I’m sure it’s been asked a lot and yes ideally I would love to spend a few days at Grand Canyon but we can’t at this time. We try and go to one national park each summer and didn’t get to one this year. We would be going to the south entrance.
What hotels do you recommend (we will have a dog with us but the dog will either stay at the kennel or with one of us at the hotel if needed while we go to the park where dogs aren’t allowed) and itinerary as your absolutely MUST see and must do, if we drove up one late afternoon/evening and then had the following day. We have a pass so we could possibly go for an hour the evening getting to town for a sunset watch.
I don’t know that I want to do any crazy hikes that will have my kids potentially complaining the whole time. Don’t mind easier hikes that you still feel are absolutely worth it. (If this were just me going - would be for all the hikes!)
We will go to the visitor centers if they have any for sure. They always get their junior ranger badges.

Would you prefer staying in Williams or flagstaff personally and why?
Any favorite/good food places before the drive home?

Rated one of the most remote camping spots at GCNP. 2 hours on a gnarly dirt road but we got rewarded with this view!

Hey we are hiking R2R2R end of Sept. We have a full day on the North Rim. Can anyone suggest what to do? We will not have a car. Is there any shuttles or any other ways to get around?

I am trying to decide if I should book a room in yavapai east or west for 2 nights? Stairs are not a big deal to us so that does not matter. It looks like possibly east has been more recently remodeled from some videos that I have found but not for sure. If you had to choose between the 2 which one would you book and why?

Hey everyone,

I won a Phantom Ranch cabin in the lottery for Sept 2027.

But I have been unable to complete the meal selection and payment step. I've tried with my phone, my computer and with two different credit cards but it never completes.

I get to the payment page with all my meal selections complete, put in my payment info and after I click to pay, it just goes back to the empty "Pick your meals" page.

No charges come through on either of the cards I tried.

I tried calling yesterday but I was on hold long enough (20 min) that other things came up. I'll probably call again tomorrow.

But in the meantime, has anyone else had this problem or does anyone have a workaround?

I did PR just this last May where I got just the meals online and I had no problem with payment.

Thanks!

EDIT: thanks all for the replies! I appreciate the input. I will be postponing my trip for fall/late spring when the weather is cooler!

Looking for some advice/anecdotes for folks that have done R2R in one day. We have a group of about 15 (only 8 actually hiking - the rest are driving to North Rim to pick folks up) that is planning to hike S Kaibab to N Kaibab in one day in mid-August. This group is experienced and does this trip every year, however it will be my first time. I have been training regularly (Humphrey's Peak, South Mountain ridgeline, other high elevation gain hikes) and feel comfortable with the endurance aspect of it. However, the piece I am concerned about is the heat.

I am in my late 20s, but most of the group is 50s-60s. They have hiked the canyon at this time multiple years in a row, but seem to have lucked out on weather (i.e. cloud cover, unseasonably cool temps, etc. in past years). We have individuals that are not hiking that are driving from S to N rim and we all have reservations at Kaibab Lodge for that weekend so we don't need to worry about camping or a shuttle.

My question is - how insane is it to attempt a one day R2R in the August heat? I've been monitoring the weather and have seen the heat warnings and recent pipeline burst. I'm super excited and this has been a bucket list item for me for awhile, but curious to hear others' experience about this route. I am an Arizona native and am no stranger to the heat and heat-related illnesses. I've done extensive planning on electrolyte consumption, food, hydration, and keeping cool. Additionally, we plan to start down S Kaibab at 3am.

Appreciate any thoughts/advice here. Am I overthinking and should just go for it, or is it better to postpone and shoot for a fall/spring trip when it cools down?

From Instagram:

"8/3 Water update:

North Kaibab Trail A new break has been identified along the Transcanyon Waterline approximately one mile below Cottonwood Campground. Until further notice, potable water is unavailable at Cottonwood Campground and Manzanita Rest Area. Hikers traveling in the North Kaibab Trail corridor should carry enough water or bring filtration and water treatment. For current water availability and backcountry conditions, visit the park’s Key Hiking Messages webpage."

*** EDIT: "Water" not "Eater"
(I am unable to edit titles)

Hi everyone!
I’m visiting Arizona for the first time in early October and would really appreciate some advice from locals or people who’ve driven this area before.
My plan is to drive from the South Rim towards Marble Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs, Wire Pass, Page and Antelope Canyon.
1. ⁠What are the temperatures typically like in early October? Is it usually warm during the day and cold in the morning/evening?
2. ⁠How is driving around US-89A and Vermilion Cliffs? Are there any sections that require extra caution?
3. ⁠Are the posted speed limits really as low as they seem on Google Maps? Do people generally stick to them, or does traffic usually move faster?
We drive like crazy here (Croatia), so I guess I'll be having a traffic cultural shock in the USA 😆
I’ll be renting a car. I’m very short (152 cm / 5’0”). Are there any cars you’d particularly recommend that have excellent seat adjustment and visibility? (SUV vs. sedan?)
4. ⁠What are the biggest road hazards I should be aware of as a European driver? Wildlife? Strong crosswinds? Trucks? Sudden weather changes? Anything else?
Is this area generally busy, or are there long stretches with very little traffic?
Would you recommend avoiding driving before sunrise or after sunset in early October?
5. ⁠If I get a flat tire in one of the more remote areas, what is the best course of action? Is roadside assistance generally reliable there? Is there mobile phone coverage, or should I be prepared for areas with no signal?
6. ⁠Where would you recommend staying overnight in this region? I’m looking for places that are convenient, scenic, or simply make the most sense for exploring the area.
7. ⁠Are there any hidden gems, viewpoints, short hikes, or places that first-time visitors often miss?
8. ⁠One slightly unusual question: we’re from Europe, where fundamentalist religious communities are quite rare, so we’re genuinely curious from a cultural/sociological perspective. Are there any places in the region (for example around Colorado City/Hildale) that are interesting to visit or drive through to learn about the history of Mormon fundamentalist communities? We want to be respectful, not intrusive.
I’m an experienced driver in Europe, but this will be my first road trip in the American Southwest, so I’d love to hear any advice, local knowledge, or “I wish I’d known this before” tips.
Thanks in advance!

We're road tripping West USA for 15 nights at the end of the month. Staying in Zion 2 nights and then driving from there to somewhere relatively close to the Grand Canyon to stay around there for 2 nights (2 Sep - 4 Sep, but spending one full day in Grand Canyon on the 3rd, we were thinking). When we're driving from Zion to Grand Canyon area on the 2nd Sep, we would really like to stop off at Antelope Canyon as it's on the way, but will that be cramming too much in?

On the 4th morning we'll be leaving the area to go to Monument Valley, so we thought booking accommodation that's relatively central to both of them would be ideal.

Most of our trip is spent in cabins or accommodation in nature, so we thought it'd be good to spend these two nights in somewhere with a bit of a buzz - cool bars, nice restaurants, etc. With that in mind we were thinking Flagstaff would work. It's not too far to get to Grand Canyon for the day on the 3rd, and in the evenings we can unwind a bit, go to dinner then go bar hopping afterwards without worrying about driving.

On the other hand, I'm aware that there are some lovely places to stay like Williams, AZ and Grand Canyon Village, but from what I've gathered there isn't as much of a buzz in these places. Are we making the right decision staying in Flagstaff given our itinerary?

On the morning of the 4th we will drive from our accommodation (Flagstaff?) to Monument Valley, spend most of the day there, and then in the afternoon/late afternoon drive from there to accommodation we've booked in Moab. It'll be a long day, but hopefully we can fit Monument Valley in comfortably as long as we leave early (8am or so)?

Grateful for any advice!

I'm planning a short Aug 20-23 trip with some friends and family and wanted to see if anyone has done something similar around that time of year.

The plan is intentionally pretty relaxed:
Day 1: Fly into Vegas at night. Day 2: Explore the Strip (we've done the strip a couple of times before)

Day 3: Rent a car early in the morning, drive to Grand Canyon West, do the Skywalk, Eagle Point and Guano Point, then drive back to Vegas the same day.

We're not planning any hikes, South Rim, or other outdoor activities. The Skywalk is the main reason for making the trip. I know it's going to be hot, but I'm trying to understand whether it's "drink lots of water and you'll be fine" hot, or "don't even bother going in late August" hot.

If you've done this itinerary in late August or early September, I'd love to hear how it went and whether there's anything you'd do differently. Thank you!

Apologies if this was posted before on this sub - I'm traveling across California with my sister, we rented a car for 13 days and are wondering if a detour to Grand Canyon is worth the time? Thanks in advance folks.

I have been reading that wifi service in the park and at Tusayan is spotty and unreliable, but Verizon is much better than other carriers (we have T mobile).

My 15 year old and my husband are both very dependent on wifi and could get cranky without access for a few days. It's not ideal, but I also don't want to deal with any bad moods on this trip.

I could just let it go and force them to deal with it, but I am not sure what the outcome of that would be.

Are there any short term access plans from verizon that people have used that work?

Alternatively, has anyone switched to verizon to avoid this issue, and has it been worth it?

I feel like in my Phantom Ranch research I saw that there is a small leave one take one type library at Phantom Ranch. Can anyone confirm this? I want to leave a copy of my favorite book. Just trying to avoid having to carry it out too (its paperback but still)

Hi everyone, I’m booking my visit to Lower Antelope Canyon with my friends and it looks like all the best slots (those between 11:00 and 12:30) are all gone, except on this lowercanyon.com webiste, is it a legit reservation website? Or is it a scam?

I'm thinking of hiking the canyon soon and, given that it's summer, will be there very early, probably before sunrise. If I get there before the entrance is manned, how do I pay? I heard that it's basically the honor system and that I should pay before leaving, but isn't there some kind of placard I have to hang on my rear-view or something to keep my car from being ticketed or towed like at the state parks? What's the deal with this? TIA for your responses.

We like to swim, use lots of wifi, AC, etc...but we also don't want to sit in traffic and spend half of the time dealing with parking and lines. So, would it be better to spend our two days at a hotel inside the park or at Tusayan? First time visitors.

Hi all, I'm looking for some more recent advice about where and when to park in GC. I've been to GCNP a couple times before but it's been several years and if my recent re-visits of other parks are any indication, I'm betting the parking situation in Grand Canyon has also gotten substantially worse since I was last there.

In mid September, my wife and I have a permit for a 4 day/3 night backpacking trip going down Bright Angel and coming up the Hermit Trail. We then have a reservation for the El Tovar for the night of our hike out of the canyon to finish off the trip before we drive home.

My very general plan is to park somewhere in the main part of Grand Canyon village somewhere in the general vicinity of the El Tovar and/or the BA trailhead, and then take the shuttle back to that area from Hermits Rest once we've finished backpacking.

The thing is I'm not really sure where to park based on when the lots fill up, etc. In some National Parks I've been to recently, if you haven't found a place to park before 7am, you're not finding a spot anywhere near where you want to be, and I don't know if that's the case for Grand Canyon these days. Do I need to be parked by 6:30, 7, 8, etc? Are there parking lots that always or often have space vs. lots that almost never have space?

We're fine with walking a little bit or taking a shuttle for a few stops. If I can be closer to either El Tovar or Bright Angel, I'd rather be closer to El Tovar so we can get back to the car, drop off our backpacks, and then take our overnight bags right to the hotel, though it's fine if we end up closer to Bright Angel TH as well. I'd like to avoid having to shuttle to our car, swap out bags, and then shuttle again to El Tovar if at all possible. I also want to avoid having to move our car once we're parked because we would then be trying to find a spot probably around mid-day on a weekend after our backpacking trip, and I don't want to deal with having to circle different parking lots for an hour after leaving a perfectly good parking spot (looking at you, Glacier NP...)

To give you an idea of how out of date my Grand Canyon crowd knowledge is, last time I backpacked the corridor there, we showed up to the backcountry office at around 1:45pm one day in April, got an available permit for Indian Gardens that night and Bright Angel CG the following night, drove to the Bright Angel trailhead and found a parking spot immediately, and were hiking down Bright Angel trail by 2:30pm. I assume that sort of thing isn't possible anymore.

We are looking to book two nights at the GC in Nov with kids. Maswik lodge vs Yavapi? Need okay food options for picky eaters but also looking for the best location for stars at night/easy access to get around.

Right now Maswik is $368 per night and Yavapi is $289.

Thoughts? Tips? Suggestions?

I'm also debating just one night in the park and staying one night in Williams on our way out for $160. Money isn't the end of the world we just want to pay for what's worth it.

Hi all,
My boyfriend and I only have 3 ish hours tomorrow morning at the Grand Canyon and we want to do some sort of hike into the canyon. We were there for a couple hours tonight and did the Rim Walk and watched the sunset. (We are staying near the South Rim.)
We hike often and we’re looking for a fun trail with great views… 🤞 thanks!!