Pipe Creek Vista, an easy and pleasant 1-mile ramble along the rim, east from the Visitor Center, offers a quiet alternative to Mather Point. Views from this overlook take in Brahma Temple and O'Neill Butte, as well as Pipe Creek, naturally.
Pick up a sandwich from Bright Angel Bicycles & Cafe and pause at any of the many unofficial overlooks along the way to take in spectacular canyon views in relative silence. From here, continue another mile along the Rim Trail to the South Kaibab trailhead.