Spending a day at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is like stepping into a postcard—no photo truly captures the scale, colors, or magnificence of this awe-inspiring landscape. Often called one of the natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon lives up to its reputation with dramatic cliffs, and a sense of timelessness that makes even a quick visit unforgettable.

Thinking of visiting Grand Canyon but you only have one day to spend? Here’s how you can make the most of your visit, specifically to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Start At The Visitor Center

There are several ways to get to the Grand Canyon, including bus or railroad but the most practical is arriving by car. Once entering the park, follow the signs to the Visitor Center. If you arrive early, you can park your car and leave it for the day. There is an excellent shuttle system that travels throughout the park.

**Get Those Passport Stamped!**

If you have kids and you plan to visit more than one National Park over the next few years, be sure to purchase the Passport. It’s a cute book with all 63 National Parks listed. Every visitor’s center in the country has at least one stamp table for the books to get stamped.

There are many informative displays in the visitor’s center to acquaint you with the Grand Canyon and help you get your bearings on what you are about to see. There is also a short free film to view.

After the Visitor Center head out to the first overlook. The Grand Canyon is like a giant, colorful history book carved into the earth. Its layers of rock tell a story that goes back nearly two billion years, shaped by ancient seas, shifting tectonic plates, and the slow, steady work of the Colorado River. It’s wild to think that what we’re seeing today took millions of years to form—and it’s still changing, bit by bit.

Hike the Canyon Rim Trail

If you found an overlook from the Visitor’s Center you most likely are now on the Rim Trail. The trail is 13 miles long, stretching from the Visitor’s Center all the way to Hermit’s Rest. It’s mostly paved with some shade.

To make it even easier there’s a series of free shuttle buses that will take you anywhere you want to go, so if you exert yourself and need a break, you can just hop on a bus leap-frogging to the next area along the rim you want to explore

Walking along the Rim Trail. Fortunately, on this day, it was not too crowded.

Mather Point

One of the first stops is Mather Point. It is named after Stephen Tyng Mather, the first director of the National Park Service. He was a passionate advocate for preserving America’s natural treasures and played a big role in establishing the Grand Canyon as a national park in 1919. Naming this iconic viewpoint after him is a fitting tribute—after all, he helped make sure places like this would be protected for generations to come.

Did you know? Mather used his own money at times to support national parks and even helped fund park rangers’ salaries before the government fully backed the program.

As this is so close to the Visitor’s Center, Mather’s Point is one of the most photographed spots in all of the Grand Canyon. But keep walking; there is so much more to see.

Continuing along the Rim Trail, you’ll come along the Yavapai Geology Museum. The museum offers great exhibits, big windows with panoramic canyon views, and clear explanations of how the canyon was formed. We learned the rock layers preserve a fossil record stretching back over a billion years, filled with marine creatures like trilobites and crinoids—reminders that this area was once under a shallow sea. You will not find dinosaur fossils here (the rocks are older than dinosaurs), but you can see 280-million-year-old tetrapod footprints and learn about other ancient life Museum.

Some of the deepest visible rock, the Vishnu Schist, is nearly two billion years old! These layers were formed by ancient oceans, deserts, and swamps, then slowly exposed over millions of years as the Colorado River carved its way through the plateau.

To give perspective on how enormous the Grand Canyon is, there is a photograph taken from the International Space Station. I love the quote below from one of the Mission Commanders.

Pro Tip!

There is also a gift shop. TIP: Be sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and a HAT! On this day, I forgot my hat but a nice shop employee helped me pick out a hat that ended up matching his!

The Trail Of Time

If you're curious about how the Grand Canyon came to be, the Trail of Time is a must-see along the Rim Trail. Each meter you stroll represents one million years of geologic history, marked by bronze medallions and rock samples placed at their "birthdays." You'll pass ancient marine fossils, desert sandstone, and even touch rocks nearly two billion years old.

The kids get really into it, counting down the time. There are examples of the types of rocks from each period along the way.

And just like that, you’ve traveled a million miles back in time! If you have the time, walk some or all of the Trail of Time.

Take the Shuttle Bus To Bright Angel Lodge

Further down the trail is Bright Angel Lodge. This is a great place to stop for photos snacks and souvenirs. If you’re really ready for an ambitious hike take the Bright Angel trail. You will need to start early in the day because often times they shut the trail down because it gets too hot. The rangers also will do a water check to make sure that you have sufficient water for strenuous hike. The views are spectacular though, and if you can make it and it’s cool enough, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to hike all the way to the canyon floor.

Just below Bright Angel Lodge is the Lookout Studio. If you are in the area don’t miss this. You enter a gift shop with a backdrop of stunning views. Once you go inside the shop, go upstairs and downstairs to get views looking back at the village and down into the canyon.

If you’re not up for the hike, there is a short stairway that takes you down from the lodge to a beautiful vista point.

Looking down from the Lookout Studio, you can see some of the hiking trails that descend deep into the canyon.

Take the Shuttle to Hermit’s Rest

One of the most interesting places along the south rim is only accessible by bike, on foot or the free shuttle bus. Once you’re at Bright Angel, you can pick up the “red” line for a 40 minute ride to Hermit’s Rest.

Hermit’s Rest is a charming and historic spot that offers visitors a unique glimpse into the Grand Canyon's past. Designed in 1914 by architect Mary Colter for the Fred Harvey Company, the structure was intended to resemble a rustic shelter built by a solitary mountain man, blending seamlessly with the natural surroundings through its use of native stone and timber.

The building features a massive stone fireplace and a cozy interior that continues to serve as a rest area and snack bar for park visitors today.

Ice cream all around for the hot hikers.

The name "Hermit's Rest" pays homage to Louis Boucher, a Canadian-born prospector known as "the Hermit," who lived alone in the area in the late 19th century and carved the original Hermit Trail into the canyon. Today, Hermit's Rest stands as a testament to early 20th-century park architecture and remains a favorite endpoint for those exploring the scenic Hermit Road.

One last incredible view from Hermit’s Rest.

End the Day With A Spectacular Sunset

Every day at the visitors center they post on a board the locations for the best sunset view that evening. They also will tell you the time of the sunset but be sure to get there early in order to grab your viewing and photo spot.