Best route~Effingham IL to Grand Canyon
Let me start off with " yes, I know I'm crazy". After seeing the pics of the family with the twin boys making there trip to the canyon, we have decided to do the same!! We loved their pics and plan o...
Forum Discussion
First, if you take the shortest route: I-70 to I-44 in MO to I-40 at Oklahoma City and west to Flagstaff, AZ, picking up 180 to the Grand Canyon, you will have a 1600 mile drive each way.
That would be 3-4 days driving each way. That leaves you with 6-8 days of siteseeing once you get to the Canyon.
I would suggest staying in the national park at Trailer Village which has full hookups. The free shuttle stops at the campground and you can get on and off whenever you want. Get off and do some walking along the Rim Trail which is relatively flat along the top edge of the Rim. For a totally different experience, hike down the Bright Angel Trail if only for 1/4 mile or so just to get the feel of getting below the rim. Take water and don't try to go too far. You have to hike up on the return and it's very steep.
Spend at least 2 nights at the Canyon and work in some Ranger programs for the kids.
Then you have 4-6 nights left.
You could head north and work in Zion Nat'l Park and/or Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park and then head home. You will have seen three totally different canyons and all are beauties. Both Zion and Bryce have campgrounds; Zion with electric or dry; Bryce is dry camping or stay just outside of the Bryce gate at Ruby's RV Park - expensive but hookups. Each park has free shuttles to get from place to place.
Have a great trip! It'll be a lot of driving but if that's all the time you have you can do it. We did when the kids were little and they still remember the trip 40 years later. :)
That would be 3-4 days driving each way. That leaves you with 6-8 days of siteseeing once you get to the Canyon.
I would suggest staying in the national park at Trailer Village which has full hookups. The free shuttle stops at the campground and you can get on and off whenever you want. Get off and do some walking along the Rim Trail which is relatively flat along the top edge of the Rim. For a totally different experience, hike down the Bright Angel Trail if only for 1/4 mile or so just to get the feel of getting below the rim. Take water and don't try to go too far. You have to hike up on the return and it's very steep.
Spend at least 2 nights at the Canyon and work in some Ranger programs for the kids.
Then you have 4-6 nights left.
You could head north and work in Zion Nat'l Park and/or Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park and then head home. You will have seen three totally different canyons and all are beauties. Both Zion and Bryce have campgrounds; Zion with electric or dry; Bryce is dry camping or stay just outside of the Bryce gate at Ruby's RV Park - expensive but hookups. Each park has free shuttles to get from place to place.
Have a great trip! It'll be a lot of driving but if that's all the time you have you can do it. We did when the kids were little and they still remember the trip 40 years later. :)
