at park entrances, visitor centers, and transportation desks. The national park has wheelchairs available at no charge for temporary use inside the park; inquire at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center. All park shuttle buses are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible tours can be arranged at any lodge transportation desk or by calling Grand Canyon National Park Lodges ( ATMs There’s an ATM at the Chase bank (
Hospitals & Clinics The North Country Grand Canyon Clinic (
Laundry A coin-operated laundry is located near Mather Campground in the Camper Services building.
Lost & Found Report lost items or turn in found items at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center;
Police In an emergency, dial
Post Office The post office (
Road Conditions For information on road conditions in the Grand Canyon area, call
Safety The most important safety tip to remember is to be careful near the edge of the canyon. Footing can be unstable and may give way. Keep your distance from wild animals, no matter how friendly they may appear. Avoid hiking alone if at all possible, and keep in mind that the canyon rim is more than a mile above sea level (it’s harder to breathe up here). Do not leave valuables in your car or tent.
Wi-Fi & Internet Access Wi-Fi access is limited in the park. Free Wi-Fi is available at the Visitor Center 8am–5pm, with some computers available for public use; at the Canyon Village Market Deli 8am–6pm; and at the Community Library 11:30am–5pm Monday through Saturday.
| What to Expect Weather-Wise |
The climate at the Grand Canyon is dramatically different from that of Phoenix; there’s even a pronounced difference between the rim and the canyon floor. The South Rim’s altitude is 7,000 feet, and it gets very cold in winter—you can expect snow anytime between November and May, and winter temperatures can be below 0°F (–18°C) at night, with daytime highs in the 20s or 30s (minus single digits to single digits Celsius). Summer temperatures at the rim range from highs in the 80s (20s Celsius) to lows in the 50s (teens Celsius). The North Rim of the canyon is 1,200 to 1,400 feet higher than the South Rim, and it’s much cooler throughout the year; in fact, it’s not open to visitors November through April, because the access road is not kept cleared of snow in winter.
On the canyon floor, temperatures are considerably higher. In summer, the mercury can reach 120°F (49°C) with lows in the 70s (20s Celsius), while in winter, temperatures are quite pleasant with highs in the 50s (teens Celsius) and lows in the 30s (single digits Celsius). July, August, and September are the wettest months because of frequent afternoon thunderstorms. April, May, and June are the driest months, but it still might rain or even snow. Down on the canyon floor, there is much less rain year-round.
Exploring the South Rim
Grand Canyon Village & Vicinity
Grand Canyon Village is the first stop for the vast majority of the more than five million people who visit the Grand Canyon every year. It’s by far the most crowded area in the park, but it also has the most visitor services, overlooks, and historic buildings. As you enter the park through the south entrance, your first unforgettable gasp-inducing glimpse of the canyon is usually at Mather Point, down a short paved path from the Grand Canyon Visitor Center.
Continuing west toward the village proper, you next come to Yavapai Point, which has the best view in the Grand Canyon Village vicinity. (If you can bring yourself to drive past Mather Point and delay your initial glimpse for a few minutes, Yavapai Point actually makes a better first view of the canyon, although parking spaces here are limited.) From Yavapai you can see the Bright Angel Trail, Indian Gardens, Phantom Ranch, the Colorado River, and even the suspension bridge that hikers and mule riders use to cross the river to Phantom Ranch. This is the only bridge across the Colorado for 340 miles, between Hoover Dam downstream and the Navajo Bridge upstream near Lees Ferry. At Yavapai you’ll also find the historic Yavapai Museum of Geology (open daily 8am–8pm in summer, shorter hours other months), which has big glass walls to take in the extraordinary vistas. Don’t miss the geology displays here; they’re the park’s best introduction to the forces that created the Grand Canyon. Yavapai Point is a particularly good spot for sunrise and sunset photos. From here, the paved Grand Canyon Greenway extends 3.5 miles east to the South Kaibab trail head and 3 miles west through Grand Canyon Village.
| Leave the Driving to Them |
We think it’s a mistake to give just 1 day to the park. But if that’s all you have, and you’re coming from Flagstaff, you might be better served by taking a tour. That way, someone else will drive, so that you can enjoy the views. Canyon Dave offers knowledgeable geology-focused tours of the South Rim and East Rim (www.grand-canyon-tours-1.com;
Continuing west from Yavapai Point, you’ll come to Grand Canyon Village proper, with its parking lots and park headquarters (a side road leads to the Market Plaza). The paved pathway along the rim here provides lots of good (though crowded) spots for taking pictures. Step inside the historic El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge to take in the wilderness-lodge ambience of their lobbies. Inside Bright Angel Lodge, the Bright Angel History Room has displays on architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, who is responsible for much of the park’s historic architecture, and the Harvey Girls (see box, p. 291). Notice this room’s fireplace—it’s designed to replicate all the geologic layers that appear in the canyon. Adjacent to El Tovar, the Hopi House, an historic souvenir-and-curio shop resembling a Hopi pueblo, was built in 1905 as a place for Hopi artisans to work and sell their crafts; this was the first shop inside the park. Today, it’s full of Native American arts and crafts, including expensive kachina dolls, rugs, jewelry, and pottery. This shop is open daily; hours vary seasonally.
To the west of Bright Angel Lodge, two buildings cling precariously to the rim of the canyon. These are the Kolb and Lookout studios, both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Kolb Studio is named for Ellsworth and Emory Kolb, two brothers who set up a photographic studio here on the rim in 1904. The construction of this studio generated one of the Grand Canyon’s first controversies—over whether buildings should be allowed on the canyon rim. The Kolbs had friends in
