Tips & Warnings
Driving from Phoenix through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon takes you through four different climate zones, with an elevation change of over 6000 feet.
Reservations far in advance are critical for summer travel
You'll find fewer visitors and more interesting weather in the spring and fall, but it can be much colder or snowing.
Bring extra memory cards for your camera. Even a Park regular will shoot hundreds of photos over several days.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is well worth visiting; however, it's a 2-1/2 hour drive from the South Rim. The North Rim only has about 25% of the number of visitors as the South Rim.
Less than 10 percent of visitors to the Canyon go below the rim.
Hiking below the rim is strenuous even though major trails are well marked, well-groomed and well-traveled. Allow twice as long to hike up as to hike down---so a one-hour hike down a trail will total three hours round-trip.
Hiking below the rim iis well worth it for a view of the Grand Canyon missed by three out of four visitors. Even if you only go one or two miles, the steep drop of the trail takes you deep into the canyon for views not normally seen.
The "no reservation" campground at the east entrance of the Park often has excellent places to camp available in the middle of the day. It's much nicer than the campground at Grand Canyon Village.
Drink a gallon of fluid a day---preferably water and electrolyte replacement drinks; always carry water. Avoid soft drinks, beverages high in sugar content, or caffeinated beverages like tea or coffee when hiking, as these can cause dehydration.
The rangers and volunteers can answer just about any Grand Canyon question you can ask.
Driving from Phoenix through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon takes you through four different climate zones, with an elevation change of over 6000 feet.
Reservations far in advance are critical for summer travel
You'll find fewer visitors and more interesting weather in the spring and fall, but it can be much colder or snowing.
Bring extra memory cards for your camera. Even a Park regular will shoot hundreds of photos over several days.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is well worth visiting; however, it's a 2-1/2 hour drive from the South Rim. The North Rim only has about 25% of the number of visitors as the South Rim.
Less than 10 percent of visitors to the Canyon go below the rim.
Hiking below the rim is strenuous even though major trails are well marked, well-groomed and well-traveled. Allow twice as long to hike up as to hike down---so a one-hour hike down a trail will total three hours round-trip.
Hiking below the rim iis well worth it for a view of the Grand Canyon missed by three out of four visitors. Even if you only go one or two miles, the steep drop of the trail takes you deep into the canyon for views not normally seen.
The "no reservation" campground at the east entrance of the Park often has excellent places to camp available in the middle of the day. It's much nicer than the campground at Grand Canyon Village.
Drink a gallon of fluid a day---preferably water and electrolyte replacement drinks; always carry water. Avoid soft drinks, beverages high in sugar content, or caffeinated beverages like tea or coffee when hiking, as these can cause dehydration.
The rangers and volunteers can answer just about any Grand Canyon question you can ask.
The Grand Canyon is a beautiful, but also dangerous place for family vacations if you don't use common sense. Each year people need to be rescued or die due to careless actions.
No matter how tempting, avoid standing at the very edge of the canyon. The upper layers of the canyon are heavily eroded by the elements. The rock on which you're standing may be completely undermined and can break off with your weight. A 9-year-old girl died in a 50-foot fall in 2008 while her parents were taking her picture at the edge of the canyon.
Many people need to be rescued by hiking without adequate water. The canyon is higher than 7000 feet at Grand Canyon Village, over 8000 feet on the North Rim, and the Colorado River is between 2000 and 3000 feet from west to east.
Temperatures at the Colorado River can be as much as 20 degrees (F) higher than at either rim.
From June to September, it's monsoon season. Fierce thunderstorms with high winds form quickly and march down the canyon. Most storms last less than one hour, and the ground dries quickly after it passes. Each storm, however, charges waterfalls with run-off, adding to the adventure.
Lightning ground strikes are common. Heed the warning signs of a strike: tingling hair or hair rising on your neck, the smell of ozone, or a crackling in the air. Taking shelter under a tree is ill-advised. Opening an umbrella is dangerous as well. Crouching down, or taking shelter in a cave, rock overhang, or building, is safest.
The Grand Canyon is a beautiful, but also dangerous place for family vacations if you don't use common sense. Each year people need to be rescued or die due to careless actions.
No matter how tempting, avoid standing at the very edge of the canyon. The upper layers of the canyon are heavily eroded by the elements. The rock on which you're standing may be completely undermined and can break off with your weight. A 9-year-old girl died in a 50-foot fall in 2008 while her parents were taking her picture at the edge of the canyon.
Many people need to be rescued by hiking without adequate water. The canyon is higher than 7000 feet at Grand Canyon Village, over 8000 feet on the North Rim, and the Colorado River is between 2000 and 3000 feet from west to east.
Temperatures at the Colorado River can be as much as 20 degrees (F) higher than at either rim.
From June to September, it's monsoon season. Fierce thunderstorms with high winds form quickly and march down the canyon. Most storms last less than one hour, and the ground dries quickly after it passes. Each storm, however, charges waterfalls with run-off, adding to the adventure.
Lightning ground strikes are common. Heed the warning signs of a strike: tingling hair or hair rising on your neck, the smell of ozone, or a crackling in the air. Taking shelter under a tree is ill-advised. Opening an umbrella is dangerous as well. Crouching down, or taking shelter in a cave, rock overhang, or building, is safest.
