Beautiful 2 hour drive that can turn in to a day trip of you are not careful. Lots of pull outs and lots of hiking trails. It doesn't go through so you'll be coming back the same way. But it is the reason you came.
Lovely views of canyon from pull outs with some short walks. Good introduction - take tour to see more!
When we saw the number of vehicles at the visitor center, we expected the road would be crowded; however, to our (pleasant) surprise there were very few vehicles encountered. In fact, we were somewhat surprised at how short a time some travelers spent at the overlooks: it was not unusual to see a vehicle roll in, see a window roll down and a camera poke out, then roll up and out without actually dismounting from the vehicle. There are marvelous plants, rock formations, and views to be had at all overlooks, ones that require you to actually get out of the car and invest a little time. Walkways are accessible and well maintained, with good signage and plenty of safety rails, so there;s no excuse for missing the delights of this drive.
Did some of the north rim and some of the south should have stuck with the south there is more to seeDon't be put off with the comment about the Navajo sellers they have to make a living and they are not pushy
There are numerous pullouts to view the valley below and ancient ruins. Some viewpoints are from the pullout and others are a couple of hundred feet from the pullout. Don't miss this!
Enjoyed the overlooks, as we are not hikers we could not walk the trails, but did enjoy the scenery we could see and the stories. Talked with a gentleman (Ted) from the Visitor Center who told us his mom lived at the bottom of the Canyon all her life and never left. He told her to pack her bags and took her to San Diego where she witnessed the Pacific Ocean for the first time in her life. What a story!! And it was a true story. Her name was Rose,
We drove to the very end of the drive first; about 1 1/2 hours before sunset. Good decision as the end of the South Rim has the best sights. The light on the canyon walls was fantastic. Walked to all the look outs and took great pictures. Great activity before taking a canyon tour with Tseyi Jeep Tours the next morning.
The South Rim Drive is an excellent companion to a canyon tour. Without the canyon tour, it would still be pretty breath-taking, but you would miss the intimate understanding of the canyon and the way of life of the people inhabiting the canyon itself. The road is in good repair, but can get long to the various over-looks and views.
This drive has great lookouts. Native artists were displaying and selling their art at these stops. We were able to see both rims in one day.
The South Rim drive is comprised of seven overlooks and will probably take you about 3hours to see it all at a leisurely pace, not including hiking down to the White House Ruins. Some of the overlooks are wheelchair accessible, others require a very short hike from the parking lot. Some locations have public washrooms. None have water refill stations. There are vendors in the valley by the White House Ruins that sell cold drinks and native artwork.Spider Rock is the last stop on the South Rim drive but if you're a photographer and get there by mid/late afternoon, the monolith might be bathed in harsh shadows by the very side of the canyon you are standing on. I'd try and hit Spider Rock anytime from late-morning to early afternoon depening on the time of year.There are local Navajo vendors at most of the parking lots (except White House Ruins and Spider Rock) selling native artwork and jewelry. Some are quite nice and you wish you could support them all. They don't haggle you or force you to buy anything. Such is their passive culture. Keep in mind that if you wish to take photographs of their work or of them, please respect their culture and ask for permission first.