"So Much Space, So Little to Do" Photography Tip by mrclay2000

Favorite thing: The Grand Canyon is an anomaly among national parks. For instance, 4 solid hours are required to drive from the earliest viewpoints on the South Rim to the earliest viewpoints on the North Rim. Crowding shuts out the simplest conveniences. Four million visitors a year vie for 1,600 parking spaces -- get there early in the morning and hope for the best. There is wildlife here such as mule deer and cougar which the average person is not likely to see. Daytime viewing of the Canyon can reach its peak of satisfaction in the first five minutes of your visit. Everything has to be done in advance: burros, intra-Canyon camping, and some floating. For those disinterested in desert training or hiking, the only viable pursuit here is to search out either rim under good lighting to augment a lackluster photo album. Sunrise and sunset are said to be great times for viewing, but seeing a desert-type setting is generally best only during these brief windows, where lighting conditions are most favorable.

Fondest memory: If you are to enjoy the Grand Canyon, you might spend a lot of time listening to people or reading guidebooks that mention something other than just witnessing it from either rim.