Western US Small Loop Travelogue/Guide (Part 2) Grand Canyon Edition
🏔️Day 6: Page → Grand Canyon South Rim
It takes about 2.5 hours from Page to Williams. The town is quite large, with convenient dining and accommodation options, but it’s still an hour’s drive from the park entrance. Staying there clearly affects the itinerary: to catch the 6 AM sunrise, you have to leave by 5 AM, and to see the stars, you have to return even later. Next time, I would choose the closer Tusayan, only 10–20 minutes from the park, which would make the experience much better.
Arrived at the Visitor Center around noon, then took the blue line shuttle to the Village for lunch. I went to the quite famous El Tovar and ordered elk meat sauce pasta, which turned out to be very average, similar to regular tomato pasta. They didn’t have their most famous lamb chops and venison chops for lunch, and overall the prices were on the higher side.
By the afternoon, it was already past 2 PM, so hiking the long trail wasn’t very realistic. Instead, I took the red line shuttle for a casual stroll. The short trail from Monument Creek Vista to Pima Point is mostly covered by vegetation, so the canyon views are limited, but it’s easy to encounter deer. At one corner, I suddenly came across a dozen deer grazing, which was quite startling but also interesting. It was cloudy that day with no sunset, so I left before dark.
🏔️Day 7: Grand Canyon
The next morning, I continued taking the red line shuttle to cover all the check-in spots. Lunch was at Yavapai Tavern in the Village. This time I ordered an elk sandwich, which was surprisingly delicious—large chunks of meat, juicy, well-seasoned, and the price was more reasonable than El Tovar. The table next to me ordered a huge plate of GCT Nachos, which looked very tasty, but I definitely couldn’t finish it alone, so I just admired it.
After lunch, I returned to the Visitor Center and switched to the orange line to go to South Kaibab Trailhead. This trail runs north to south through the Grand Canyon but is only suitable for experienced hikers. Most visitors only hike to Ooh Aah Point or Cedar Ridge; going further requires more physical fitness and proper gear.
South Kaibab is a downhill hike first and uphill on the way back. The easy descent will be doubled by the climb back, so be sure to bring enough water and energy supplies. Also, this trail is shared with mule teams, and the strong smell of mule droppings along the way is especially tough when you’re tired—I was almost nauseous on the return trip.
The round trip from Trailhead to Cedar Ridge takes about 3 hours. After finishing, you can walk directly to Yaki Point to watch the sunset—it’s just one stop away—or wait for the shuttle. The shuttle runs every 10–15 minutes, with the last one about an hour after sunset, so there’s no need to worry about getting back to the Visitor Center.