(upbeat music)
In the last video we talked about things that you can do
over at Grand Canyon West and in this video we are talking
all about the South Rim, aka Grand Canyon National Park.
If you don't happen to know what either the West
or the South Rim is, don't even know that there are
different rims of the canyon, then we highly suggest
checking out this video right here where we talk about
the difference between the West and the South Rim
and help you decide which one is best for you to visit.
Let's go ahead and jump right in on
what you can do at the South Rim.
So just to be clear, because there is a lot to do
over at the Grand Canyon, we're actually going to
be going over the major points of interest and highlights
that you can actually see and visit,
the places that are super accessible for everyone.
The majority of the South Rim is a national park,
meaning that it is government-owned land.
The South Rim has a variety of overlooks along with
a lot of architectural history dating
back all the way to the early 1900s.
There are also shuttle buses that run every
10 to 15 minutes or so and that are available
to take you from point to point.
Pretty great little amenity if you've been driving all day
and you don't really feel like driving and parking.
So I'll start off with Mather Point.
Mather Point is just around the corner from
the Grand Canyon Visitor Center which is also
a really great place to start if you want to get
some more detailed info on the South Rim,
so good starting point overall.
Mather Point is a point on a trail that goes along the edge
of the canyon rim, also referred to as the Rim Trail.
You can actually take this trail all the way down
to Grand Canyon Village if you wanna take a little bit
more of the scenic route, otherwise you can also
hop on a shuttle bus to get there too.
But more on that in a bit, we'll get to
Grand Canyon Village, so make sure to stick around.
So Mather Point is basically a really popular lookout point
that I personally love and still haven't gotten tired of,
but it has extensive viewing areas
along with paved walkways and railed overlooks
that are all wheelchair accessible as well.
Not a lot of heavy labor involved,
but the views are absolutely incredible.
So it's really nice in that you don't have to do
a lot to get really great views of the canyon,
but we actually do have another video
that features a little bit more of Mather Point.
If you're interested in seeing that, go right here.
And if you do want a photo with the official
Grand Canyon National Park sign, I believe
Mather Point is the only place that has it,
so be sure not to forget about that on your way in or out.
So their really popular photo to take here is on top
of this big rock that's kind of just in the middle
of the main viewing area when you first walk in.
I guess it depends on where you come in from,
but if you're coming in from where the national park
sign is, and you just walk straight past it into
the big main viewing area that you first come across,
there is usually a line to take a picture at this rock
that's again, just in the middle of everything.
And the reason why it's so cool, 'cause if you
do it right, you can give the illusion that
you're standing on top of the Grand Canyon.
I kind of tried, honestly could have been better.
But if you guys end up going and taking a photo,
then tag us, because we would love to see
what you guys come up with.
Grand Canyon Village is seriously so cool,
especially if you're a history buff or just have
an appreciation for history and architecture,
because this place is loaded with it all,
and of course breath taking views, seriously.
Because there is so much going on in Grand Canyon Village,
we are actually going to be dedicating a whole
separate video just on Grand Canyon Village itself.
We of course will still cover it right now,
but if you want to get more in depth info on it,
then make sure you're subscribed to our channel
so if it hasn't come out yet, you can watch it when it does.
But going back to if you're a history buff,
you're definitely gonna wanna check out Bright Angel Lodge.
It's a lodge that was built in 1935, and there is this room
in there called the History Room, which showcases
a lot of work from master architect Mary Colter.
Grand Canyon Village is also built along the rim,
so it is part of the Rim Trail, remember,
we talked about that earlier, so what's really nice
about that too is that you can just walk along the rim
of the canyon, and just get a bunch of
different perspectives and views on the canyon.
Because honestly, no two views are the same.
So we actually wanna cut to a little clip right here
of one of our awesome trolley drivers, Mike,
over out at the South Rim, talking about
one of his personal favorite tips for getting
a great photo out at Grand Canyon Village.
- As you are facing across the Grand Canyon, if you look up
the hill to your right, you will see a big brown building.
Now to the left of that building as you're facing it,
there's a flag pole.
If you walk directly up to that flag pole,
it'll take you about eight minutes or less.
Once you get up to that flag pole,
those are the best photos you can get anywhere
in the whole Grand Canyon.
At that flag pole it actually opens up to a panoramic view,
so when you take photos it will be 18 miles across
to the other side, about 6,000 feet straight down,
but at that flag pole, there will be 45 to 50 miles
down the canyon as it winds down.
You can get some great pictures today, guys.
- Other things to check out in the Grand Canyon Village
include the Hopi House, Mary Colter's lookout studio,
the Kolb Studio, and the El Tovar Hotel.
And of course another major thing that you can
and should do at the Grand Canyon when you're out there
is to take a magnificent, awe-inspiring helicopter flight.
The Grand Canyon is so vast, so spectacular,
and there are all these different incredible views
that you can get while you're out there,
but nothing will ever compare to soaking it all in
from the best seat in the house, the sky.
The wrap around glass design of our Eco Star helicopters
really helps you get to the best view that you can get
of any aircraft or helicopter.
Seriously, the really big benefit of being able
to experience the Grand Canyon from the perspective
of a helicopter is that you'll have the opportunity
to see some of the most remote and untouched parts
of the Grand Canyon that you really wouldn't
be able to access otherwise.
You get to see the South and the North Rim all
in one sitting, this also includes
the Kaibab National Forest, which is
the world's largest Ponderosa pine forest.
You'll see the Colorado River, and the Dragon Corridor,
which is the widest and deepest part of the canyon.
The Desert View Watchtower.
So if you're looking at the South Rim map,
it's actually on the opposite side of Grand Canyon Village.
It's located east on what's known as Desert View Drive,
which is a really beautiful scenic drive that is definitely
worth checking out if you're taking your own vehicle.
So this is a 70 foot watchtower that is located on the rim
of the canyon, and it also has an observation deck.
It was designed by Mary Colter, and it reflects
the architecture of the ancient Puebloans.
You can actually go inside the tower
and see 100 miles across the canyon on a clear day.
So that's definitely not a complete list
of everything that you can do at the Grand Canyon,
just about the most popular highlights
and things that you can do out there, so if you
have just started in your research and planning, hopefully
we gave you a great place or a solid place to start.
If we did try to cover everything, then trust me,
this video would just not end.
And if you want even more insight on more things
that you can do at the Grand Canyon, then be sure
to check out these videos right here.
Happy planning, and have an amazing time out there.