GRAND CANYON IN THE WINTER?

And why not? There's no scorching summer heat. The views are beautiful. 

Crowds are smaller. 

And you can even make a few snowballs.

We visited the South Rim on January 31, 2012 - exactly 106 years  to the day - after the opening of the park's Verkamp's Curio Shop.

And ours was a 'good day' too. With temps in the upper 40s & clear skies, it was a perfect day to stroll the paved pedestrian (& even wheelchair friendly) 3 mile section of the Rim Trail.

Notice the width of the trail.

And mostly everything is open. 

You can still ride the mules down into the canyon everyday (as long as you're over 4' 7" & under 200 lbs - so think 'tall' & lay off the 'all you can eat' buffets & extra coconut custards before you go), ...

... take a helicopter tour, stay at the Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon (where the temp is usually 20 degrees warmer then on top the rim)...

... or book a room in one of the 'top of the rim' hotels.





Published winter prices begin at $85 per night. But if you book one - in person - in the hotel lobby on the day (or days) you're actually staying, the price falls to around $75.

Ok, you could hit some bad weather - just a week before our visit the park was snowed in & no one was able to get in nor out.

But you could do a lot worse than being stuck for a couple of days in a place with views like:

And - since all park employees live on site - they'll be no interruption in service. 

But remember to bring the appropriate clothes, hats, gloves & scarves so you can dress in layers - the weather can change rapidly.

And - even in the winter - you must hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink plenty of water.

And please remember - safety first. 


Every year a score - or more - people take one step too many for a surprise express trip into the canyon. Stay on the well marked paths & always be a few feet back from any ledges.

Unlike Sandy.