Took a short trip to the Grand Canyon in early October. The original plan was to do a 12 day road trip around the south west visiting multiple national parks. Due to COVID and other time constraints we shortened the trip to just the Grand Canyon for 5 days. This was my first time in the Grand Canyon and it was absolutely amazing. The views were so vast it didn't feel real, even though I was standing right on the edge of it. The crowd was minimal so we had no trouble finding parking or getting to the trailheads. Shuttle buses were sectioned off for fewer passengers and some of the routes were closed. Desert View Dr was closed beyond Navajo Point due to the tribal reservation being closed to visitors. The weather was clear and beautiful with temperatures in the low 30s to 70s above the rim. Temperature inside the canyon was 60 to 90 degrees.
On the first day we took the scenic drive in the morning and had no problem with traffic or parking. After lunch we rented bicycles from Bright Angel Bikes and pedaled to Hermits Rest Trailhead. The road was closed to traffic so it was a very nice bike ride. The shuttle was still running so we were able to get a ride part of the way back. The views along the ride were amazing. This is an easy ride, but does involve a few steep hills on the road.
2nd day we woke up early and hiked down Angel's Landing Trail to Indian Garden rest stop... our goal was to make to Plateau Point, but it was getting too hot in the canyon by the time we made it to Indian Garden. The hike back up to the rim was beautiful but a slog!!! Bright Angel is more of a rugged "path" than a trail, but make no mistake the elevation and the return hike back up to the rim will be a challenge.
3rd day we hiked Hermits Rest Trail to the 3 mile rest stop. This was more of a hike on a rugged trail. The scenery was more relaxing in the beginning and then around the 2.5 mile mark we began to enter the red colored canyon walls. The rest stop at 3 miles has water (filter required) and a shelter with rocking chairs. A few feet further is a large clearing with great views into the canyon.
All in all it was a great trip, but I def have to go back and do an over night trip down to the river.