Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park of Arizona is one of the USA national parks which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This national park in U.S is one of the most popular tourist attractions for the ardent travel enthusiasts round the world. The U.S national park is divided into two parts the South Rim and the North Rim. The south Rim is the part of the park which remains crowded throughout the year, whereas the North Rim is the less accessible and less visited part of the park. The Grand Canyon National Park is over flooded with tourists at all time. Every year about 5 million visitors go touring in this incredible location. The Park is considered as the oldest national park in U.S and houses the great Grand Canyon, a spectacular gorge of Colorado River, hence the name. The Grand Canyon is listed among the marked natural wonders in the world.

Visiting Grand Canyon National Park

The seasons best fitted for visiting the Grand Canyon are fall, winter and spring. The atmosphere in the Grand Canyon National Park is absolutely awesome. It boasts of the cleanest air of the country. The most wonderful thing to do in the Grand Canyon National Park is to visit the Grand Canyon and take vivid view of it in as much as ways possible. The nature around provides great scope for photography. A drive through the Cape Royal Road in the North Rim provides excellent views. One can go hiking on the backcountry trails. The other fascinating activities include, a raft trip continuing for a week through the canyon of the Colorado River or a ride on the mule down the Bright Angel trail, one can go for a scenic flight over the canyon to have the bird’s eye view of it. All this trips needs to be booked beforehand.

Camping: There are camp grounds both in the northern and the southern Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, but is better to reserve them before you arrive there. The South Rim is generally more crowded than the North Rim and therefore reservation is strongly recommended. There are several campsites in the Kalibab National forest lying in the outskirts of the park but they are mostly undeveloped. Camping is allowed in any of the campgrounds at a stretch of 14 day maximum.

Guided Tours: The choices of guided tours of Grand Canyon National Park are innumerable. The guided tours generally comprise travel by bus which starts from the nearby towns and some also begin from the park itself. There are both short trips with brief stops and elaborate ones including hiking and arrangement for meals available.

Opening Hours

The South Rim:

Open 24 hours every day throughout the year. The different facilities and services such as, lodging, camping, restaurants are also available round the year. Still, it is better to reserve on a priority basis to avoid rush during the summer season. During winter some facilities are closed.

The North Rim:

Open from Mid-May to Mid-October. All the necessary facilities and services are also offered during this period and are closed during other times. Reservation is recommended. How to Reach

Air: There are two metropolitan airports in proximity to the Grand Canyon National Park. Both of them are just a half day drive from the South Rim. They are the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS) and the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX). The commercial airport of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) is the nearest airport to the Grand Canyon National Park. The tourists can very well take a flight to any of these airports and reach the park at ease. There are two flights offered from Los Angeles by the Horizon Air and five flights from Phoenix by US Airways. One can also avail the commuter flight from Phoenix to Lake Powell and Arizona. The carrier offering the flight is Great Lakes Air. There is also the Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN) mainly used by the tour companies providing tours to Grand Canyon. Charter flights are also available from different other cities. The airport lies at the entrance of the South Rim located in the Tusayan town.

Rail: The travel by rail is offered from the Williams town to the Grand Canyon village. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete the journey. The train junction is a mere walking distance from the major accommodation options. During the summer season a historical steam locomotive is used in order to put forward a old world charm. The journey takes twice the time than driving to the destination. But still it is a different experience altogether. The trains belonging to the Amtrak operate daily between Los Angeles and Chicago and they stop at Williams terminus getting connected to Grand Canyon Railway.

Road: If you are arriving to the park from the south then it is better to take the Arizona Route 64 (AZ 64). It is connected with the US highway 180 and is a fine option to be availed. One can also reach the South Rim from the east taking the AZ 64. In order to enter the park from the east, it will be wise to take US 89 , lying to the south of Page or from the north of Flagstaff reaching the juncture at Arizona Route 64 at Cameron. From here the eastern entrance of the park is just 40 kilometers. If you are visiting the North Rim then take ALT US 89 to AZ 67. A shuttle bus system operates in the Grand Canyon Village area and the service is free.