10 Things to Do Outside the Grand Canyon’s South Rim
Depending on how you’ve scheduled your trip to Grand National Park, you may need or prefer a day or two outside the park’s boundary. Occasionally, this is due to travel, crowds, or simply you’ve exhausted everything you wanted to see inside the park.
Most of these places are open year round, no matter the season at Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park
Best Months: September, May, October & November
Hours: The South Rim of the park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The North Rim is only open between May and October.
Entrance Fee: $35 valid for 7 days
Here are 10 places within a 2-hour drive from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park that you should definitely find time to visit. They are a mix of other parks, towns, historic places and everything in between. Each one is interesting in its own right, and is worth the time it would take to get there.
The Map
In the map below, we list all 10 places you should visit that are just outside of Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim. The yellow boundary marks the extent of the national park.
1. Sedona, AZ
Distance: 2 hours south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Sedona, Arizona is the very definition of “must see”. The mix of high red rock formations and lush green underbrush is a sight you just need to behold.
The most famous spot in the city limits is the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It was a perfect spot high up above the city to take in the views and visit the iconic structure built in 1932. It is open 9 AM-5 PM seven days a week and a perfect attraction for anyone, regardless of your faith.
Sedona also boasts about it’s “Secret Seven” Trails that only locals know about. However, our favorite was the easy-to-moderate Fay Canyon Trail, which is around a 2.3 mile round trip.
Since this is a city and not a park, there are countless other activities to do around town. From golfing, to relaxing in a spa, to enjoying the local winery and/or brewery.
2. Walnut Canyon National Monument
Distance: 1.5 hours south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Only about 30 minutes from Flagstaff, AZ, the Walnut Canyon National Monument is a great place to stop and stretch the legs. This park has the remnants of a 700-year-old ancient pueblo community built by the Sinagua people that once lived in the canyon.
Hike the park via the one-mile round-trip Island Trail provides access to 25 cliff dwellings inside the park.
3. Wupatki National Monument
Distance: 1.75-2 hours southeast of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Located about an hour and a half north of Flagstaff, the Wupatki National Monument features the ruins of several ancient pueblo settlements built by the Ancestral Puebloan people between 1100 and 1200 AD. Rich in Native American archaeological sites, the monument is administered by the National Park Service in close conjunction with the nearby Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
4. Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Distance: 1.75-2 hours southeast of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Located about 30 minutes north of Flagstaff, the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument features the remains of an ancient volcanic cone that last erupted in 1085, as well as numerous lava flows and cinder fields.
5. Aspen Trails in Coconino National Forest
Distance: 1.5 hours south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
The Coconino National Forest is home to numerous trails through the Aspen forests. The Aspen Loop Trail is the most popular, and it winds 2.7 miles on the sloping meadows of the western San Francisco Peaks. It is a popular trail, especially starting in May, and through the November leaf color-changing season.
As an added benefit, the Aspen trails are right next to the Arizona Snowbowl, which gives gondola rides up to its summit in the summer. Sunset rides are also available.
6. Tuzigoot National Monument
Distance: 2.5 hours south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Located about an hour and a half south of the Grand Canyon, this monument features the remains of an ancient pueblo settlement built by the Sinagua people around 1000 AD.
7. Grand Canyon Railway
Distance: 1 hour directly south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, but the train will take you back to the Village from Williams.
This historic train ride departs from Williams, Arizona, and takes visitors on a scenic journey to the Grand Canyon’s south rim. We took it in July 2019, and it is an easy-going, slow train that will take up the better part of half a day.
8. Lowell Observatory
Distance: 1.5 hours south of the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Located in Flagstaff, the Lowell Observatory is famous for its contributions to astronomy, including the discovery of Pluto. Even open in the winter, there is a lot to learn about the universe at Lowell.
9. Meteor Crater Natural Landmark
Distance: 2 hours from the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.
Located about an hour and a half east of the Grand Canyon, this meteorite impact site is the best-preserved crater on earth and offers visitors a chance to see a unique geological feature. The Meteor Crater in Winslow was created by an asteroid impact 50,000 years ago.
10. Marble Canyon
Distance: 1.5 hours from the Eastern Entrance of the Grand Canyon South Rim (2.5 hours from the Village).
Marble Canyon is located inside the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which offers visitors a range of other recreational opportunities, besides this one particular canyon. Bordered by the Grand Canyon and the Navajo Nation, Marble Canyon is a great place to stop to stretch your legs when visiting other parks in the area. However, if you have the time to spend a full day here, there is plenty to fill that time up with.
Its most well-known feature is the Navajo Bridge in Lee’s Ferry, which is an iconic steel arch bridge spanning the Colorado River. There is also a small visitor’s center at the bridge as well, which, I think, is the best place to begin the visit at.
