The Grand Canyon South Rim is a great place for an escape from the city any time of year. While most popular in the summer months, autumn and winter seasons are very beautiful and much less crowded at the national park, although fall weekends can get busy.
We’ve enjoyed our visits over the years to various spots in and around the Grand Canyon. The South Rim has about five million visitors every year, and boasts the most infrastructure and overnight accommodations.
Our favorite place to stay at the Grand Canyon South Rim has been the historic El Tovar. We have also stayed at the nearby Yavapai Lodge which isn’t as glamorous but is definitely clean and comfortable.
There are so many paths and trails around the Grand Canyon, from paved, flat paths to rugged trails with massive elevation gains. The South Rim area of this National Park is truly accessible for just about anyone who wants to see this wonder of the world.
The Grand Canyon National Park offers a few, free year-round shuttles serving the Village, scenic points of interest and trailheads, along with a couple of seasonal shuttles.
For those motivated to drive direct from Burbank to the Grand Canyon South Rim, it will take a minimum of seven hours according to online maps. Factor in breaks and refueling, and that number is more realistically closer to nine hours. Still, that’s doable in a day.
Other options for getting to the Grand Canyon South Rim are flying into two of the closest Arizona airports, renting a car, and driving, which will take about 1 1/2 hours from Flagstaff’s tiny airport or about 3 1/2 hours from Phoenix.
One can also take the train from Burbank to Flagstaff and then a bus from Flagstaff to the South Rim. While not as expensive, that option takes much longer, about 17 hours on the train, plus a few hours for the bus. There is a shorter, overnight train that takes about 10 hours from Union Station to Flagstaff.
However people manage to get to the Grand Canyon, it’s worth the time and effort. Visit the Grand Canyon National Park website to learn more and plan a getaway.
There’s so much to do and see in and around the Grand Canyon, for people of all fitness and interest levels. Open year-round, the Grand Canyon South Rim is a beautiful way to Get Out of Town, Burbank!
Editor’s Note: While there’s always a lot going on in Burbank, myBurbank’s “Get Out Of Town!” highlights some of our favorite activities and events outside the town borders.
