America has some amazing natural wonders and the National Park system does a great job of preserving them for us to enjoy. Here are ten essential tips for visiting the Grand Canyon National Park.

1. Plan ahead for lodging

Do plan way in advance and stay at one of the park lodges.  (They fill up early, so it’s essential to get reservations as far out in advance as possible.) The only other hotels nearby are going to be ridiculously expensive and lacking in amenities (a 2-star hotel for a 4-star price). The park lodges are less expensive, provide shuttle service around the park, and have a wide variety of restaurants either on site or nearby.

2. Allow (just) enough time

Don’t plan to be there more than a day or so.  You can see all of the majesty and nature that the Grand Canyon has to offer in one day.  You just don’t need more time than that, unless you’re planning to do some serious hiking or exploration.

3. Save money on meals

Don’t eat outside of the park.  The restaurants in the hotel area just south of the park are mediocre at best and ridiculously expensive.  If you must eat at a restaurant outside the park, I recommend Wendy’s or McDonalds (which will still be more expensive than they are elsewhere in the US).

4. Water is your friend

Do stay hydrated.  The Arizona air can leech every bit of moisture out of you, even if you aren’t sweating away in the sun.  Keep a refillable bottle of water with you and/or stop to buy beverages often.

5. Limit photo-taking…

I cannot stress this one enough: Don’t go overboard with picture-taking.  I have approximately 450 photos from the Grand Canyon.  Most of them fail to capture the vastness and beauty of it.  Many are barely distinguishable from the others.

… except, perhaps, at sunset

Do take pictures at sunset.  The lighting is better and the colors more vibrant.  You can even book a relatively inexpensive “Sunset Tour” that will take you to various lookout points by bus at the right time for awesome photos. 

6. Catch the bus

Do utilize the park’s shuttle service.  It is fast, free, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get an entertaining driver who will share some tips about seeing the park.

7. Broaden your horizons

Do take time to look at more than just the canyon/rocks.  There are California condors, ravens, and mule deer throughout the park. There is also a Tusayan Museum and Ruin that sheds light on the Native Americans who once called that area home. And do check out the Desert View Watchtower.  It’s an amazing, beautiful building.

8. Keep the kids busy

If you have school age children, do have them complete the Junior Ranger program.  It’s free, and it will keep them from getting bored by having them attend a ranger-led program, write their observations, draw pictures, and create poems. You can pick up the Junior Ranger activity booklet at the visitor’s center, and return it there when they have completed the activities.

9. Hike wisely

If you’re hiking down into the canyon, don’t do it on a whim and don’t underestimate the distance or time you will travel.  We saw a chilling poster in one of the visitor centers about an athletic young woman, age 24, who had run in the Boston Marathon, but died on a hike into the canyon.  Why?  She under-calculated the length of her hike, and didn’t carry enough water with her.

10. Get the back story

If you venture into to the money-sucking town south of the canyon, do see the IMAX movie about the canyon and its explorers.  You’ll be impressed with the one-armed Civil War veteran Major John Wesley Powell, who was responsible for mapping most of the canyon. His story is remarkable!

Conclusion

I hope that you will find these tips helpful in planning your Grand Canyon visit. Let me know what works for you and what doesn’t in the comments below!

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