Visiting Grand Canyon in July

Since I have lived most of my life in the SW, I've visited the GC in most every month of the year. I love going there in July. Yes, the daytime highs might be in the 80s, but almost every afternoon, you'll get monsoon rains that bring fantastic photographic opportunities and cool breezes. The nights are cool to even crisp. You can usually sleep very well with just a couple of windows open. I've even had to turn on the furnace a couple mornings in July and August. Just make sure you seek shelter if a monsoon storm is right on top of you. They can contain strong lightning, winds, rain and hail. But most of the time they are pretty spotty and make terrific viewing at a distance.

Funny you should try to come to AZ in the summertime - I'm trying to leave AZ in the summertime. lol

Been there in June, July and even August. No matter when you go, you'll find two things... 1. You'll enjoy yourself immensely, and 2. Make reservations early.

We enjoy staying inside the park at Trailer Village..only CG in the park with full hookups. Besides that convenience, there are 5 trolley routes that will take you anywhere in South Rim Village you'll want to go with many many stops in between. Best of all they're all FREE! There is a trolley stop at Trailer Village so you won't ever need your toad unless you want to do something totally different. (Thelma and Louise :E:E:E) Be prepared to do some hiking, lots of walking and tons of picture taking. Since it will be hot and dry be sure to take lots of water and drink it!. Heat, low humidity and elevation and you'll not feel thirsty but you can dehydrate quickly. Water is about $1/bottle anywhere you go. Check out the village webpage, mark the trolleys, (they all connect somewhere) and plan your vacation. Be sure to take in the sunRISE and sunSET, as they're very different. Invest in a small backpack and pack water and sandwiches...enjoy the destination....Dennis

We went in mid June last year, and there was a heat warning with temps of 90-100 degrees plus. How much the heat will affect you depends on what you plan to do while there and how well you tolerate the heat.

We opted not to do any hiking due to the heat (plus, we were tired because we were on day 21 of a cross-country journey). I think we would have explored more if it weren't so hot, but there were plenty of people there who were still out and about. If you are planning to just walk along the rim and check out the scenery, you'll be fine. If you're planning to hike miles and miles, you'll definitely want to consider how well you handle heat and make plans to hike safely.

Mid to Late June is almost always the hottest time in Arizona. Right around Independence Day, there is a shift in the weather as the monsoons start. It becomes cooler and there is some moisture in the air. The monsoon lasts until about Labor Day.

July would be a good time to visit the North Rim. It's higher altitude and cooler, and I think the scenery is prettier. There's a buffalo herd along the road in.

It's awesome but pretty hot in July. I'd suggest taking the donkeys down into the canyon for a great experience.

crasster wrote:
It's awesome but pretty hot in July. I'd suggest taking the donkeys down into the canyon for a great experience.

While I always suggest going at least one mile down Bright Angel trail for the experience, I will take exception to the mule ride to Phantom in July. It will definitely be well over 100 degrees and probably closer to 110. The rim is excellent most all summer with a few bad days. As for hiking, try to get down Bright Angel trail at least one mile,to First Water, for the experience and the view. You won't regret it.
RichH

Beware that mountains can have drastic temperature changes.
I was there in June years ago and when I needed AC during daytime, I had to fire up the furnace at night.
Than in following years, I was checking North Rim in early July. Roads have been still closed due to snow.

If you are used to temps east of the rockies, subtract 20 degrees to understand dry heat.

For example, 90 degrees in Arizona = 70 degrees back east, in terms of how hot you feel.