Betatakin Cliff Dwellings, Largest collection of Petroglyphs and the Grandest Views!
We are on a 7,000 mile Great American Road trip. You can catch up on our last destination: Moab Utah – Epic sword battles in Devil’s Garden, Grandest Views and the Native American Spirits! here.
Moab to Grand Canyon
Coming from Moab the drive cuts through hot, hot desert. Crossing the 3,000 mile mark on our trip odometer and hitting our 11th State (Arizona), we stopped off at Newspaper Rock and Navajo National Monument along the way.
Newspaper Rock
Newspaper Rock is one of the largest known collections of Petroglyphs. Earliest petroglyphs date back 2,000 years. There are over 650 different drawings which have been added over the years by different cultures, ranging from Europeans to European settlers in the area. It’s very impressive and worth the stop.
Navajo National Monument
Onward to Navajo National Monument, a short detour off our route. You can take a short .5 mile hike down to see the Betatakin Cliff Dwellings. Bring some binoculars because they are very far away. The dwellings are built and protected by the Sandstone cliffs.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
With the drive complete, we arrived at Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is among the most developed parks I have ever been to. International tourists flock from all over the world. And the reason is clear, there really is no other place on earth like it.
You can take a bus anywhere in the park (apart form Desert View). Busses run every 15-30 minutes and move people around. Virtually no one drives around the park, great for Nature (and Traffic). With small kids, this is very convenient.
For those seeking something more rustic with less services, I’m told they should go to the North Rim.
Parent tip: with small children, you always want to be holding hands with your kids when you are at the edge of the canyon. Most of the overlooks have gates, but a lot of the overlooks only have a boulder or two separating you from imminent death.
Bright Angel Trail
Dad took a short side trip down into the Canyon on Bright Angel Trail.
The Canyon South Rim is about 7,000 feet elevation. The hike to the Plateau (3,600 feet), a 12 mile round trip is the furthest they recommend you hike in one day. People can venture down to the Colorado River, but need to stay over night and this requires a Back Country permit.
Mule rides are also available, this is evidenced by the Mule poop that dots the entire trail.
Hike up the trail takes 2x the time as the hike up, so plan accordingly. As you descend into the canyon you can observe over 1.8 billion years of geologic history which has been exposed by the Mighty Colorado – in the past 5 million years.
Dad only went to the 1.5 mile marker (5,700 feet) and came back as he only had 2 hours to spare. You are walking back in time as you travel down through the sedimentary layers of earth that comprise the canyon. Surreal.
Jr. Rangers, South Rim!
We attended a Ranger Program about the men who went to the moon and came to the Grand Canyon to learn about Geology. After the program, the boys were sworn in by the Ranger with one of the best views to behold.
With the Grand Canyon in rear view, we head to Joshua Tree and Temecula to visit with Family.
