Grand Canyon National Park has two very different sides for a road trip. The South Rim is open all year and takes about 90% of visitors. The North Rim, higher and more remote, opens only for part of the year and is still recovering from the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Most first-timers should start with the South Rim and its two scenic drives, Desert View Drive and Hermit Road.
Below: how the two rims compare, what each scenic road offers, the North Rim season as it stands in October 2026, how many days to give the canyon, and how to reach it from old Route 66.
South Rim or North Rim: which side of the Grand Canyon?
By road, the trip between the rims is about 212 miles and roughly four and a half hours. Few people do both on a short trip.
| South Rim | North Rim | |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Open 24 hours a day, all year | Normally May 15 to October 15 for services; closed to vehicles December 1 to May 14 |
| Share of visitors | About 90% | About 10% |
| Elevation | Lower; the top of the Desert View Watchtower, the high point, is 7,522 feet | Over 8,000 feet |
| Access | South Entrance near Tusayan, East Entrance at Desert View | State Route 67 from Jacob Lake, the only road in |
| Scenic drives | Desert View Drive, Hermit Road | Cape Royal Road, Point Imperial Road |
The South Rim wins on access, services and choice of viewpoints. The North Rim wins on quiet, cooler air and forest scenery, but in 2026 it comes with real limits, covered below.
Desert View Drive: the South Rim by car
Desert View Drive runs 23 miles east from Grand Canyon Village to the Desert View area and the East Entrance. It is open to private vehicles and every viewpoint has parking, which makes it the best canyon drive for a road trip.
- Six developed overlooks, including Grandview Point, Moran Point and Navajo Point, the highest overlook on the South Rim.
- Tusayan Pueblo, a small archaeological site along the road.
- Desert View Watchtower, the 70-foot stone tower designed by Mary Colter and built in 1932, a quarter-mile walk from the parking area.
Two 2026 notes: Lipan Point is closed from June 22 to December 23, 2026, for rehabilitation work, and the Desert View Campground is closed for now. Driving the road east to west is a good way to enter the park: come in through the East Entrance, 25 miles west of Cameron, and finish the day in Grand Canyon Village.
Hermit Road: the western rim by shuttle
Hermit Road follows the rim for about 7 miles west from the Village Historic District to Hermits Rest. The catch for drivers: it is closed to private vehicles from March 1 to November 30. In those months the free Hermit Road (Red) shuttle does the job, stopping at all nine overlooks. A full loop without getting off takes about 80 minutes.
In December, January and February the road reopens to private vehicles under 22 feet, and the shuttle stops. Hermits Rest itself, another Mary Colter building from 1914, has a small snack bar, a gift shop and restrooms. The Rim Trail ends there, so walking a stretch between shuttle stops is an easy way to get away from the crowds at the overlooks.
The North Rim in 2026: open, with limits
The Dragon Bravo Fire started on July 4, 2025, and burned on the North Rim until late September. It destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge along with many other buildings. The North Rim reopened on May 15, 2026, with limited services. As of the park’s October 20, 2026 update:
- No lodging is available inside the park on the North Rim.
- The General Store and North Rim Campground closed for the season on October 15, 2026.
- There is no fuel on the North Rim; fill up at Jacob Lake on the way in.
- Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road are closed from October 15 to November 3, 2026, for road repairs.
- The North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch remain closed, with no reopening date.
- The North Rim stays open until November 30, 2026, or until the first major snowstorm, whichever comes first.
In short, a late-fall drive to the North Rim is possible but bare. For 2027, check the park’s North Rim status page before building a trip around it.
Getting around the South Rim without your car
Parking near the Village fills up in busy months, and the free shuttle system is the easiest way around. The Village Route (Blue) links the main visitor center, the hotels, the restaurants and the campgrounds. The Kaibab Rim Route (Orange) serves the eastern viewpoints near the visitor center, including Yaki Point, which you can only reach on foot, by bike or by shuttle. Add the Hermit Road (Red) Route in season, and you can park once in the morning and spend the whole day on the rim.
For sunrise or sunset, the overlooks along Desert View Drive work well by car, while the western points along Hermit Road are reached by shuttle for most of the year. Navajo Point, the highest overlook on the South Rim, gives the widest view toward the east.
How many days to spend at the Grand Canyon
For the South Rim, one full day covers the essentials: Desert View Drive in the morning, the Village and the Rim Trail at midday, Hermit Road by shuttle toward sunset. Two days are better. You get a sunrise and a sunset, time for a short hike below the rim, and a slower pace at the overlooks.
Adding the North Rim means at least one extra day just for the drive, plus a night outside the park while in-park lodging is unavailable. On a tight schedule, pick one rim and enjoy it properly.
Getting there from Route 66
The classic approach comes from Interstate 40, which follows the old Route 66 corridor across northern Arizona. The South Entrance sits 6 miles north of Tusayan and is about an hour from Williams and an hour and a half from Flagstaff, both historic Route 66 towns. From Phoenix, plan around four hours.
A good loop for a first visit: leave Route 66 at Williams, drive north to the South Entrance, spend the day on the rim, then exit east along Desert View Drive toward Cameron. The canyon fits well on a Southwest road trip alongside the must-see national parks in the United States, many of which sit within a day’s drive.
Entrance fees in 2026
A private vehicle pass costs $35 and is valid for seven days. The Grand Canyon annual pass costs $70 and is limited to US citizens and residents. The America the Beautiful pass costs $80 for US residents and $250 for non-residents.
Non-US residents aged 16 and over also pay a $100 per-person nonresident fee on top of the standard entrance fee, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. For international visitors who plan several big parks, the $250 non-resident pass quickly pays for itself (prices from the National Park Service, checked in October 2026).
FAQ
Is the South Rim or the North Rim better for a first visit?
The South Rim. It is open all year, has the most viewpoints and services, and is easier to reach from I-40.
Can you drive Hermit Road in your own car?
Only in December, January and February, in a vehicle under 22 feet. The rest of the year, use the free Red Route shuttle.
Is the North Rim open in 2026?
Yes, since May 15, 2026, with limited services and no lodging inside the park. It stays open until November 30 or the first major snowstorm.
How long is the drive between the two rims?
About 212 miles, roughly four and a half hours, via Cameron, Highway 89 and Jacob Lake.
