Las Vegas Travel Answers

Hi there - Your biggest challenge right now will be booking anywhere at the South Rim for May. The Canyon is a very busy place and accommodations during the warmer season fill months in advance. My reco is just to call the park and see if they have ANYTHING open for your dates. We liked the rim cabins at Bright Angel (we booked 10 months out for a Sept. trip) but my guess is that they're booked. Anyway, do give a call RIGHT AWAY. nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/l... I'll be honest about my dislike of helicopter tours unless you have a physical disability or are otherwise unable to enjoy the park from the ground. They are noisy and disrupt the peace of this beautiful park but thankfully do not fly over the South Rim as air traffic is banned from that area. The best trail for light hikers is right along the rim. There is a path that extends from Grand Canyon Village 8 miles west to Hermits' Rest. The portion in the village to the nearest overlooks is paved, and then turns to dirt. This is a FABULOUS hike and not difficult unless you dislike being right on the edge: no barriers. You also do not have to do the whole thing: the park buses that shuttle people to points along Hermit's Road (closed to private vehicles) can be hopped at any of the overlooks they stop at. See the map for the Hermit Road shuttle here: See info on the Rim Trail here: nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/u... The trail also extends east of the village to 4 miles or so to the South Kaibab trailhead so you can explore it either direction (which we did). nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/s... Any of the trails that lead to canyon floor can be explored as well. Again, you do not need to do more than whatever you're able to: just hike down a little way to get a feel of the landscape below the rim and then come back up. As you asked about easy trails, I'll skip the warning about trying to go to the bottom and back in one day.... :O) You can read about the other trails here: nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/d... ANYWHERE along the rim is just fine for sunrise or sunset but overlooks on promontories/peninsulas (an area that juts out beyond the rim) are best: here are some good ideas: nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/l... May temps average in the 70's but could spike higher or drop lower: no way to predict. Evenings will be cool and could be chilly in a stiff wind. Layers are best (water-resistant outer layer in case of rain) and good sturdy shoes. Bring water bottles and day packs. The Visitor Center should be your first stop: you can gather all the info you need plus talk to the rangers about any specific questions you have. Dining? The Rims (either of them) are not known for their cuisine, and we tend to go hiker fare (cheap, filling) anyway. The cafeterias at Maswik and Yavapai were good for that, and sandwiches at Bright Angel. We sprung for El Tovar once and wished we hadn't: expensive and you can't see anything out of the windows at night anyway. Same for the Arizona Room. The best seat in the house is a takeaway sammie on a rock anywhere on the rim!!!!

Forgot to mention that if you do decide on dinner at El Tovar you MUST make reservations and I would do it the day you book your accommodations: grandcanyonlodges.com/el-tov... The Arizona Room is first-come, first-served so if wanting to do that, get on a waiting list when they open in the late afternoon. grandcanyonlodges.com/arizon... Info on the other choices can be found here: grandcanyonlodges.com/Dining...

THANK YOU!!!! Excellent information!!! Cannot wait to have our Sammy on the rock! Thanks for taking time to reply..

You bet! I love the canyon so if you have any other questions, please ask. If I can't answer them, we'll have someone here who can! It's possible to book accommodations outside the park - as at Tusayan - but if at all possible, inside the park is best as it helps with some challenging parking issues. Being able to park at your hotel/cabin is really, really nice. And the park quiets down nicely at night when the bus tours and day-trippers leave.

Let me know if you have booking issues? Will do my best to come up with some other options in nearby towns if you run into difficulties. If you are successful finding an open room at the park, would love to know where you ended up. :)