Grand Canyon Travel Forum

Does anyone know whether you have to reserve a tent site in Mather Campground even if sites are available when you show up.

We have been told conflicting info Online for this oct 16 weekend there are many sites available but you must pay the $10 fee to reserve by phone or online.

Can we just show up, get a site without reservation if sits are available, if full we are out of luck but seems nonsensical to pay to reserve if not full.

thanks

Hello,

I would like to eat dinner at the restaurant with grand canyon view. Can someone suggest me some restaurant that is not too expensive (dinner $15-$25).

And what is the nice hotel to stay outside the park (south rim)?

Thank you

We are driving up to sedona flagstaff and grand canyon- im just now planning the trip.....we want to take a day tour of south rim....any suggestions? also we want to see skywalk on our way to california....is that the way to do it? open to suggestions. we want maybe 2 nights max...thanks

Melissa

We are going to the Grand Canyon in November and would like to hike to the bottom. Have done alot of hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Do you need a guide?

In one week we are doing a day or 2 in phoenix, 1 day at canyon and then Los angeles...
Any mist see's or fun things to see or that you would like to sugest for ride?

Thanks

Will Anybody drive from Grand Canyon from Las Vegas to Oct 2nd 2009?
I want to share your car and also can share your rental and gas fee, although i can't drive.
My email address is hoshi_chen@hotmail.com

Will Anybody drive to Grand Canyon from Las Vegas on Sep 30th 2009?
I want to share your car and also share the rental and gas fee, although i can't drive.
My email address is hoshi_chen@hotmail.com

We are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon in mid June. Hiring a car in Vegas and driving to Jacob Lake where we will stay for two nights leaving us one full day to explore some of the North Rim. Driving then to Needles via Flagstaff for one night and on to Palm Springs. My questions are: do we need to hire a 4WD vehicle? Apparently the drive from Jacob Lake to Needles is 6 hours and was wondering if this was roughly correct? We want to avoid crowds (that is why we are considering the North Rim) and want to see the best of the Grand Canyon. Are we on the right path for this? Thank you in advance for any responses.

Hello, I want to take a road trip with my wife and children from Denver CO to the Grand canyon, Bryce and Zion. Is a week enough? What is the best and quickest route? Thanks in Advance for any advice you can give us.

I've been to Vegas a couple of times, but this will be my first time with the wife. Planning on doing a day trip to GC (south rim) based on the advice given on this forum.

We are planning on renting a car and driving. Unfortunately, we only have a day, and it seems like it's going to be a pretty long day at that.

Couple of questions..

What is the parking situation during August? How early would I need to get there to not face parking difficulties?

Want to see the sunrise/sunset at the GC. Realize I probably won't see both unless I drive all night to get there (I'm not opposed to this).. which would you recommend and why? What would be the best point on the south rim to view?

If I do an all night drive, is there somewhere within the national park I can pull over and perhaps catch a couple of hours of cat nap?

Since we'll spend Christmas this year in the US, I figure we could spare a few days afterward in and around the South Rim. How's the weather there around the last week of December? Are the parks, trails, hotels less crowded than other times of the year? We plan to fly into Phoenix, rent a car then stay at a hotel near the Canyon instead of in Flagstaff...is this advisable? And is a couple of days enough to explore the area?

have you camped in the canyon in july?
where and what did you do?

Hey guys,

My friend and I are traveling to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas during the start of August. We are trying to decide between a few different day trips to different rims. Could anyone please give us any suggestions on your experiences in the Canyon, and the differences between the rims or whether they're all pretty much the same. Thanks heaps!

Hi Guys,

My friend and I are considering camping at one of the camping grounds at the Grand Canyon. We were initially wanting to stay in a lodge but most of the good ones seem to be booked out by now. We are wondering what camping would be like between the dates 4th of August-6th of August 09. What would the temperature be like at that point? Does it get colder during the night? Is 2 nights sufficient or would 1 be enough? Thanks for your help!

Kind regards,

Kristy Johnstone

We'll be traveling from Sedona to the Grand Canyon Tue morning, and staying at El Tovar for a couple nights 2 weeks from now. We enjoy going off the beaten path and some light hiking is fine, but we're just as happy to using a 4WD. Since photography is a big hobby of mine, capturing pics of unique scenery is a big plus, especially without crowds.

We can also stay overnight for a day or two longer after we leave El Tovar, so there's some flexibilty with the schedule if there's something that will result in a memorable trip. Any sugestions?

Hi,
I am going to Scotsdale the end of July for a 2-day conference. I'm bringing my two teenange boys and we are going to extend our stay by 3 days, hoping to stay in Sedona and go to the GC then back to Scotsdale for our flight out. I'm looking for some suggestions on what the boys can do in Scottsdale while I'm at the conference (one son is 18 so he can drive) and also fun things to do while in Sedona (heard the pink jeep tour is fun)and places to see and would like the scenic route to the GC and back.

I will be renting a car so if you can suggest the scenic route that I should take from Scotsdale to Sedona to Grand Canyon and back, I really would appreciate it. I appreciate any help.

I plan to visit the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas on my way to Monument Valley. How much day should I plan (is 2 enough?). And which way should I go; the north shore or the south? Thanks

Hi,
I live in NYC and I want to travel to Grand Canyon and San Fransisco in June. I have a week or 8 days to do this. what is the best planner, tour company for it? I am a student and I will be traveling alone. And I am not planning to drive. So,do you have any advices for budget tours?
Thank you so much.

Hello everyone,

My friend and I are traveling to North America in July and will be going to the Grand Canyon for a couple of days around the 6th of August. Our initial idea was to travel there and camp for a couple of nights, but because of the temperatures it might not be the best idea.

We are now considering staying in a lodge but we don't know how to get there from Vegas. I assume there is buses trains, which is fine, but we would like some sort of a day tour when we're there (because we have no idea where to go). We are also considering doing one of those mule rides. Is that a tour in itself, or should we opt for another bus tour or something? We have looked on the official Grand Canyon website but that doesn't provide much information without purchasing one of those "information packs". Thanks for your help guys!

Kind regards,

Kristy Johnstone

Hi everyone, we'll be in the Southwest from May 8th and plan to visit the Grand Canyon during our 2 weeks there. We'd prefer to go to the North Rim but everything I read says the North Rim is only open from "mid-May" - when exactly is that? May 15th? Or does it depend on conditions? If so, where do I find out the exact date that it opens?

If the North Rim is too snowy for us to go there and we decide to go to the South Rim, would it really be terribly overcrowded with visitors on or around May 12th?

Thanks for any advice.

Our two week Sept. trip (Utah/Grand Canyon, Arizona) is now all booked including accommodations, tours, etc. thanks to all of you that have helped me with all my questions. The only days we are undecided about is the 3 days we have from the North Rim to the South Rim. Our plan is to go to Flagstaff and visit their sites, Sedona and surrounding areas. Do you think if we based our 3 day stay in Flagstaff that would make sense. I believe this area is a little quieter and also cheaper. Look forward to all your suggestions.

Thanks for all your input. We have made reservations for accommodations in Zion, Bryce, the North Rim and the South Rim so far. One other question I have is - Is it possible (everything is possible but is it worth it) to drive to the Arches after Bryce Canyon as we plan on staying one night somewhere before we go to the North Rim. We had planned on staying in Page so we could see the surrounding sites but now don't know. Look forward to your suggestions.

My husband and I are planning a two week trip the middle of September with the Grand Canyon being one of our destinations. We are flying into Las Vegas from Vancouver, B.C. This is the itinerary we have so far and would like as much feedback as we possibly can. Renting a car in LV and off to Zion where we will stay two nights, one night in Bryce, two nights in Page, one night on the North Rim GC, Flagstaff for two nights (?? for Sedona sightseeing and surrounding areas?), the South Rim GC for two nights then back to LV for two nights. Does this sound reasonable. Is there enjoy time or two much time in each destination? Also, any recommendations on accommodations for each location as we would like to start reserving as soon as we can.

Has anyone taken any of the motorcoach tours offered at the Grand Canyon? Are they worth the cost or would taking the free shuttles go to the same places? We are planning to visit in mid April 2009 (me, my husband, and our 2 children ages 11 and 8).

My husband & I are planning a 2 week camping/roadtrip for May '09 and need a little help with the itinerary. Starting from Kansas, our trip includes: Albuquerque 1 night, Chaco Canyon 1 night, Grand Canyon 2 nights, Havasupai 2 nights, Moab 1 night, Black Canyon 2 nights, Silverton 1 night, Durango 2 nights, Mesa Verde 1 night, Sand Dunes (Alamosa) 1 night, return to KS. Is this itinerary routed realistically, or is there a better route to drive less between spots? We are interested in fishing, hiking, and a float trip either in Black Canyon or Grand Canyon (1st time for both of us). Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gday

Me and my mate have a big dilemna. We will be in Las vegas for about 3 days and we really want to visit the Grand Canyon. The problem is we are on a very tight budget, but there is no way we can miss visiting the canyon. So far, we have come across these possibilities and my general thoughts about each:

- day tour from Las Vegas for $80. Seems like a decent idea, although much of the day is spent on the bus and not much time spent at the GC (from reading on this forum, people are saying that more time is needed at the GC)
- day tour with overnight stay $260 at Yavapai lodge. Seems really good because it would allow us to see the GC at sunset and sunrise and walk many trails. But is probably too expensive for our budget.
-day tour with overnight stay, but no accomodation provided. My mate and i were thinking of spending $20 or whatever the cost is to stay at a campsite. My mate was thinking of just using a hoochie (like a sheet that you hang over a rope between trees so to create a triangle over you) to sleep under.
-renting a car - so far we've checked some of the rental companies' prices, and the cheapest we've found is $140 for 2 days. I read somewhere that someone rented a car for $30 per day. I dont know why the internet prices we were quoted were so high. Maybe because we are 22 years old? And where should we stay overnight? At the campsite? or maybe at flagstaff or Williams?

So these are the options we have canvassed so far, and at the moment it seems the option of tour bus and campsite seems to be the best. I really hope that you guys can offer some advice or other options to consider for us.

Thanks so much in advance! You guys do an amazing job helping others on this forum.

Mike

Hi
I want to take a helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon (from South Rim, not Las Vegas) but I don't know for sure what date I'll be there and, if possible, I'd like to keep my options open. Is it possible to just turn up at the airport and get a flight or do they get busy, in which case would it be best to pre-book? I'll be there late March or early April and if possible I'd also like to take an early morning flight.

We're booking the EcoStar helicopter for a 55-minute tour of the Canyon in early April. Is there a time of day that is best for this? I'm thinking mid-day (less shadows) but am not sure. Thanks!--jkmarques@hughes.net

We are coming from England in April and (of course) the canyon is on our list of things to see. We will be driving from LA and staying over for two nights in the Quality Inn (someone on the Arizona forum has given us an excellent route via Parker, Sedona, etc which we are taking two days over). Can anyone advise the best way to see the sights of the canyon in the limited time we have (not very good in light planes and helicopters). Has anyone heard of Angelsgate tours? TIA

Hi
Can anyone tell me whether it's better to book a flight online before I travel or to wait until I'm there and then check out what's available. Does the cost vary and is there more choice of flight companies if I wait until I'm there? Also I'd like to take the first flight of the day but (by looking at websites)this appears to be 9:00am. Does anyone know if any companies fly earlier than this.