Skip the usual comparison spots — for pure roadside drama, few American drives beat Desert View Drive. This 23-mile run of Arizona State Route 64 cuts straight along the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park, linking Grand Canyon Village to the park's east entrance. It's the only public road on the south rim, which means every stop comes with a view over a chasm that's 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, a mile deep, and carved by the Colorado River far below.

The road is built for leisurely progress. The National Park Service has dropped in six developed viewpoints with parking, plus five unmarked pull-offs and four picnic areas shaded by Ponderosa pines. Navajo Point, at 7,461 feet, is the highest vantage. Duck on a Rock gets its name from a bird-shaped formation, while Grandview Point is the jumping-off spot for the Grandview Trail — a steep, rugged route down into the canyon for fit hikers. Anyone wanting an easier leg-stretcher can take the mile-long Shoshone Point trail instead. Keep an eye out for mule deer along the way.

History fans get more than geology here. About halfway along sits Tusayan Pueblo, one of roughly 6,000 archaeological sites in the park. The ruined homes were built in the 12th century by ancestors of the Hopi and Pueblo peoples, and from April to October you can walk a short interpretive trail around the site and browse the Native American Artisan Market on site.

Logistics are simple. Fly into Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), about 90 miles away, or Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), roughly 220 miles, then rent a car or take a bus to Grand Canyon Village. The park's free shuttles only serve the western end of the drive, so you'll need your own vehicle for the full stretch — or book a 3.5-hour Desert View Tour bus that hits several viewpoints. Overnight options range from Grand Canyon Village inns to the El Tovar Hotel, a National Historic Landmark perched right on the rim. At the eastern end, Desert View Campground has 49 reservable sites open April through October, with the seven-story 1930s Desert View Watchtower and a bend of the Colorado River in view.

This one's for road-trippers who want maximum canyon for minimum effort — no backpacking permit or rim-to-rim slog required. Families, photographers and anyone pairing the Grand Canyon with a wider Southwest loop (Zion, Monument Valley, Route 66) will get the most out of a slow morning-to-sunset crawl along the rim. Just give yourself most of a day; six viewpoints plus a pueblo plus a picnic adds up fast.