Inspired by Sunday evenings watching the lovely Dan Snow on his journey through the Grand Canyon recently, we’ve put together a series of blogs on trips that include the Canyon. Although we’re slightly less adventurous than Dan…what can we say…we’re all for adventure as long as there’s a nice cold beer and a shower at the end of the day. Part one is our top tips for visiting the Canyon and things to bear in mind when booking your trip.
Getting there
With direct flights from the UK, it makes sense to fly to Vegas and drive to the Grand Canyon (via the Hoover Dam which is well worth a visit). Alternatively the nearest airport to the Grand Canyon is Flagstaff which involves connecting flights and will limit your flexibility. Flying into Flagstaff is also likely to prove more costly.
Things to think about
You need to decide whether to visit the North or the South Rim of the Canyon. You can do both but it is a 200
mile, 4.5 hour drive between the 2 (there aren’t many bridges). The North Rim is closed in the winter; it is 1000 feet higher than the South Rim and therefore colder. It is quieter than the South Rim though and better for a peaceful trip but there is far less amenity. You can get a mule ride from here but not to the bottom of the Canyon.
There is a much broader choice of accommodation around the South rim here and if you want to get a mule ride to the Canyon bottom this is where they go from. To avoid the crowds your best bet is to go in May, September or October midweek. If it is busy, being willing to walk more than a mile soon loses most of the people! Bear in mind that the mule rides to the Canyon floor get booked up months and months in advance, so if this is something you really want to do, it’s worth checking availability before you book anything else. You also need to think about the discomfort caused by a journey that’s around 5.5 hours down and 6.5 hours back up on a mule!
If you want to reach the Canyon floor on foot you will need to be fit enough to manage a 4-5 hours hike down and a 7-8 hour hike back out. The Park Service strongly recommends against attempting this in a day and advises an overnight stop at Phantom Ranch.
If neither mule nor foot appeals, you can get a helicopter ride to the Canyon floor from Grand Canyon Airport.
For more info the Park Service website is a great resource.
Next time…Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park
Want to go?…
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both operate direct flights from the UK. If you can’t wait for our next blog then our Road Trips section has more information on trips starting from Vegas.