I have a confession to make. When the other half of Outdoor Wanderlust said we would add the Grand Canyon to our itinerary,  I envisioned every cliché road trip from the comedy movies of my childhood. I lacked the wisdom at that time to understand why clichés are developed. Our stop along Hoover Dam on the way did not disabuse me of the idea the canyon would be underwhelming. I found Hoover Dam to be an impressive feat of human engineering. But, that much concrete just did not impress my outdoor loving soul. I was a fool to underestimate the Grand Canyon, however, and I’m not too proud to admit it.

Preparations

We planned to arrive mid day on our first day in the park. First, would explore the South Rim at highest elevation, accessing the visitor center and paved side walks leading to crowded overlooks. Then, we planned to eat dinner, visit the store for last minute supplies, and hammock camp overnight in the Mather Campground. The next morning, we had plans to take Bright Angel trail to the 3 mile rest house and hike back out. Then, take the park trolley to Hermit’s Rest, Hopi House, and the visitor’s center. We would camp again that night before moving on to our next destination.

We were prepared with all of our hammock gear, fire starting kit, cooking supplies, layered hiking clothes, sun blocking hat, trekking poles, trail map, snacks, water, and salt stick fast chews.

From the Rim

I immediately had to revise my initial attitude. After a five minute walk from our dessert animal themed parking lot, I realized why the Grand Canyon was the center stone of so many corny road trip tales. It is overwhelming and amazing. It is the star of so many cliches, but they are all true. The massive rocks were cut by water over a span of time I could not comprehend. I felt tiny in the scale of both time and space. I felt the complex duality of intense connection to my planet, and the sense that myself and my minute problems were meaningless in the vastness of nature. It was the experience I seek every time I wander into the outdoors, only magnified. All this, while I was dodging selfie sticks and tourists. I could not wait to be on the other side of the protective metal railing, on a trail working my way only fraction of the way down into the canyon.

We pulled ourselves away from the lookout, visited the visitor’s center for some information and a quick film. We wandered to one of the lodges for a quick dinner, stopped by the well stocked store and purchased snacks and a t-shirt for our trusty dog sitter, and found our campsite for the night.

Camping in Awe

We setup our hammocks at Mather Campground and got the rest of our camp squared away. This would be my first night hammock camping. I had enjoyed afternoons and lengthy naps in my favorite local parks–and even my own back yard– in a hammock, but never the entire night. Anytime my backpacking companions chose to hammock camp, I kept my tent accommodations to stay warm and safe with the furry members of Outdoor Wanderlust. I set up my own Kammock hammock, and used a Yukon Outfitters Kindle Underquilt, and a Kammock Dragonfly Bug Net. We built a fire, set up our trusty luminoodle on the picnic table, and enjoyed the quiet of the campground.

We extinguished our fire early, as Nick had heard that on a clear night you can see the Milky Way in the sky over the Grand Canyon. After waiting and waiting, the sky finally cleared enough. A milky blue streak illuminated by soft light cut its way across the sky. I was breathless. Apparently, an imperfectly clear sky obstructed our view. I can not imagine what perfect conditions would have allowed me to behold. Awesome is a truly overused word, but it is the only one apt for the situation in this case. I was truly in awe of the sky, and my view of our solar system with my bare eyes.

Eventually, I pried myself away and tucked into my hammock for a warm, comfy night’s sleep. I awoke in the morning happy to find an Elk had not entangled my hammock in his antlers. After a quick breakfast, we were ready to hit the trail.

Bright Angel Trail to 3 mile Rest House

The most compelling thing about our hike into the canyon was the way that it changed every few feet. As we made our way through steep switchbacks, one might have assumed the views would be repetitive. However, the morning light was constantly in flux, interacting with the canyon walls and chasing their colors, creating new shadows and highlights every few feet of descended elevation. The path was dusty, with some loose rock. We met a large group of friendly hikers going in the same general direction. It was early morning, and overall the trail was still quiet and peaceful. The trip to the 1.5 mile rest house was pleasant (others would joke of course this was the easiest part, as we were obviously going down hill).

We stopped at the rest house, ate a snack not out of hunger, but to be safe on the trail, and took in the views. A little squirrel had picked up on the habit of hikers snacking in the rest house, and kept scurrying through looking for any crumbs. We packed out our trash and made our way toward the 3 mile rest house.

This section became more populated. We began to meet groups hiking out of the canyon, likely having backpacked and camped the night before, and even met a few teams of mules packing supplies and possibly trash out of the canyon. To my surprise, I found fresh legs and no blisters when we settled into the 3 mile rest house. It was a very happy 3 mile hike.

Hiking Out of the Canyon

This section of our hike became very much populated. More and more teams of mules passed.  I gave each complete right of way, being careful to step to the inside of the rock wall, avoiding the edge and any potential lethal falls. The pauses were welcome at times, as the ascent was steep, and the day was warming up. We met several friendly groups who were in high spirits and joked about how far we had left, or the difference in effort required to venture down verses climb out. The hike was not strenuous.  Yet, there was a steady incline, and none of the rolling hills or scrambles I had come accustomed to in my hikes through the Eastern United States.

Exploring with the Shuttle

One of the highlights of our exploration of the park via shuttle was Hermit’s Rest, the end of the shuttle route. Not only were there excellent views from just past the shuttle stop,  Mary E.J. Coulter’s famous stone structure portrayed in the style of shelter for a 19th century miner. Now the structure features a large hearth and fireplace, a gift shop and a snack bar. We stopped at several look out points along the way back to the village. From there we drove over to the Hopi House, next to the impressive looking El Tovar lodge. We browsed through native goods and crafts, and enjoyed the replica of a pueblo crafted in 1905. We were also sure to visit both the Lookout and Kolb art studios. After we enjoyed a meal in the Bright Angel Lodge, we  topped it all off with a couple of scoops of ice cream before heading back to camp.

Summary

As is usual, our only regrets were that we did not have more time to explore everything the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Canyon itself had to offer. Given more time and a leisurely itinerary, we would have liked to have hiked further into the Grand Canyon, perhaps even backpacking our way to hammock camp in the true wilderness.

References & Links

• South Rim Visitor Information – Website Link
• Mather Campground Information – Website Link
• South Rim Map & Services Guide – PDF Download

Photo Gallery

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In September of 2016 I visited the western United States including Arizona, Nevada, and California. Sedona, Arizona is certainly a highlight when I think back on all of my travel experiences.  I completely fell in love with the outdoor opportunities and the foreign, captivating landscapes of red rocks. I also had one of my favorite tourist experiences in the Out of Africa Wildlife Park. In my opinion, the park was very reasonably priced, especially for the value of the experience. Our ticket (which included a tiger feeding and a Jeep safari tour) cost us less than our local theme park admission. I set my expectations low due to the reasonable price, but I was quickly pleasantly surprised. Out of Africa Wildlife Park offers a unique experience in which you can interact with a variety of animals. We split our day into four distinct activities: Solo Exploring, Jeep Safari Tour, Feeding the Tigers, and the ZipLine.

Solo Exploring 

In the morning, we took the shuttle to the beginning of the gravel trail that winds through the animal enclosure. We explored the park using only the paper map as our guide. Physically fit people can easily walk to each of the animal exhibits, but the shuttle between major intersections can reduce the amount of walking required. Out of Africa provided each animal more space than any other animal exhibits I have visited, but the angles of enclosure plots are taken advantage of so that visitors can see animals in quick succession.

At Out of Africa we were very close to the animals. We were so close to large predators that at times I felt afraid. I had confidence I was safe, yet  the park was unique as there were no giant ditches or plexiglass separating animals and humans. The experience was very intimate, even before we added any optional experiences.

Jeep Safari Tour 

When it was time for our Jeep Safari tour, we loaded into the jeep with a cheerful guide. She demonstrated knowledge and an excellent relationship with the animals we visited on the tour. The guide fed hyenas and coaxed them to laugh for us. She scratched furry bellies and was able to encourage animals to stretch on the fence to show their height or claws. We learned indiviudal animals’ names and detailed species information. The tour visited animals along the walking path, but also entered a large plains area where zebras, giraffes, and several other goat, antelope, and sheep-like animals resided.

Visitors fed small “cookies” to giraffes and zebras, who  would come right up to the jeep to receive the offerings. The guide encouraged me to hold the cookie in between my lips and allow the giraffe to retrieve it— a practice advertised on Out of Africa t-shirts as “kissing a giraffe.” I have never been closer to my favorite non-domesticated species. It was definitely a highlight of the entire trip west.

Feeding the Tigers

Around mid-day my husband and I headed over to the Tiger show. Trainers and the big beautiful cats gathered near a large pool with of inflatable toys. The trainers demonstrated the fact that the animals are the leaders of the show. The tigers participate to the degree they desire each day.  Trainers rely exclusively on positive reinforcement, and the tigers initiated many of the behaviors and games during the show. At the end of the show, my husband and I participated in the Tiger Feeding. We used a two-foot long pinching tool to feed the tigers large chunks of meat through a chain link fence. Again, I have never been closer to a “wild” animal, especially a predator.

ZipLine

On my previous trip, I discovered I am acrophobic. This was somewhat new information to me, but when my husband expressed interest in the zipline through the park, I knew I would not “Zip” by his side. Though relieved to be in the observation tower, I was a little bit jealous. As he glided overhead, he had unique view of the area where giraffes and zebras roomed freely. His thought the zipline was a fun, but was limited because he only rode a single line. There are multiple ziplines in the park but he snagged a single ride late in the day. Having the bird’s eye view cruising over a lion’s pen is a unique experience that you won’t find in many other places. 

A Happy Place for Wildlife

I love animals with a childlike glee that is evident in even a mediocre zoo. Yet, I have a conflicted relationship with the concept of captivity. Captivity is not a natural state, and many factors seems to reduce the animal’s quality of life, even when it is necessary for survival of the animal. Even with this viewpoint, I appreciated many facets of Out of Africa Wildlife Park. Spacious enclosures contained several sources of exercise and entertainment that seemed suited to each animal. There were tall trees and connecting appliances for animals who climb and swing, platforms for animals who like to observe surroundings, and plenty of tall grasses in which  the tigers and lions to practiced stalking and pouncing.

Every interaction I observed between staff and the animals clearly demonstrated passion and patience. I never encountered any lethargic, sad-looking animals common in my experiences of other animal parks and zoos. I felt like a guest in the animals’ home, rather than feeling guilty for having drug the animal into our artificial environment.

Go to Out of Africa, Bart is Waiting

Finally, Out of Africa offered the option to meet a sloth named Bart, up close and personal. I cannot believe I let myself walk out of the park without meeting Bart! I think it is an excellent reason to go back. If sloths are your favorite non-domesticated species, definitely go to Arizona and meet up with Bart.

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