A Quaint Lodge In Grand Canyon National Park Is The Best Way To Experience The Splendor Before The Crowds Arrive

When you make the decision to visit one of the world's most fascinating geological formations, there are a couple of factors you'll want to consider: your ideal time to visit and which rim of the Grand Canyon you would prefer to hike while you're there. Many people think the best way to experience the Grand Canyon is by staying there overnight, so they opt for the South Rim since there are more places to stay.  While the North Rim only has 219 lodging units, the South Rim has 908 – and 280 of the latter are inside the Maswik Lodge, the top place to stay within Grand Canyon National Park according to Tripadvisor. The lodge was built back in 1927, but efforts were made over the years to make the accommodations more contemporary. The only thing that still remains from those early days is the original stone pillars.

The modern-day Maswik Lodge is located within the village inside Grand Canyon National Park and is surrounded by the Ponderosa pine forest. It's a great location because that's where hungry visitors can find popular restaurants like the Maswik Pizza Pub and Maswik Food Court.  This redditor on r/grandcanyon shared another great aspect of staying at the lodge: "The best part about staying in the park is the mornings and evenings. The crowds and busses haven't arrived/are gone. The main village is quiet(er). There are plenty of spots a few minutes walk from Maswik along West Rim Trail that are great to catch the sunrise."  

With millions of people visiting the Grand Canyon each year, it's definitely a big perk to be able to wake up at the Maswik Lodge and enjoy the splendor of the park before the crowds start rolling in. This Tripadvisor reviewer stayed there and shared, "Our unit also had a balcony deck which faced the forest. Nice, quiet place to drink coffee in the morning." 

The Maswik Lodge is divided into two areas: Maswik Lodge North and the new Maswik Lodge South. Some of the south units have kitchenettes. There are also ADA-compliant rooms in this section of the property. It may not be directly on the rim of the Grand Canyon like the El Tovar Hotel, but it is extra quaint, and as this reviewer shared, "The rooms are spotless and [have] all [of the] things you need. It was a nice and easy 10-15 minute walk to the rim."  You can take the quarter-mile walk to get there if you like, but there's also a bus stop right at Maswik Lodge that can take you around the park. 

If you decide to visit Maswik Lodge, you'll have a way to experience the park in a very intimate way. Take a walk to the rim of this massive crater. See the park in the early morning before it gets packed. And make some great memories as you check the Grand Canyon off your list of American national parks.