There’s one thing that every single visitor to the Grand Canyon will do: visit a bunch of viewpoints with different perspectives overlooking one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes in the world. Some hike, others shoot sunrise photography. But everyone goes to the viewpoints. And there are plenty to choose between, so which should you prioritize?
In this guide we show you 20 popular viewpoints along Grand Canyon South Rim with our rating out of 10, based on our experiences.
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Our Experience
If you asked us to name the US national park with the most striking views, we wouldn’t hesitate to say the Grand Canyon. Other parks have unique formations, snow capped mountains, sandy dunes or thick forests. But the first time we stood on the edge of South Rim stands out as one of very few times we said “wow” and really meant it.
We’re hikers so we had plenty to keep us occupied the two times we’ve been to South Rim. But either side of hiking Grand Canyon’s trails, the only other thing to do in the park was hop between the overlooks. So, we ended up going to all the viewpoints along Hermit Road, Grand Canyon Village and Desert View Drive. And most of them twice! Read more about us.
What You Need To Know
Okay, let’s dive right in. Here are the most important things to know about visiting Grand Canyon South Rim’s viewpoints:
- You can drive your car to the viewpoints along Desert View Drive year round.
- The only way to access viewpoints on Hermit Road is by shuttle March-November.
- Here’s the shuttle map and schedule (it stops fewer times on the way back).
- But you can drive Hermit Road if you visit Grand Canyon in winter.
- You can hike South Rim Trail from Hermits Rest to South Kaibab Trailhead.
- It’s a 13-mile flat walk that takes in 13 of the main viewpoints.
- But you can’t hike to the viewpoints on Desert View Drive.
- Parking at the viewpoints on Desert View Drive is challenging in peak season.
- Hiking into the canyon gets you the best views of all.
The final thing to know is that the viewpoints can be jam-packed, especially in peak season. Between 4-5 million people visit South Rim’s overlooks each year, so expect them to be busy from sunrise through sunset.
Viewpoints Map
We created this map of Grand Canyon South Rim’s viewpoints to show you each overlook in order. Hermits Rest is the furthest west and Desert View is the furthest east. You might notice there’s only 18 on the map but we have 20 in this guide? That’s because there’s 18 on the rim but there’s 2 more unofficial viewpoints we love inside the canyon.
Map key:
- Red – Hermit Road
- Blue – Grand Canyon village
- Green – Desert View Drive
Our favorite viewpoints at Grand Canyon South Rim include Pima Point, Hopi Point, Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Grandview Point and Lipan Point. Just so you know, Mather Point is the famous sunrise spot and Hopi Point is the famous sunset spot. But if you’d rather keep things easy you can do both at Yavapai Point. Here’s our guide on sunrise and sunset photo spots at Grand Canyon South Rim to learn more.
Okay, let’s get into the overlooks in order from west to east.
1. Hermits Rest
Hermits Rest is the furthest viewpoint to the west side of Grand Canyon South Rim. It’s home to a historic stone building, a cafe and a giant fireplace but views into canyon are mostly obscured. We had a hot chocolate next to the fireplace on a cool day in December, but quickly got on South Rim Trail and hiked to the next overlook.
Our view rating: 4/10
2. Pima Point
Pima Point is one of our favorite viewpoints along Grand Canyon South Rim. Our photo above is a northwest facing view from Pima Point in late afternoon and you can already see the deep dark shadows forming. We like how close to the rock formations, plateaus, cracks and buttes this viewpoint gets. And if you look closely, you’ll be able to make out the Colorado River which very few other overlooks have.
Our view rating: 8/10
3. Monument Creek Vista
Monument Creek has one of the narrowest but most picturesque views along Hermit Road. Line of sight is blocked to the east and west by huge walls but the creek has a rugged multi-tiered rock formation gradually carving down to the Colorado River. It’s hard to get a photo with no shadows here due to the suns positioning but we think this one is well worth visiting.
Our view rating: 7/10
4. The Abyss
The Abyss is another of our favorite viewpoints on this side of the canyon because it has a dramatic and unobstructed 3,000 ft vertical drop. Plus, very few of the overlooks give you anything to work with in the immediate foreground for photography, but The Abyss gives you leading lines and a foreground subject.
Our view rating: 7/10
5. Mohave Point
Mohave Point is a good but not great overlook in our opinion. We could just about see the Colorado River which was cool, but the views aren’t as expansive as others. To be honest, we much preferred the view of Mohave Point (which you can see in our photo above taken from The Abyss) rather than from the overlook itself. We recommend Hopi Point over Mohave Point if you’re deciding between the two.
Our view rating: 5/10
6. Hopi Point
Hopi Point is our favorite viewpoint on Hermit Road and we think it’s the best sunset spot along Grand Canyon South Rim. It has expansive views to the east and west, so technically you could do sunrise here too. We’ve done two sunsets here and both times it was bustling with tourists. We recommend heading south away from the fenced in viewing area to find a secluded spot on the edge of the rim.
Our view rating: 9/10
7. Powell Point
Powell Point is a bit of a hidden gem viewpoint because it has far reaching east facing views and a direct line of sight down to some of the more jagged rock formations in the canyon below. Plus, far fewer people go to it because they’re all at Hopi Point. We like Powell Point for a super quiet sunrise alternative if you’re seeking solitude.
Our view rating: 7/10
8. Maricopa Point
Maricopa Point is another underrated viewpoint at Grand Canyon South Rim. It’s basically a carbon copy of nearby Powell Point with similar views and lines of sight. And again, way fewer people bother with this one. Both times we walked out to Maricopa Point we had the whole thing to ourselves.
Our view rating: 7/10
9. Trailview Overlook
Trailview Overlook is unique in that it’s less of a canyon view and more of a hiking trail birds-eye view. If you don’t want to hike Bright Angel yourself, you can go and watch others doing the hard work from directly above them. We day hiked Rim to River in December 2021 and right near the end of our exhausting climb back up to the rim we were waving to people at this viewpoint.
Our view rating: 5/10
Need help planning your trip to Grand Canyon?
Our popular Grand Canyon travel guidebook helps you with planning every aspect of your visit to South Rim, including the best viewpoints and hikes, where to eat and stay, itinerary ideas and map!
View Guidebook10. Bright Angel Trailhead
Bright Angel Trailhead isn’t an official viewpoint but it has one of Grand Canyon South Rim’s most striking views, so we’re including it in our guide. After all, there’s a reason they built Bright Angel Lodge right on the edge of a cliff here! We highly recommend hiking down Bright Angel Trail just a few minutes so you can see directly down through the canyon as the hiking trail drops over a distant shelf.
Our view rating: 7/10
11. Yavapai Point
Yavapai Point is another of our favorite and most recommended South Rim viewpoints. It has two separate viewing areas either side of the Geology Museum from which we’ve done sunrise and sunset. But what we like most about Yavapai Point is that it looks out at some of the most rugged and jagged formations in the entire national park. It’s also one of the easiest views to reach along South Rim.
Our view rating: 9/10
12. Mather Point
Mather Point is the busiest viewpoint at Grand Canyon South Rim. It’s the closest overlook to the visitor center and it has one of the best sunrise views, so naturally it’s always crowded. We do love Mather Point for sunrise, but the rest of the day it’s just too busy and the canyon views aren’t as expansive as others like Yavapai Point. Our top tip is to walk slightly southeast of the viewing area for sunrise.
Our view rating: 8/10
13. Yaki Point
Yaki Point is an excellent but frustrating viewpoint. On the upside it has far reaching east and west facing views, but on the downside it’s really inconvenient to visit because you can only walk or take the orange line shuttle bus. It would be a great sunrise or sunset alternative if you want to avoid crowds, otherwise we recommend hiking a short way down South Kaibab Trail instead to get even better views.
Our view rating: 6/10
14. Grandview Point
Grandview Point has one of the most open and expansive vistas along South Rim, and it also has the first glimpse of the Colorado River as you head east along Desert View Drive. This overlook was jam-packed both times we visited in November and December, so bear that in mind if you’re visiting during peak times. We recommend hiking 1 mile out to Shoshone Point instead if you want peace and quiet.
Our view rating: 8/10
15. Moran Point
Moran Point is another popular vista thanks to the pizza slice (or Christmas tree?) shaped rock you can see in our photo above. It’s a photographers favorite, so don’t be surprised if you see engagement or wedding shoots here. Views aren’t the most open and the canyon formations are smooth rather than jagged, but you can see a tiny sliver of the Colorado River.
Our view rating: 6/10
16. Lipan Point
Lipan Point is our favorite viewpoint on the east side of Grand Canyon South Rim. Why? Because it has extensive north and west facing views, along with a uniquely photogenic narrow sandstone butte bursting out into the canyon. We’d love to do sunrise here, looking away from the sun as the canyon lit up ahead. Maybe next time!
Our view rating: 8/10
17. Navajo Point
Navajo Point is the viewpoint with the highest elevation along Grand Canyon South Rim at 7,461 ft. It has fantastic views to the north but the west facing line of sight is mostly blocked off so it isn’t quite as good as Lipan Point. With that said, we did enjoy seeing the Grand Canyon clearly bending away on a northward trajectory from this viewpoint.
Our view rating: 6/10
18. Desert View
Desert View is the furthest viewpoint to the east of Grand Canyon South Rim, so it’ll either be your first or last view if you use this east entrance road. The parking lot is huge, there’s a campground, market, canteen and stone watchtower with murals. We really like the west and north facing views from here, especially having such a clear line of sight to the Colorado River.
Our view rating: 7/10
19. Hiking Bright Angel Or South Kaibab
So far we’ve covered only viewpoints located on top of the rim. But what if you decide to hike down into the canyon? Well, in our opinion the very best views of the Grand Canyon are from inside the canyon itself. For us, the views got repetitive from the rim but they changed the entire time we hiked both South Kaibab and Bright Angel. We discovered endless new perspectives and formations, which was awesome.
Our view rating: 10/10
20. Phantom Ranch And Colorado River
For serious and strong hikers: we recommend descending to Phantom Ranch and crossing the Colorado River for some of the most amazing views possible at the Grand Canyon. Not just the river, the bridges and the unique formations but also the chance to look up 4,500 ft and think “oh boy, we have to climb back up there now!” What an experience.
Our view rating: 10/10
The Morgan Conclusion
There are so many great viewpoints to enjoy when you visit Grand Canyon for the first time. For us, Pima Point, Hopi Point, Yavapai Point, Mather Point, Grandview Point and Lipan Point have the most unmissable views. But they’re also very busy, so you might want to try some of the lesser known overlooks instead if you’d prefer some solitude.
The best part? You can easily visit every single overlook along the rim on a day trip to the Grand Canyon. But if you have time, you’re a strong hiker and you visit the park between late fall and early spring, we highly recommend hiking down the canyon for the most amazing views of all. The further down you go, the quieter it gets and the more unique the scenery becomes.
We hope our guide to the best Grand Canyon South Rim viewpoints helps with planning your visit to Arizona!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.