Allow at least 4.5 hours for this 275 mile trip, but don’t forget to leave time for photos at Hoover Dam, and a few other spots along the way. Williams, Arizona, a small town about an hour away from the South Rim is a great place to stop for lunch. There are a couple of scenic detours worth considering.
Las Vegas to Kingman
The first 100 miles of this trip on U.S. Highway 93 pass through the dry, often windy Mohave Desert, dissected by the Colorado River gorge. On either side of Hoover Dam, the otherwise straight, flat road twists down into the upper part of the canyon and crosses Hoover Dam. During peak tourist season, traffic used to slow to a crawl, as 70,000 people per day crossed the Dam on this primary link between Las Vegas an Phoenix. The traffic nightmare, however, ended in late 2010 with completion of a new bridge 1,600 feet downstream from the Dam. Boulder City, near Hoover Dam is the only substantial settlement until Kingman, so fuel up there.
The long flat stretch of road between Hoover Dam and Kingman is flat and easy, but traffic can be quite heavy at times. At Kingman, the road becomes a city street with stoplights, and traffic can become a little congested, but quickly thins out after you take the ramp onto Interstate 40 west.
Kingman to Williams
Within 20 miles, I-40 begins a steep ascent out of the Mohave Desert and through a moderately rugged landscape. The road is steep and curvy for about 10 miles, then leveling out to become a beautiful, interesting drive. Wind can often be an annoyance (and concern), especially if you are driving an RV, and as with any drive in Arizona, late summer monsoon thunderstorms can be intense, so be prepared to exit the Interstate for a few minutes to wait out particularly violent storms. Winter driving is usually fine, but snow and ice can become a problem as you get closer to the town of Williams which is at a higher elevation.
Fill up with gas at Kingman (if you missed Boulder City). Gas stations can be found in Seligman and Ash Fork, but prices are usually a little higher. Williams is a tourist town which has several gas stations and other services.
Williams to the South Rim of Grand Canyon
Highway 64 from Williams to the South Rim descends gently to the wayside of Valle (gas available) on a nice two lane road with occasional slow traffic passing lanes. Although scenic, this road can be very dangerous during peak tourist season when traffic can be quite heavy. It is also extremely dangerous at night, especially around dusk, because of the possibility of elk crossing the road.
At Valle, the highway climbs in elevation into a zone of possible snow and ice during winter, and another area of high elk and deer concentrations….just be very alert and drive more slowly at night. The gateway town of Tusayan has gas stations and other services. From there, the road passes into Grand Canyon National Park and becomes a slow, gently winding (45mph) park road built for scenic driving rather than speed.
Alternate Routes
A popular detour along the drive from Las Vegas to the South Rim is Historic Route 66. The “Mother Road” takes off from Kingman and loops north toward the Grand Canyon, passing just inside the Haulapai Indian Reservation, before arcing back to I-40 at Seligman. This scenic route is also provides access to Grand Canyon West where the Haulapai have built a glass-bottom walkway over the rim of the Grand Canyon. World-famous Havasu Falls are accessed from this route as well. Driving conditions are slower than the interstate, but traffic is usually not bad, and the road is flat and straight. Without stopping for photos, the detour shouldn’t take more than an extra hour.
From Williams, it’s a 30 minute drive to the town of Flagstaff, which is the region’s main service hub and cultural center, with nice restaurants, hotels, outdoor recreation activities and the like. The drive from Flagstaff on Highway 180 to the junction with Highway 64 at Valle is very scenic, but don’t try it in winter if it is snowing or has recently snowed.
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