The best time to travel to the Grand Canyon for those who don’t like crowds is during the spring months of March through May, and in the fall from September through November inclusive. In the summer, during school vacations and vacations, hundreds of thousands of visitors, especially families with children, flock to the national parks. In the low season, you’ll have an easier time finding a hotel, car rental, and hiking trails won’t be crowded with other tourists.
Long-term planning (3-4 months in advance and earlier) will give you a greater choice of comfortable and affordable accommodations. And remember that Northern Rome is closed in winter. To avoid unpleasant surprises, always check the official websites of the parks before visiting: roads may be closed due to sudden snow or strong wind gusts.
Grand Canyon hotels and campgrounds
To understand the importance of booking hotels in advance, remember that about 6 million tourists travel to the Grand Canyon every year. The settlement capacity of such a huge number of people is very modest, so it is rational to make reservations as soon as you have decided on the route. Hotels on Indian reservations may have their own rules, including a complete ban on alcohol. This means that guests will not be able to buy alcohol, and that consuming or even bringing any alcoholic beverages into the rooms is prohibited.
If you choose to overnight at the campgrounds, be sure to request the appropriate registration documents from the park’s website. Overnight camping fees usually start at $20-$30, but there are deluxe options for $200 or more.
Overnight camping in a car in the Grand Canyon is equal to camping and is allowed only in organized sites. That’s why you can’t save money by spending a night or two in a car.
Weather in the Grand Canyon
As daytime temperature differences in the mountains are very significant, it affects comfort and safety.
In the North Rim, summer temperatures vary from 10°C at night to 30°C during the day, so clothing should be selected in “layers”, taking into account the high chance of being caught in a mountain thunderstorm. These unpredictable, with strong gusts of wind, rains are particularly common in July and August.
Southern Rome is hot in summer, with drying air, and temperatures can reach 40°C on the canyon slopes and in the valley. In March, the weather is so warm that, with enough rain, cacti and succulents bloom. But be careful: after the sun goes down, the temperature drops and you’ll need warm clothes.
In winter, snow can fall in the canyon and some parts of the roads and trails are covered with ice.