Grand Canyon

[laurenc]

My husband and I would like to go on a guided multi-day hike through the Grand Canyon. We originally wanted to go in late September/early October, but our plans have changed and now it looks like the next best time for us would be during my spring break, which is the last week in March. We are both pretty athletic and would love to do something off the beaten path and away from the usual touristy stuff.

We've gotten some brochures and stuff from Grand Canyon Hikes (http://www.grandcanyonhikes.com) and compared to some of the other companies I've browsed online, they seem like they might be a good match for our price range and interests. But then again, we've never been out there and have no idea what to really look for...

Has anyone been on a hike through the Grand Canyon before? If so, when did you go? Where did you go? Any suggestions, ideas, questions, warnings, love stories, horror stories, etc.???

[Asha]

hi!! we loved the grand canyon. we did something a little less traditional. we went on the mule ride. it was the best. we learned while on the mule ride that hiking is, in fact, a very dangerous way to go down. the mules are safer than hiking. also, i think you would have to be in top-notch shape to make it down and back up. the mule ride was physically exhausting as well. i would suggest october over september. we went in mid september, and it was scorching. there are two types of mule rides. one day which takes you half way down. due to time restraints this is what we did, and we loved it. you still got amazing views. the two day trail ride takes you all the way to the bottom where you camp overnight. then you come back up the next day. check out this website.

www.grandcanyonlodges.com

[PG-rated]

Bumping up this thread because DH and I are thinking of a trip to Vegas with a day or two at the Grand Canyon. I've looked at the Grand Canyon Hikes website, and it looks interesting, but I'm not 100% sure what we want to do. Any suggestions for tours and lodging? And how much did you pay? Thanks!

[hokiegirlie]

My husband and I went to the Grand Canyon this past August. We flew into phoenix, rented a car, stayed in Phoenix, Sedona, and then Grand Canyon. The only choices you have for lodging are the hotels right there on the grand canyon. There's several, but the nicest is the Bright Angel Lodge. The others look like college dormitories or are little individual cabins but are fine--clean and comfortable. There's a few places to eat there, but the selection is small. Again, the Bright Angel Lodge is your best bet, although we did have dinner at another one of the lodges, which was fine.

We didn't hike down the canyon, because we didn't even know anything about it until we got there. We would, however, LOVE to do that. I agree that you have to be in really good shape to do it but they advise you to do it in two days and I think that would be fine. The only thing you really have to think about it the climate. When we were there in August, it got down into the 40's at night but was hot during the day. As you go down the canyon, the climate is entirely different.

Hope some of that helps!

[sportyj]

Just a quick FYI I used to live in Flagstaff and we would go to the Canyon on spring break and there were many years in March that the trail is iced so you need crampons to hike it or else it is TREACHEROUS. It is definitely doable in March and it really depends on the snow season but its just a possibility.

[Hello Kitty]

I was just there! :) My mom and I hiked on Bright Angel (3 mi down, 3 mi up) and it was fantastic for a short day hike. It's definitely something you can do on your own, as long as you read up a bit beforehand and prepare yourself physically.

If you want to stay one night, you can also do that on your own - depending on how far down you want to go, etc... If you want to stay at phantom ranch, I heard it's booked 2 years in advance. :eek: Backcountry camping permits are requested up 4 months before you want to go.

I'm planning an unguided rim-to-rim hike for next spring (first day of June), dragging DH along. I'm estatic about going, and I've done a lot of research, so if you want more info on any of the trails/campsites/etc... shoot me a PM.

[sublime311]

DH and I have always wanted to hike GC. The last time we were there, I bought a book called Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon (Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon) and it's made me a little leary of trying a hike. The book is a little dark, but offers some excellent lessons about what people have done to die there and in turn what you should or should not do to follow the same fate.

The end lesson is - do not underestimate the fierceness of the Canyon.

[daener]

Hiking the GC is an amazing experience! I'm from AZ and have friends who do this annually (I've only done it once), and they always plan their own trips. They generally stay at the South Rim somewhere on day 1, hike down and stay at the campground in the canyon on day 2, then hike out on day 3. You do need reservations significantly in advance for the campground at the bottom as it fills up quickly. It's totally doable on your own if you prefer it that way but I would not recommend this unless you are an experienced hiker.

It can be quite a dangerous hike. The trails are steep, rock-strewn with deep drop-offs. It's tough on the legs and feet, be sure to wear very good hiking boots that support your ankles well. Also, the heat in the canyon can be intense and it's easy to become dehydrated. There are warning signs everywhere reminding you to eat, as well as drink to ensure hydration. And to allow enough time for your hike so that you don't get caught in the dark. It's a very rewarding accomplishment!!

One thing I've always wanted to do is raft through the canyon. This is supposed to be an amazing experience!

[Annette]

Have you thought about rafting the Grand Canyon? This is something DH really wants to do and he's trying to convince me to do it. I love rafting but I hate camping.

[jimmysgirl424]

I'm going to bump this because DH and I are planning on a day-trip to Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. We are looking at the helicopter flights and would like to land on the bottom of the canyon and maybe do some horseback riding. We have been checking out packages and to be honest, it's very overwhelming! There are literally hundreds of choices to pick from, ranging from just over $100 all the way up to $600. Price really isn't a consideration to us, we want to spend what we have to in order to get the best possible experience. Any suggestions?

[Amira]

DH and I are going to Vegas next month and we are thinking about taking a day trip to see the Grand Canyon. I've been looking around at the bus tours and wondering if it's better to book a bus tour or should we just rent a car and see the sites on our own?

For those that have done a bus tour, do you have tour company (or particular tour) you would recommend that we do?

Thanks

[Kinetic]

We took a car ride there, and toured the South Rim ourselves. It worked out just fine. There are stops all along the rim, with plenty of parking at each stop. It is easy to navigate, with plenty of directional signage. We did it at our pace, which is always nice.
Just outside the Grand Canyon is an Imax movie theatre showing a movie about the canyon. Although touristy, I remember it being a great precursor to actually seeing the canyon. We also spend a good amount of time walking around at the last stop on the rim, where the train station is.

[DelSol]

I did the bus tour from Las Vegas. It's a long day if you do the bus tour but well worth it. I'm sure we would have found it had we rented a car but I prefer someone else do the driving with an area I'm not familiar with.

I can't remember who we used but here are some that might help.

http://www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/bussouth.htm

http://www.lasvegastours.com/t_grand_south.asp

http://www.grandcanyontourandtravel.com/bussouth.html

http://www.sightseeingtourslv.com/bustours.html

This looks like the website I booked with:
http://www.1-grand-canyon-tours.com/Body.asp?Page=TourDetails&tour=LAS-B0024

If you want to see any pictures let me know.

[Amira]

Thanks ladies! I just booked my flight to Vegas (can't wait) so now I'll spend more time search for a good Grand Canyon tour. I think we will either rent a car or do a bus tour. I will definately check out those links.

DelSol- When you did the bus tour how much time did you actually get to spend at the Canyon?

[Asha]

We rented a car and drove from las vegas. although, we spent two nights at the grand canyon bc we went on the mule ride half way down the canyon. there was a thread awhile back about the grand canyon.

[vee05]

We were in Vegas the last week in December & used a company called Look tours. They picked us up from our hotel and dropped us back and it was an awesome day trip. 5:30 am - 9:30 pm breakfast & lunch included. We got buy one get one free tickets so for 150 bucks it was well worth the trip. Also the guides and buses were excellent and very very knowledgable.

~V

[DelSol]

DelSol- When you did the bus tour how much time did you actually get to spend at the Canyon?

Off the top of my head I can't remember, we went out in March 2005, but I am going to say about 45 minutes at each stop. It was enough time to see the Grand Canyon, take some wonderful pictures, stop at the gift shops and the visitor center.

The majority of your time will be spent in the bus because it takes 6+ hours. I know we got to lunch around noon and I believe we were back at our hotel around 8/9PM, we left our hotel at 5:30AM.

I loved it because it is something I probably won't see for a long time and I figured I was out there and we had seen most of the casinos already, the March 2005 visit was our 3rd time out to Las Vegas.

Here's some pictures, I really like the one my DH took of me.

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3B%3A%3B%3B4%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3245%3E%3A4%3B%3E 449%3EWSNRCG%3D3232889986%3B5%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3B%3A%3B%3B4%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2336%3D%3B3%3C%3 D53%3A%3DXROQDF%3E2323798%3A793%3A4ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3B%3A%3B%3B4%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3245%3E%3A4%3B%3E 449%3EWSNRCG%3D3232889986%3C59nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/345%3B%3B%3A%3B%3B4%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2336%3D%3B3%3C%3 D53%3A%3DXROQDF%3E2323798%3A793%3A%3Aot1lsi

[jimmysgirl424]

Help please! We are going to Vegas in just a few weeks and are looking at bus tour trips for Grand Canyon. There are so many to choose from, and most offer different rims. The most common seem to be North, South and West. Any opinions as to which one is the best rim to visit?

[Hello Kitty]

I would say most 'stuff' goes on at the south rim (and there are easy trails going down from the south rim), but I've never been to the North rim.

DH and I were going to backpack rim-to-rim this spring, but it didn't work out. :(

[julesp313]

We live in Vegas and just got back from a trip to the Grand Canyon. We did the railway trip from Williams, AZ, so it was a bit different in that the railway depot is at the south rim so it made sense to visit that rim.

I know the north rim is less popular because it's harder to get to - it's quite a bit further than the south rim if you're going from Vegas. We took the shuttle bus on the south rim to several view points and they were all amazing - we were only there for a few hours so we didn't hike at all, but the South Rim trail is reasonably easy and takes you past some spectacular viewpoints.

If you have the time, I would suggest taking the shuttle out to Hermit's Rest and walking back along the trail (about 4 miles, I think?). Next time we go, we're hoping to do the mule ride down to the canyon floor - it looked horrifically scary but so worth it!

ETA: you can go to the NPS website and see the shuttle routes - http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/pdf/shuttle-bus.pdf

[vee05]

We used Look tours and i think we did the West rim and it was gorgeous :)

[DelSol]

We did the bus trip from Las Vegas and were at the South Rim. It was beautiful.

I know someone else posted about the Grand Canyon and here are some links to see what the tour companies offer.

http://www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/bussouth.htm

http://www.lasvegastours.com/t_grand_south.asp

http://www.grandcanyontourandtravel.com/bussouth.html

http://www.sightseeingtourslv.com/bustours.html

This looks like the website I booked with:
http://www.1-grand-canyon-tours.com/...tour=LAS-B0024


Have fun and take a ton of pictures. I did because I figured I may never get back out to see it.

[roberta]

We went to the Grand Canyon last year in at the end of May. We started at the North rim and camped in the campground for four days. We then drove around the canyon and went to the south rim for one day. The north rim is way less crowded and has both a forrest and a dessert climate. The campground and lodge are great. We took a mule trip from the north rim to the bottom of the canyon- very cool. The south rim was very crowded, more touristy, but there are more trails and activities there. Personally, if I went back, I would go back to the North rim and avoid the south rim all together.

Enjoy your trip!

[bex]

DH and I are going to Vegas in July and are going to spend a night near the Grand Canyon. We can't decide if we should stay at the Grand Canyon Lodges (http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/) (only Maswick and Yavapai have availability for our date) or one of the chain hotels farther outside the park (Holiday Inn Express or Quality Inn). Any suggestions?

TIA!

[Secret_Squirrel]

DH worked in the Grand Canyon while he was in college. He'd suggest staying in the park. The canyon at night can be a very beautiful place. He and his friends used to hike at night because it's cooler, but I'm not sure if they recommend that for the tourists.

[bex]

Thanks Secret_Squirrel!

Anyone have any recommendations on where to stay inside the park? Thanks!

[sue-bert]

We stayed in one of the Grand Canyon Lodges when we went in November a few years ago. It was Thunderbird Lodge, right on the rim -- newly-furnished, basic but very spacious rooms. It was perfect for us -- we woke up to deer and moose grazing outside our ground floor window each morning, and it was just a few steps to the start of the trail to the canyon bottom. I'd stay there again, if I had the chance. Of course, if I had more cash to spend, I might stay at the El Tovar...

[bex]

Thanks sue-bert! We've booked the Maswick but we're going to keep an eye on the Thunderbird Lodge in case any vacancies come up for our dates.

[k&b05]

Hi! I'm going to AZ on the 22nd (yes, of this month!) for a work conference. DH is flying out on Wednesday evening to join me and we're going to spend the rest of the week hanging out in AZ and various areas. We fly home on Sunday the 29th. So, we have all Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and 1/2 day Sunday to do stuff.

I'm staying at a place in the north part of the Phoenix area. We're not planning to stay there Wednesday night, but probably will go somewhere kind of near the airport. I'd kinda like to go to Scottsdale for a night. Then, we're thinking of heading up to the Grand Canyon, the south rim, and stay there for a couple days and then make our way back to Phoenix for our flight on Sunday.

Any recommendations of places to stay, places to eat, what to see at the Grand Canyon, places to see on the way there, etc. etc. It's been a long time since either of us has been, so we're really looking forward to it. :) Thanks!

[sublime311]

On your way up to the Grand Canyon, you should stop in Sedona (http://www.sedona.net/) and take a Pink Jeep (http://www.pinkjeep.com/) tour.

You can't go to Sedona and Flagstaff without driving through Oak Creek Canyon (http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/oak-creek-scenic.shtml) to get to Flagstaff. It's one of THE most spiritual places I've ever been. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

You could also swing by Cottonwood, AZ to visit Tuzigoot National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/tuzi/) which is an ancient village built by people known as Sinagua. I've been - it's quite amazing.

There is a locomotive that departs from Williams, AZ called the Grand Canyon Railway. (http://www.thetrain.com/) It takes you to the Grand Cayon where you can get on a bus for a tour. At one point on the train we were "held up" by a group of "outlaws"! They rode up next to us on horses and when the train stopped, they came in with "guns" drawn!! It was fun!

While at the Grand Canyon (or even before you leave), you should get the book Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon (http://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Death-Grand-Canyon/dp/097009731X/sr=8-1/qid=1160691892/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7525401-7024755?ie=UTF8). It's sort of morbid, but it's SOOOO fascinating! The book is sold in all the of the GC giftshops.

Flagstaff is one of my favorite places in the world. If you decide to stay there at all, you'll have to swing by Black Bart's Steakhouse and Saloon (http://www.blackbartssteakhouse.com/). The food is great and the waitstaff are all performance students from NAU. They do a musical revue throughout the night.

Have fun!

[Ericka_Jarett]

We are actually going to Vegas and the Grand Canyon in December. At the Grand Canyon we are staying at Bright Angel Lodge in one of the cabins with a view. We will be driving from Vegas to Grand to Sedona back to Vegas. We are there for a week.

[KrissyCat7]

Any suggestions for bus tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon? I noticed that some of you have used Look Tours. Any other suggestions?

[MrsSmith]

Any suggestions for bus tours from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon? I noticed that some of you have used Look Tours. Any other suggestions?

I just want to add that I had a really good experience with Look Tours. It was very organized and timely. They include lunch in the price of the ticket. However, the meal was not the best I'd ever had, so maybe bring a few snacks to keep you going until you get back to the hotel.

[thompso2]

I just want to add that I had a really good experience with Look Tours. It was very organized and timely. They include lunch in the price of the ticket. However, the meal was not the best I'd ever had, so maybe bring a few snacks to keep you going until you get back to the hotel.

We used Look Tours for a Grand Canyon helicopter tour (http://www.looktours.com/allamericanheli.html) and I agree with MrsSmith, we had a great experience but the food was just okay. If we'd done the bus tour, we would definitely have brought along snacks.