The South Rim of the Canyon (the most popular and easiest to get to place on the edge of the Canyon) is a 500 mile, 8 hour drive from Los Angeles if the weather is good and you don’t stop to take pictures.
Los Angeles to Barstow
Interstate 15 climbs up and over a small pass in the San Bernadino Mountains before descending into the Mohave Desert and joining up with I-40 at Barstow. Watch for high winds and dust storms during the Spring, but otherwise this is an easy, usually sunny drive.
Barstow to Needles, California
Fill up with gas at Barstow before making the long trip through the Mohave Desert to Needles, a small town on the banks of the Colorado River which is the dividing line between California and Arizona. Blowing dust is occasionally a problem, but mostly this is a beautiful stretch of empty desert landscapes including the scenic Mohave National Preserve to that bounds the highway to the north for many miles near the eastern end of this stretch.
Needles to Kingman, Arizona
Interstate 40 makes a deep dip to the south to avoid a mountain range, sticking to flat, gently rising topography between the Colorado River and Kingman. This is generally a nice stretch of road, and Kingman is a good place to fuel up or grab some grub before the long, relatively empty stretch to Williams.
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 short sections, but quickly levels out and becomes 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. Gas stations can be found in Seligman and Ash Fork, but prices are usually a little higher. Williams 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 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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