15 Best Grand Canyon Hotels, Rentals, and Glampsites for Sleeping in Style Under the Stars

Scenic drivesSpanning 23 breathtaking miles between Grand Canyon Village and the Desert View area, Desert View Drive is the only scenic byway in the park that’s open year-round to private vehicles. Enjoy Mary Colter’s iconic Desert View Watchtower, which was inspired by ancestral Puebloan architecture and features murals by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie, at the park’s far eastern edge.Another popular drive along the South Rim is the winding Hermit Road, which ends at the historic stone structure of Hermit’s Rest that date back to 1914. The drive is only open to private vehicles in December, January, and February; in all other months, travelers must use the park’s free shuttle system, hopping on and off at popular sites.Though the hiking distance between the canyon’s north and south rims is a scant 21 miles, the drive to get between the two is a circuitous 220 miles. As a result, only 10% of the national park’s visitors set foot on the just-as-striking North Rim. This high-elevation outpost (over 8,000 feet) and log cabin-style lodge have a shorter visitation season than the South Rim (you’ll have to travel there between May 15 and October 15 most years), but adventurous drivers desperate to escape the crowds should make a beeline for the pinyon and ponderosa pine–studded views of crumbling crimson sandstone along Cape Royal Road. Plus, you’ll be within easy driving distance of Zion, if you’d like to extend your journey.Hiking and backpackingIf you’re into hiking past dramatic vermillion outcroppings, secret waterfalls, and hanging gardens, you’re in the right place. The Grand Canyon also boasts some of the most stunning wheelchair-accessible paths in the country (check out the 13-mile, mostly-paved Rim Trail), as well as hamstring-busting overnight treks into the belly of the ravine.For an epic out-and-back excursion with much of the expansive red rock scenery you’d find on a longer jaunt, head to South Kaibab Trailhead and venture just under a mile downhill to the aptly named Ooh Aah Point. Want a little more bang for your buck? Continue down to Skeleton Point for a sweeping panorama of the Colorado River (six miles round trip). Bright Angel Trailhead is another iconic starting point for a day hike or overnight trek into the canyon. Lace up your boots for a three-mile round-trip stroll to the shade structure at Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse or, if you’re an experienced hiker looking to sweat, start early for an all-day 12-mile journey to jaw-dropping views of Plateau Point.Trekking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back is the stuff hiking bucket lists are made of. But due to midday heat and the extremely strenuous nature of these hikes, the National Park Service does not recommend aiming to complete such a journey in a single day. It’s highly recommended to nab a backcountry permit and camp overnight at one of the many below-the-rim sites (like Bright Angel Campground or Havasupai Gardens). Pro tip: Use the free park shuttle and create a loop starting at South Kaibab and ending at the Bright Angel Trailhead. Heading for the quieter North Rim? Tramp down the North Kaibab Trail for two miles (one-way) to Supai Tunnel.Find our full list of the best Grand Canyon hikes here.CyclingIt’s rare that a national park offers a designated bike path along its most iconic sights, but at the Grand Canyon, visitors can spin for roughly 13 miles along the park’s dreamy South Rim vistas. BYO-bike or rent one at Canyon Adventures in the village, then steer onto the paved Greenway Trail to South Kaibab. Or, utilize the free shuttle system (yes, they’ve got bike racks) and ride the bus to Monument Creek Vista, then cruise along the South Rim to Hermits Rest.North Rim visitors hoping to escape that South Rim fervor can enjoy loads of rugged mountain biking. A 12-mile swath of the enormous, 800-mile Arizona Trail runs right through the park.