Sedona AZ

OP here, our visit to the GC was hot and crowded. We had to take the shuttle IN to the park due to crowding so we were not able to see anything without taking the shuttles to designated drop offs. We plan to go back in the cooler months when it is not so busy. The "locals" told us that October was best. The air was not as clear as we'd have liked... it was like looking thru a thin gauze. This was my first visit to GC... looking forward to a more satisfying visit next time.

cts

That would be neat to see the inversion which doesn't happen a lot. However, not when you haven't seen the canyon - ever. Hope your next trip is better.

Trailer Village IN the park is the place to stay.

There are two campgrounds on the South Rim. FHU with larger sites is Trailer Village; Mather has no hookups and has a size limitation.

BJR123 wrote:
Staying inside the park was not possible. We will be staying in Williams Az.From what I have read Williams is about a 35 min. drive to the South Rim. We plan on being at the park each day very early morning....trying to take a break during the hottest part of the day....and back to the park early afternoon.This will be our first trip to the Grand Canyon.Any suggestions,tips,would be appreciated. We plan on taking at least 3 days for the park. Thanks in advance

Just visited the GC a couple weeks ago. DW had never seen it. Still hasn't seen it. The day we went into the park happened to be the day an inversion occurred and the clouds filled the canyon. From Mather point we could see about 50 feet up, down and out. The fog was denser than anything we have here on the west coast.

There is a campground with full hookups in the Park. We checked it out and will make reservations there for the next trip. Don't have the litature for that campground with me. Think the name is something like Mather Trailer Village.

There is also a large private campground with full hookups in the town of Tusayan (Grand Canyon Trailer Village about 5 miles outside the park entrance). Walk across the street to the IMax theater for a great and short video of the canyon. You can also get your passes into the Canyon Park at the IMax theater.

BubbaChris and Lauren thanks for the info. We hope to get the feel of things the first day. I also thought the shuttle would help. Great tips.
BJR123

It will take you about a hour or so to drive to the entrance gate of the South Rim and about a good 20-30 minutes to get to the Rim and (hopefully) find a parking spot. This time of year it will be crowded.

I would recommend, if you can, leave VERY early in the morning. You will miss the best of time of day there - sunrise - unless you drive up in the dark; and not sure when the gate opens. The shuttle to the west is great with all the stops.

We will be there once again this fall for 5 days; we love it there.

See www.LaurensPix.com and click on Grand Canyon for a taste of what you will see.

Enjoy!

BJR123 - Although it may not feel like it at first, the shuttles inside the park are a real good thing. We'd sometimes walk the rim trail between stops. Those can create great spots to stop and soak things in.

I'd agree that lunch at El Tovar would be a neat option. I'd also suggest packing a cooler daily that you can leave in your vehicle and visit as needed. Having cool beverages and snacks of your choosing available takes some stress out of the visit.

Be sure to drink plenty of water while there. During mornings or evenings you may come across deer that are pretty acclimated to tourists. Take photos, but don't get too close.

You should be able to get a current park newspaper off the NPS.gov website to see what seasonal issues they've highlighted. Right now you may be able to see smoke from fires near the North Rim that are just being "managed" instead of being aggressively fought.

Thanks so much for the info. We are really excited about the trip. I have read and printed all the info I could find. But first hand knowledge is the best. Thanks BJR 123

BJR123 wrote:
Staying inside the park was not possible. We will be staying in Williams Az.From what I have read Williams is about a 35 min. drive to the South Rim. We plan on being at the park each day very early morning....trying to take a break during the hottest part of the day....and back to the park early afternoon.This will be our first trip to the Grand Canyon.Any suggestions,tips,would be appreciated. We plan on taking at least 3 days for the park. Thanks in advance

Williams to S. Rim is about 55 miles. Plan on spending the day there. Generally the S. Rim will be about the same temperature as Williams as both are about 7000' elevation.

At the Canyon have lunch at least one day at El Tovar lodge.
Plan on driving the east rim route from S. Rim village to Desert Point. About a 20 mile total drive with 5 overlook spots as well as the Tusayan Ruins and Museum. Usually during the summer months the W. Rim route is closed to cars and accessible by shuttle trams.

We also love Williams and stay at Grand Canyon Railway RV park. It is located next to the train station and hotel. Guests can use the hotels indoor pool. In Williams is Bearizona, a drive thru animal park well worth a visit.

Staying inside the park was not possible. We will be staying in Williams Az.From what I have read Williams is about a 35 min. drive to the South Rim. We plan on being at the park each day very early morning....trying to take a break during the hottest part of the day....and back to the park early afternoon.This will be our first trip to the Grand Canyon.Any suggestions,tips,would be appreciated. We plan on taking at least 3 days for the park. Thanks in advance