Unique Sights On The Grand Canyon South Rim

Visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Crossing four states in the US, including Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, the Grand Canyon is one of the most famed and awe-inspiring natural sights in the world. The vast canyon, carved over millions of years by the Colorado River, is one of the world’s best locations for outdoor activities. Long hikes, scenic views, multi-day treks, mule rides, rafting, camping and helicopter tours are all popular activities in the region. However, the vast majority of visitors to the Grand Canyon visiting along the South Rim, using Highway AZ 64. Serving as a major access point to the canyon and its many overlooks, there are also many additional unique sights around this area. As always, visitors to the Grand Canyon are asked to take precautions when taking photos, as stepping back for better angles can result in stepping over potentially lethal edges.

Unique Sights Near The Grand Canyon

Kaibab National Forest

This massive national forest, which borders both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon, is home to a vast network of trails and woodlands for hiking, camping, boating and fishing. That forest is home to mountain lions, bobcats, deer, turkeys and the Kaibab Squirrel, which lives in this region alone.

Bedrock City

This is a Flintstones-themed roadside park with slightly-weathered Flintstone stone shelters, rock-wheeled vehicles, dinosaurs and franchise characters. The unique attraction is combined with Raptor Ranch, a sanctuary for rescued birds of prey.

Grand Canyon Village

Located near the edge of the Grand Canyon, this village contains many popular tourist amenities, such as gift shops, restaurants, small markets and parking lots. The village is a common meeting point for tours,

Rim Trail

This easy, level hiking route follows the South Rim of the Canyon. This route, which is roughly 1.3 miles long, passes many of the Grand Canyon’s upper attractions and offers expansive views of the Canyon below.

Yavapai Geology Museum

This is a free-entry museum which was originally built in 1928 to offer educational material on the formation of the Grand Canyon. The museum offers panoramic viewing windows which point out the different, specialized rock formations in the canyon. There’s also topographic relief models of the canyon found inside.

Hopi House

The Hopi House is a authentic Native American arts shop associated with the Hopi people. The Hopi have a longstanding presence and relationship with the Grand Canyon, with many legends suggesting the Canyon is home to a “sipapu,” or a portal of emergence between a lower world and the corporeal world. The Hopi House has stood on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for over 100 years.

Verkamp’s Visitor Center

Operating for more than a century, this visitor’s center is filled with exhibits depicting the lives of those who worked and lived around the Grand Canyon. The center is home to a curio shop, historical exhibits, a small bookstore and an accommodating information desk.

Grand Canyon Railway

One of the greatest ways to view the Grand Canyon is by taking this scenic rail line which offers rides and tours daily.

The Abyss

This panoramic viewing ledge is found along Hermits Rest Route with sheer vertical drops plummeting into the canyon below.

Tusayan Ruin and Museum

Found along AZ 64, this museum-and-ruin area is home to 800-year-old Puebloan village structures with numerous walking trails and educational signage nearby.

Ooh Aah Point

While there are numerous, stunning Canyon viewing points all across the South Rim, the Ooa Aah Point is notable for its humorous name.

Desert View Watchtower

Sometimes known as the “Indian Watchtower,” this is a 70-foot-high stone building found on the South Rim of the Canyon, tall, stacked stone structure overlooking the rim.

Hermit’s Rest

Found near the Hermit Trailhead, this is archway structure built in 1914. The accompanying structure is built to resemble an old miner’s shelter with native stonework, a front porch and stacked rocks. The structure also hosts bathrooms, a gift shop, a snack bar and a water-bottle refilling station behind the building.

Duck on a Rock

Found along AZ 64, this is a strangely-shaped boulder perched atop a precarious cliff’s ridge.

Read more about unique sights on the Grand Canyon South Rim and seeing the world by checking out the Leftfade Trails Blog

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