The majestic Grand Canyon is so much more than a bucket list item. It is one of the biggest natural outdoor playgrounds, geological educators, and it reminds us of our humbling existence as humans.
When we were planning our campervan road trip through the Southwest, the Grand Canyon was, of course, part of our itinerary. We did plan two nights, as we wanted to have one full day for a hike, and I am happy we did.
Before experiencing the Grand Canyon personally, I had underestimated its majesty. I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. So continue reading this article to get the most out of this impressive National Park.
You will learn about the best time of year to visit, where to stay, what activities to do, and what to wear during your stay.
Let's look at some facts first, though. The Grand Canyon is up to 16 km (10 miles) wide, 446 river km (277 river miles) long, and more than 1.6 km (1 mile) deep. Its magnitude of different rock layers will leave you breathless (literally and figuratively 😉).
The entrance fee per vehicle is US$30. When road trippin' the Southwest, I absolutely recommend you to get the 'America the Beautiful Pass'. It is a one-year entrance pass to all National Parks in the US. It costs US$80 per vehicle, so it is already worth it when visiting three National Parks.
For some not so obvious facts about this natural wonder, check out this National Park Foundation page.
This article covers days 4-6 of our 15-day road trip itinerary through the Southwest of the US and California. Click on the yellow 'Show Entire Route' tab, to view our in-depth guides to each stop for an even greater insight for your own road trip through the Southwest and California.
Time of year to visit the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon National Park is open year-round, and there is never a wrong time to visit. Should you have the choice of when to take a vacation and plan your trip, I recommend you go in the shoulder season, meaning spring (April, May) or fall (September, October). You won't only avoid the immense crowds of summer high season but also the extreme heat in the summer months. From what I have seen and read, winter is also an excellent choice; however, be prepared for some light snow and cold nights.
We did our road trip from Mid-April to the beginning of May and felt it was a perfect time.
Where to stay at the Grand Canyon: South Rim vs North Rim
When informing yourself about the Grand Canyon, there is a lot of talk about whether you should visit the North or South Rim, and as always, there are arguments for both. Mainly the North Rim is less busy and touristy. Since we like to go off the beaten path and avoid the big crowds, you could guess that we chose the North Rim. However, that was not the case.
We chose the South Rim for several reasons:
- only the South Rim is open year-round, and hence there was no option for us at the end of April to even consider the North Rim. The lodges, campgrounds, and restaurants are only open from May 15th to October 15th.
- the North Rim is about 400m (1,000ft) higher than the South Rim and further away from the Plateau or Colorado River. A day hike with peaking at the Colorado River is not possible.
- the North Rim does not have a rim drive to take in the full magnitude with several stops along the Canyon. You can drive to several lookouts, but it will not be the same experience as driving the Desert View Drive along the South Rim
- the North Rim Campground is a good 4-hour drive from Flagstaff. In contrast, the Mather Campground at the South Rim is only a 1.5-hour drive and therefore fitted better into our itinerary.
Should you visit in summer and choose the North Rim, your best choice is to stay at the North Campground close to the Visitor Center and the Trailheads.
The South Rim offers more options to camp.
We highly recommend staying at the Mather Campground very close to the South Rim.
The campground offers 319 campsites, and it's the largest campground at the Grand Canyon.
Be sure to reserve in advance to get your spot. Upon booking, you can choose your campsite. We had campsite 27 on the Aspen Loop and were suuuper happy with our choice. We had booked it 3.5 months in advance, which was necessary, as the campground was full, when we arrived.
We were close to the entrance and the Camper Services Area with showers, a coffee bar, small sandwich and deli shop, and the rangers office (where the friendly rangers allowed me to charge my camera battery for my DSLR camera, as it is not possible to charge with USB in the van). We paid US$18 per night, which made it the cheapest campground during our entire road trip.
Being close to the entrance was a significant advantage and time saver in the evening and morning, as we were only a five-minute walk from the bus station for our day hike and a 20-minute walk to the South Rim. By staying at the end of the campground, you can easily add another 20 minutes walking to the entrance of the campground. By staying so close to the camper services, we had absolutely no noise issue; on the contrary, we were still nestled beautifully in the pine forest.
Other than Mather Campground, there is the Trailer Village, which offers full hook-ups and therefore is best for larger non-compact RVs.
Should you be unlucky and not be able to snatch a campsite inside the National Park, you have three options to camp just outside the South Entrance:
- the Ten-X Campground, which is operated by the US Forest Service. However, it is only open from May 1st to October 16th. It is a lot more basic than Mather Campground, as there are no showers and only pit toilets. Only 15 of the 70 sites can be reserved in advance and costs US$10 per night per campervan.
- the Grand Canyon Camper Village, which is a commercial campground in the town of Tusayan. Be sure to check the season-opening times, as it is also closed for winter. You will find showers there.
- Free camping in the National Forest outside the National Park. In the US, free camping is also called dispersed camping, and it is allowed in National Forests and on BLM lands. For more information on camping on BLM land, please refer to our article about Joshua Tree.
Camping outside the Grand Canyon National Park "must be at least 0.25mile/ 0.4 km away from Highway 64. Other restrictions may apply. Contact the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest, P.O. Box 3088, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 or call 928) 638-2443 for information." *nps.gov
When staying outside the National Park near Tusayan, be sure to take into consideration that it will take you about 15-20 minutes driving to the Visitor Center at the South Rim. In peak season, this can easily be double with traffic at the South Entrance.
Activities at the Grand Canyon
You could spend a month in the Grand Canyon National Park and still not have done and experienced everything it has to offer.
Be sure not to just be a tourist and look down on the Canyon from the rim and head off to your next destination. Plan at least two nights to allow you one full day activity to experience the Canyon from a completely different angle. For us, this was a full day hike down to the Plateau in the Canyon.
Our timing turned out to be perfect, and we can only recommend you to work out an itinerary that allows you to experience the same, to get the maximum out of the Grand Canyon with the little time you have. Be sure to include the following activities:
- sunrise
- exploring the rim
- full-day hike
- sunset
Plan to arrive at the campground in the afternoon, in order to head straight to the South Rim, to experience the fantastic sunset. From the entrance of the Mather Campground head past the McKee amphitheater through the delicious pine forest to the South Rim Trail (about 15-20 minutes walking).
Start walking east on the Rim Trail, stopping every so often to take in the amazing views in the evening sun. You will pass by the Trail of Time and the Geology Museum depicting the development and erosion of the Grand Canyon over the past centuries and stop at the Yavapai Viewpoint to take in the sunset.
You might be wondering how crowded the rim was. Well, considering that the Grand Canyon is one of the most famous National Parks in the world, we were amazed by how much space we had to move around. Yes, of course, there were people around us. But we never felt squeezed or pushed or uncomfortable. On the contrary, we had enough space to be in the first row at the viewpoint taking in the changing colors in peace.
After the sunset, return to the campground the same way and call it an early night to prepare for your hike down the Canyon in the morning.
Depending on how long and how deep you plan on heading down the Canyon, you need to get up before sunrise. We got up at 5 am, put on our hiking outfit, had our breakfast, and headed for the free shuttle bus stop right in front of the campground.
We hiked the Bright Angel Trail down to the Tonto Plateau that day. For an in-depth description of that hike, our experience, and why we chose the Bright Angel Trail over the South Kaibab Trail, read our article below.
The afternoon after the hike was perfect to relax a bit, and to use our spacious campsite to wash our activewear with our cool Scrubba bag, and cook a simple delicious pasta with pesto dinner.
In order for you to experience sunrise (which you absolutely should!), nature calls for another very early morning. We had to get up at 4 am to witness a peaceful and magical sunrise again from the Yavapai Point at the South Rim.
As so often anywhere in the world, sunrise is the time to experience the greatest natural attractions with so much more peace than during the day or at sunset. You will always encounter a few photographers and other active souls, appreciating waking up in the early hours.
After the sun had risen, continue to drive east along the Desert View Drive, making multiple stops at the upcoming viewpoints and eventually exiting the Grand Canyon National Park to the east.
The Grand Canyon offers a multitude of hiking options, and as always when road-tripping, you cannot see it all. I would love to go back and spend a month in and around the Canyon to discover its ever-changing perspectives.
While we were heading down the Bright Angel Trail, we met a group of hikers with large backpacks heading up. It was pretty clear that they were not on a day trip, so we chatted them up, and they just ended a week-long rafting trip on the Colorado River #jealous!.
Also, the rim-to-rim hike is really asking for my attention and calls for another visit.
That being said, when starting to plan our road trip, we, of course, wanted to camp in the Canyon next to the Colorado River. Well, we learned fast that we were not the only ones and that it requires a special permit. Getting that permit proved to be a rather big challenge, which is why we settled for the two nights at Mathers Campground and the day hike that we did.
In order to get a backcountry permit, you need to plan well in advance and ideally have access to a faxing machine. Yep, you read that right.
Each year many more requests for backcountry permits are being sent to the Ranger Station than it has available. A limited number of last-minute permits are issued by walking up in person to the Information Center on each rim, but you really need to plan ahead and bring some time. Applications for a backcountry permit can't be submitted electronically. They either need to be faxed (fastest), mailed by postal mail, or handed in in person.
When do you need to apply for a backcountry permit for the Grand Canyon?
Check the National Park Service backcountry permits page for full details.
Should you not be able or want to be so active, the best way to get a different perspective and a grand overview of the Canyon is to take a helicopter flight. There are different operators offering tours from Grand Canyon, as well as Las Vegas, from short flights to extended full packages, depending on your time and budget.
What to wear when hiking the Grand Canyon
Desert nights are chilly, while middays are extremely hot under the sun. The best way to prepare for those different climates is to bring layers. You will be bundled up in long pants and a fleece in the mornings and evenings while wearing a sports shirt and shorts during the day to provide the best circulation and sweat control.
I recommend you bring sturdy hiking shoes, as the terrain is rocky and unstable at times and consider wearing a hat, as deep down in the Canyon; the midday sun is very intense. Absolutely make sure to wear sunscreen and sunglasses. If you can, also consider bringing a pair of hiking poles with you. Ours are from Leki. They will support you tremendously, especially on the way down, and will take pressure from your knees.
Always carry enough water with you. We prefer to carry our Source water bubble inside of our backpack. This allows us to have an even weight of the backpack and easy and constant access to water while hiking. However, the three-liter water bubble that each of us has is not enough to take on a full day hike down the Canyon. We each also carried our one-liter SIGG water bottles, as well as a smaller bottle with an Isostar Electrolyte mix.
For a detailed overview of what our layers consist of and what to pack in general for an active outdoor trip, take a look at our article: 'What to Pack for Your Next Active Campervan Trip'.
What would be your favorite activity when visiting the Grand Canyon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
