grand canyon

[dobbr]

Please advise of your experiences good and bad of the grand canyon trips
spring summer , fall? I realize reservations are far in advance.
Thanks

[Lauren]

You will get more opinions than you know what to do with here, trust me on that.

We have been there 6 or 7 times and have been to both rims. I am not going to express myself here once again but if you want to email or PM me I will be glad to share my thoughts and experiences and, yes, opinions.

[dobbr]

thanks to all

[pennysmom09]

We visited early in April, light crowds and cool temperatures. Took the train from Williams since I had broken my ankle and we had to use all available transportation. It's a place not to be missed, on crutches or not!

[2gypsies1]

Definitely stay IN the park for the best overall experience. If you want full hookups Trailer Village RV is the place. The free shuttle stops at the entrance. If you don't need hookups and your RV is small enough, Mather campground is very nice. There's also Desert View at the eastern entrance which is also nice and a quieter area but not far from the main area.

If you are free to go any time of year I'd suggest going in April/May or Sept/Oct. Summer can have hotter days and the family campers will add more population.

Check out the park website for lots of good information on things to do, road information, special alerts and camping information.

We've been to the South Rim many times but now we prefer the laid-back North Rim. For a first-time visitor I'd highly recommend the South Rim.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

[its_just_me]

We have been to the GC 2 times. Both trips we camped in the park. This place is a "must see" for all Americans. We are now in our 70's so might not make it back for a 3rd time.........but we can dream.

[TucsonJim]

If you are experienced with remote (dry camping) and ever want to visit the North Rim let me know. I can pinpoint some great areas near the park for dry camping and the views from the North Rim are just spectacular.

Jim

[djsamuel]

We stayed at Trailer Village in September 2014. We had a great time, staying 6 days before heading to Moab, UT. The time of year was terrific, crowds not bad, the elk were in rut, and were all over the campground. We hiked a total of about 40 miles or so, the highlight being the Bright Angel Trail down to the 3 mile mark. Couldn't beat the campground's convenience (in the National Park), the weather, the crowds. Highly recommend it.

[Gonzo42]

We went there before we became RVers. Took the train from Williams, stayed two nights, used the shuttles extensively. Great trip.

Also went to the Caverns of the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Calsbad Caverns, Painted Desert/Petrified Forest.

I called it the trip of big holes in the ground.

[GordonThree]

I visited the south rim for Christmas 2015. It was great, I was able to get a campsite inside the park without a reservation (they had plenty of sites open).

I'll note, these were full hookup sites, but the water and sewer were locked out due to the temperature... so just electric and cable tv worked.

Everything was busy, but not super crowded.

As I was leaving, the hordes were arriving. The week between xmas and new years is prime time for families I imagine, the traffic was backed up for miles and miles waiting to get into the park.

[huachuca]

A little more info on the type of activities you enjoy and the amenities you look for in a campground would help.

We like the north rim much better than the south - fewer people and a more natural feel and we don't need hookups so prefer dispersed or less developed campgrounds. Lee's Ferry CG in Glenn Canyon NRA is a couple of hours drive from the north rim but one of our favorites.