[notpachet]

If you haven't tortured yourself on the Devil's Corkscrew switchbacks on the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon, on the hottest day of summer, have you really National Parked??

All joking aside, I disagree with the author regarding the Grand Canyon. Havasupai Gardens -- the verdant oasis at the bottom of the canyon, where you can camp and recharge -- is one of my favorite places I've camped. There are areas for wading and swimming, and the sounds of the night creatures is eerily beautiful.

[rob74]

We've only hiked a little bit down the canyon when we were last there (which was back in 2009, sadly), but I also strongly disagree with the author. It may not be the longest, deepest or widest canyon in the world, but if you actually go there and take a look at it, you'll see for yourself why it's called the Grand Canyon. Then again, if this article keeps some easily bored/jaded people away from the national parks, all the better for the rest of us!

[SkipperCat]

I hiked and camped for three days in the Grand Canyon about 10 years ago and it was one of the high points of my life. The sheer beauty of the massive space was transformative in the way I see the world. How small we are, how big it was. I know statements like this seem overly dramatic but my time there is still something I replay in my head.

So when people dunk on the GC, I always just tell myself how lucky I was that my experience was so wonderful.

[ekr____]

The problem with the Canyon is that (1) what's really interesting is seeing the whole thing top to bottom and (2) the really spectacular views are when you're partway down, with the best locations depending on the time of day. However, because it's such a challenging hike, most people don't get those experiences. FWIW, Havasupai Gardens is only about halfway down, but because it's the last water tap before the river, it's kind of the last somewhat readily accessible point.

I half agree with the author's take on Yosemite. The valley really is ridiculously overcrowded but the view also is amazing. The situation here is a little bit like the Grand Canyon in that there's lots of amazing stuff but it's more work to get there, mostly in terms of a lot of time on foot. The good news about the Sierras is that except for the amazing big wall stuff in the Yosemite Valley, Sequioa Kings Canyon is basically just as nice and the traffic situation is much better.

[kleiba2]

We drove to the Grand Canyon in a rental car from Vegas. "We" that is my old parents and I. We don't gamble, drink, or do hookers, so we didn't really like Vegas very much. (Stop! Hold your horses. It's a joke. I know there's other things you can do in Las Vegas. It's a joke.)

We arrived at the canyon before sunset and the setting sun hit it so beautifully from above. The colors were incredible.

We were gonna just spend the night and drive back first thing in the morning. But then we said to ourselves, we don't like Vegas, the Grand Canyon looked awesome. So we went back the next morning and spend more time there, just driving along the rim and stopping every now and then to let the impressions sink in.

With the sun on the opposite side now than the night before, it looked totally different.

This was all part of a longer road trip, and the Grand Canyon was definitely one of the highlights.

[lakkal]

That's similar to my experience. I used to go to LV for the DefCon conference, and a classic gaming expo one year. But I'd go for a week, and also drive around the area, including over to Death Valley. I eventually started spending most of my time on Death Valley and only visiting LV briefly.

[al_borland]

As someone who doesn’t hike or camp, I didn’t really enjoy the Grand Canyon.

When I was 18 my dad thought it would be cool to take me there for a week. I suggested we just stop there briefly, then go skiing in Colorado, which he accepted.

We got to the Grand Canyon and it was so big that it didn’t even look real. I was pretty much done after 30 minutes, so was my dad. He was glad I suggested the Colorado option, as he wasn’t sure what we’d do there all week.

I’m glad I saw it, so I’ll never wonder, but I’m also glad I didn’t try and make it into more than it was, as a non-camper.

[ajmurmann]

I like hiking but absolutely not camping. I had a similar experience. IMO the canyon is too wide for its width which creates a similar effect to it just being a valley. I found it much more spectacular to stand on pretty much any mountain in the Alps.

Funny enough driving up to the grand canyon there are some arms of it that in essence narrow, deep cracks in the ground. I absolutely loved those!

[bombcar]

I-15 out of Vegas hits a small part of Arizona on the way to Utah, and the freeway runs up a river gorge - it's an amazing drive and in no way comparable to the Grand Canyon - but it has its own charm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj0dvrBiuX8

Maybe I'll tell my kids this is the Grand Canyon so I can go to In-n-out ;)