Visiting The Grand Canyon – Everything you NEED to know

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Are you planning on visiting The Grand Canyon? Do you wish you had a guidebook on what to pack and what to bring with you to the park? I feel your pain. I wish I had a guidebook before I left too!

That’s why I’m here!

In order to save you from making the same mistakes that I did, I’m going to give you all the information I wish someone had given me before visiting The Grand Canyon.

Should you Visit The Grand Canyon?

If you’re a regular National Park visitor, you know that some are better than others. There are some you’d revisit again (*cough, cough* Grand Teton) and some you are perfectly okay just seeing once.

So, is visiting The Grand Canyon a National Park that should make your list? Absolutely yes.

Poets, photographers, and bloggers alike might try to describe The Grand Canyon to you, but there is no way to do it justice. This natural wonder is completely indescribable. The only way to really understand the depth of the canyon is to see if for yourself.

So, coming from someone who visited each National Park in Arizona, I am here to tell you that The Grand Canyon is something everyone should have the luxury of seeing at least once in their lifetime. It is a popular tourist destination for a reason.

Alright, now that we’ve got it out of the way that you should go…what else do you need to know?

When to visit The Grand Canyon

Arizona is a tricky state. It can be tough to know when to plan your visit to The Grand Canyon. If you go too early, there WILL be snow on the ground. If you go too late, you’re likely to end up with heat exhaustion. But, there is that Goldilocks season right in the middle that can be the perfect time to visit The Grand Canyon state.

We call this spring. In Arizona, that means April and May. Anything before April will be way too dang cold and anything after May is going to be way, way too hot.

Important Note: If you are planning to visit in the spring, make sure to check out trail and road closures from The National Park website before going. When I went, the North Rim was closed due to weather. The South Rim was wide open though!

Just to give you an idea of the temperatures to expect, it was smack dab in the middle of April when I visited. Since I wanted to catch the sunrise, I arrived at the South Rim entrance around 5:30 AM. When I stepped out of my car, it was 38° F (3°C). Also, finding a place to fill up my water took me over half an hour because all the water fountains had been turned off in order to prevent freezing pipes! Not at all what I expected from a desert state.

Luckily, it climbed well into the 60s by the time I was ready to leave the park that afternoon.

Visiting The Grand Canyon is the perfect example of what every seasoned hiker knows: wear layers!

Other things to consider when planning your visit is what day of the week to go and what time of day. Planning to visit The Grand Canyon on a week day can help limit the crowds because kiddos are in school and their parents are probably at work. Another helpful hint is the earlier you get there, the more likely you are to get a parking spot and elbow room at the viewpoints.

Using all three of these strategies can help you avoid crowds, frost bite, and heat stroke when visiting The Grand Canyon.

Another important note: As I’m writing this in May of 2023, the visitor’s center at Grand Canyon National Park is closed on Monday and Tuesdays due to staffing issues. Restrooms are still available and all the lodges were still open. Please keep this in mind when visiting.

What to Pack

I know what you’re probably thinking. Arizona is a desert – shorts and tank tops all around!

No. Stop.

Check the weather reports before you leave. Arizona might be a desert, but the rim of The Grand Canyon sits at 7000 feet above sea level. Higher elevation = colder temperatures. Like I said before, it was 38°F when I got out of my car at 5:30 AM in The Grand Canyon visitor’s center parking lot.

Because of this, my best piece of advice is to pack layers. Especially if you’re planning to visit in April or May where it can be pretty chilly in the morning and then warm up as the day goes on.

Important note: Arizona is notorious for windstorms. When I was hiking The Grand Canyon, we were under a pretty serious wind advisory. Get yourself some windproof layers and bring them along. You won’t regret it.

My second piece of advice is to pack for your activity.

If you’re planning to just walk around the rim or take the bus from viewpoint to viewpoint, you are going to pack differently than someone who is going into The Grand Canyon to hike (i.e me). Dress pants are not acceptable for hiking just as hiking pants are not acceptable at 5-star dinners.

I packed clothes I never wore because I spent most of my time hiking. That’s wasted space in my suitcase that I could have used for something else! Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Where to Stay

When you are visiting The Grand Canyon, there are several options for places to stay on the national park grounds. You can check out Grand Canyon Lodges to find all the different options for lodging within the park.

However, if you’re looking to get away from the crowds and enjoy some different scenery, you can stay in the small town of Williams, which is exactly one-hour due south of The Grand Canyon.

Seriously, when I say due south, I mean it. I turned left out of my hotel and went straight until I hit the entrance gate.

Williams was a small walking town right off historic Route 66. They pride themselves on being the very last town that was bypassed by Interstate 40. When visiting Williams, you can find several quaint shops as well as several delicious restaurants.

If you do decide to stay in Williams, make sure to check out Grand Canyon Brewing. More than just a spot to sip on a cold beer, they also have locally distilled liquor and delicious food.

Staying outside National Park grounds not only saves you money on hotels, it can also save you money on other expenses like food and gas.

Where to Hike

When I visited The Grand Canyon, I had one goal in mind. I wanted to hike.

For one, I wanted the bragging rights. Secondly, I wanted a different view as opposed to just standing on the rim and looking down over the edge.

The South Rim of The Grand Canyon has two major hiking trails. You can take these trails all the way to the bottom and stay at Phantom Ranch or you can stop at any of the viewpoints and hike back out. The choice is yours.

DO NOT HIKE TO THE PHANTOM RANCH AND BACK IN ONE DAY. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY ABLE TO DO THIS HIKE, TALK TO A PARK RANGER BEFORE BEGINNING.

The first, and most popular, of these two trails is the Bright Angel Trail. From what I heard, this is the easier of the two trails and there is water along the entire trail (weather permitting). There are several viewpoints to stop, take in the view, fill up on water, and then turn around to head back out of the canyon. The Bright Angel Trail will take you all the way down to Phantom Ranch and back out again.

The second most popular trail is the South Kaibab Trail. This is the trail I decided to tackle. This will also lead you all the way to Phantom Ranch.

Here are the stats for my hike:

• Distance: 3 miles (4.82 km).
• Elevation change: 2000 ft.
• Time to complete: 5 hours.
• Viewpoints: 3
• Turnaround point: Skeleton Point

Let me tell you that this hike is no joke. You are gaining 2000 ft of elevation in only 3 miles. To quote the park ranger I spoke to: “miles are different around here, don’t push yourself too hard on your first visit”. She wasn’t kidding.

I’m extremely happy that I listened (for once) and only went to Skeleton Point before turning around. Any further and I probably wouldn’t have been able to walk for a few days!

No matter what hike you choose, remember that as far as you go down, you have to come back up. Going down into the canyon is the easier part of the hike, coming back out is what gets you. Take frequent breaks, drink lots of water, and remember your electrolytes.

Sidenote: I don’t like putting electrolyte powder into my bladder pack, so I ordered these electrolyte fast chews. I just popped two of them every hour to replace what I didn’t even realize I was sweating out!

What to Take into the Park

The biggest thing to take into consideration when visiting The Grand Canyon, either for hiking or just viewing, is the weather. Arizona is its own beast. It’s cold in the morning and it’s hot in the afternoon.

However, if you’re coming from the humidity of the East Coast like I was, the heat out here is much different than what you’re used to. I didn’t even realize I was sweating so much until I took my pack off my back!

As an experienced hiker, I knew to bring the basics. However, there were a few things I missed. Here’s my list of things you need to bring with you when hiking in The Grand Canyon.

• Water – this should be obvious, but bring more water than you think you’ll need. My day pack holds 3L and I filled it to the brim.
• Lunch – If you’re hiking to Skeleton Point like I did, you’ll want to bring lunch. If you’re looking for a way to keep things cold all day, this freezable lunch bag works great. My yogurt and turkey wrap stayed cold even with the sun beating down on that bag all day.
• Electrolytes – You need to bring electrolytes to replace what you loose when you sweat. I don’t like putting powders into the bladder pouch in my hiking bag, so I got these chewable electrolyte tablets instead. So tasty, even the kids will eat them!
• Salty Snacks – Another important thing to bring in addition to your electrolyte chews is salt snacks, for the exact same reason. You need to replace the salt you’re sweating out.
• First Aid Kit – Another obvious item to keep in a hiking pack, but still something worth mentioning. This small kit was perfect for my pack.
• Blister bandages – After hiking down 2000 ft in 3 miles, my toes has some pretty nasty blisters. Blister bandages were a must for walking around after finishing my hike.
• Sunscreen – There is NO shade when you’re hiking the South Kaibab or Bright Angel trail. Please bring sunscreen.
• Shade hat – A baseball cap or a specific shade hat are a must to protect you from the sun. This is one of the things I forgot and then immediately regretted.
• Layers – I think I’ve said this maybe 3 times by now, but I want to make sure to drive it home. You will need a warmth layer and a wind layer at a minimum.
• Comfortable shoes – Hiking into The Grand Canyon is not for the weak. Make sure that you have comfortable shoes. I swear by my Merrells.

Even with the items that I was missing, I survived. I don’t want you to just survive though, I want you to thrive! Bringing all the things I mentioned will certainly help with that!

Final Thoughts On Visiting The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is named as one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it has easily earned that title.

If you are fortunate enough to visit this marvelous site, make sure that you are fully prepared. By using these tips, you will be ready for whatever The Grand Canyon State can throw at you!

Happy Traveling everyone!

And remember,

PROTECT OUR NATIONAL PARKS.