellow foliage in the fall enhance the drive in as the sunlight turns the leaves to shimmering bits of gold.
The South Rim is more like the intown cousin of the North Rim. There are two entry roads and the city of Flagstaff and town of Williams are not to far away by the West Entrance. The East Entrance, which can also be used to get to Flagstaff, offers views of the Little Colorado River and it's canyon. There are many more overlooks, motels, restaurants and gift shops on the South Rim and also many more visitors. The best way to travel on the South Rim is by the buses the continually travel between overlooks and through the Grand Canyon Village, which is the hub to the South Rim.
