A Solo Grand (canyon) Morning

I know this is the one you’ve been waiting for — the big one. The Grand one. The Grand Canyon, if you will.

I’ll be upfront: I don’t have a ton to report. Despite traveling solo across the country — and what you probably know about me by now — I have a hard time fully enjoying something the first time around. I’m a “dip-my-toes-in-first” kind of person. Once I’ve scoped it out and know what to expect, that’s when I really dive in.

When I started researching my Grand Canyon stop, I was immediately confused. Apparently, you need to take a shuttle? Inside the park? From the visitor center to the trailheads? Between trailheads?

As someone who’s pretty comfortable exploring Big Bend solo and on foot, this threw me. My brain went straight to, “I don’t know about this…” But not enough to bail on the plan entirely. Still — a shuttle? Really?

Anyway, I did what I usually do: I got up at 4 a.m. and headed for one of the less popular park entrances. I kept it simple with the South Kaibab Trail — a classic, very popular hike down into the canyon. And wow... it was crowded. I’m glad I did it and I’d recommend it, but I don’t need to do it again. It was the perfect trail for a half-day visit, though.

I avoided the shuttle. The parking lot near the trailhead had signs saying it was full, so I parked a little ways out and walked about a mile in. Turns out there was still parking available. Next time, I’ll check the lot myself before defaulting to roadside parking. Same early start, just a bit more assertive.

After the hike, I was starving and wanted to grab lunch — but parking was a whole other issue. My Ram 2500 Crew Cab isn’t exactly sedan-sized, and most lots were tight or clearly marked for smaller vehicles. Totally understandable, but in the moment... annoying.

Eventually, I found a visitor center with enough space to park. It had a whole food court, which honestly felt surreal after the dusty trail. But instead of grabbing food, I just snacked on some apples and made my way back to Flagstaff.

So yeah — not much to report. It felt overwhelming, and honestly, a bit of a letdown in terms of how developed the park is. But that’s probably just my Big Bend bias showing. That park has prepared me and opened my mind, which I'm very grateful for.

My water heater is leaking! Next time -

Kat