What Nobody Believes About The Grand Canyon Until They See It For Themselves

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Some human experiences are almost impossible to replicate or capture — you just have to see them for yourself. That is exactly the case when experiencing the vastness of the Grand Canyon. Even the great naturalist John Muir, father of the National Park System and the Sierra Club, labeled the canyon "untellable," writing that "it is impossible to conceive what the canyon is, or what impression it makes, from descriptions or pictures, however good." John Wesley Powell, the U.S. Civil War veteran who in 1869 made the first expedition through the canyon by boat, felt the same, writing, "The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech." Nor can images, however stunning, do justice to the canyon. As one Redditor writes, "Photos, at best, just remind me of the feeling of being there. If you can, I strongly suggest anyone to go and experience it for themselves."

Research suggests that awe changes our bodies and brains for the better by helping us feel a greater sense of connection to the world we live in. "Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world," writes U.C. Berkeley psychology professor Dacher Keltner in his 2023 book, "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." "It is hard to imagine a single thing you can do that is better for your body and mind than finding awe outdoors." Some visitors leave the Grand Canyon feeling permanently transformed by the experience on an emotional level, too. "I cried looking at it for the first time. It sounds so cheesy, I know, but something in me was forever changed by seeing it for myself," writes another awestruck Redditor.

There are several ways to experience the canyon's vastness, ranging from fully on-the-grid touristy experiences to remote trails offering haunting, memorable solitude to contemplate the canyon's grandeur. Located around two hours from Las Vegas on Hualapai tribal land, the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is a thrilling attraction that offers a much more managed way to experience the canyon than hiking below the South Rim in the national park. The Skywalk is a vertigo-inducing glass-floored arc that juts out over the canyon, offering one-of-a-kind views. While many visitors consider it a memorable way to see the canyon, the experience isn't for everyone and has been criticized as a tourist trap. If immersion in nature is your goal, you're far better off heading for the Grand Canyon's South Rim, around 4.5 hours from Las Vegas, or about four hours from Phoenix.

Many visitors looking to dip their toes below the South Rim head straight for the iconic (and dangerous) Bright Angel Trail right in the Grand Canyon Village, but crowding can make it hard to feel that hushed sense of awe you're looking for. Luckily, there are several alternatives. Arguably, some of the most spectacular and cathedral-like views you can have on the South Rim without straying from well-marked trails can be found along the South Kaibab trail, accessible by shuttle from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. While this is also a wildly popular and challenging route, being accessible only by shuttle limits the number of hikers who can set out at a time. At sunrise, the canyon walls are bathed in an ever-changing light show that can make the canyon feel almost otherworldly. For even more solitude, you can also take a shuttle bus to the Hermit Trail, a far more rugged and less-traveled route, where you're very likely to have the experience of being alone on the trail from time to time.