Grand Canyon Views You'd Hate to Miss

Nowhere is there a bad view of the Grand Canyon-evidence of this is the 4 million people who spend their vacations at the Grand Canyon National Park--and you will come away from your visit with a sense of awe and wonder that will last a lifetime. The most convenient way to see these spectacular views, however, is from the South Rim and the Grand Canyon Village area. This is the hub of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, where lodging is convenient, comfortable and plentiful, and where you can reserve a number of tours for your Grand Canyon vacation enjoyment. Mule rides and rafting trips can be booked at any of the Grand Canyon lodges. Here are a few Grand Canyon views that you'd hate to miss:

Mather Point - A frequent stop on the Grand Canyon National Park's free shuttle, many of the visitors step onto this railed outcrop to enjoy their first view of the Grand Canyon. Weather permitting, you can see far across the vista, noting the individual formations so that you will be able to make comparative views at other points in the Park.

Moran Point - From here, you can view the Red Canyon area and beyond to a point on the Colorado called Hakatai Rapids. Here also, see individual rock formations set against the setting sun for excellent photographing.

Lipan Point - This view offers some of the best points of the Grand Canyon. You will be able to see the river, the initial parts of the inner gorge, an area of pinkish-black igneous rock, and the Grand Canyon Supergroup, a tilted area that offers a good look at the horizontal layers of sedimentary rock. You can also see some of the distant vistas that surround the Canyon.

Desert View - Here you will be able to get a good look at the Colorado River as it leaves Marble Canyon and begins to flow west again. If the weather is clear, you will be able to see all the way to the Vermillion Cliffs.

Grandview Point - One of the higher points on the Grand Canyon South Rim at 7,400 feet, this outlook is at the east end of the Park and allows a view of the more forested areas of the Grand Canyon. It is also the trailhead of the Grandview Trail, one of the more challenging hikes.