Grand Canyon by Tesla
Everyone puts the Grand Canyon on the list and most people give it an afternoon. Give it two days. From Las Vegas it is 280 miles with a single Supercharger stop in Kingman, and once you are in the park you charge overnight while you sleep.
Charging at the Grand Canyon
The drive in is covered either way: Kingman coming from Las Vegas, Flagstaff or Williams coming from the south. In the park itself there is a destination charger at Maswik Lodge. It is slow, which does not matter, because you are asleep.
This is the easiest charging park on the Grand Circle. You will not think about the battery here.
Camping right at the South Rim
Mather Campground is $18 a night and two minutes from the rim, and it books out six months ahead on recreation.gov. Elk walk through it at breakfast. If Mather is gone, Ten-X is twenty minutes south and usually has space.
Sunrise at Mather Point, the Rim Trail for as long as you feel like walking, sunset at Hopi Point. Bright Angel goes down into the canyon, and unless you are fit and carrying real water, turn around after two miles.
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November. Mild enough to hike, and the crowds thin out. Summer means starting at dawn and stopping by ten. Winter keeps the South Rim open and nearly empty, which is its own argument.
Packing list + 10 insider tips for your USA road trip.
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- The Grand Circle by EV: 7 Days, 5 Parks, One Leg That Catches People
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