Grand Canyon.. which is the nearest state/town/city to it?

Question

I'm from the UK and am thinking of going to see it in December and just spending some time in this neck of the woods... not sure if if I should be flying into Phoenix? Also are there any Native American reservations nearby that I can visit or stay at? Ta

Johnny P.. thank you for being so rude.. I really should have asked on the UK Y Answers!!

Answer 1

December is actually a great time to visit the canyon. The weather is usually not bad, you will miss all the big crowds, and if there is a little snow on the ground it is incredible looking. As others have mentioned the nearest towns to the south rim of the Grand Canyon are Flagstaff and Williams which are both along Interstate 40 about 1.5 hours drive from the park entrance. The nearest town with a major airport (including regular flights to the UK) is Phoenix, which is about 2 hours from Flagstaff. The canyon's north rim is closed in winter.

Flagstaff has a wide range of lodging and food options including all the major chains. There is also the small community of Tusyan just outside the park gates. It is basically a mile stretch of road with nothing but hotels, cafes, and gift shops aimed at canyon visitors (rather touristy).

I would highly recommend trying to stay inside the park itself so you can come and go as you please and stroll from your room to easily watch a sunset or sunrise over the canyon. Xanterra runs a number of lodges inside the park and most are right by the rim or within walking distance. The most expensive and most grand is the famous El Tovar built in 1905. Kachina and Thunderbird lodges are like modern hotels and also a bit pricy. One of my favorites (and least expensive) is the comfortable old 1930s Bright Angel Lodge. Maswick has nice rooms, reasonable prices, and the best parking. You can make reservations online - if everything is booked, trying calling by phone a few times - you can often pick up cancellations that are not visible online.

Contrary to what a poster above says, Grand Canyon National Park never closes in winter even during storms (there is a whole small village of people that live there). Bad snow storms or icy conditions CAN close roads around Flagstaff (which is at 7000 feet elevation) including parts of I-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix, sections of I-40 and the road from Flagstaff (or Williams) to the canyon. Having the road completely closed is rare and usually only lasts for a day at the most, but you should be ready (and comfortable) for the possibility of icy conditions in that area and have a tire chains for your car. Dress warm - especially at night (remember the south rim itself is at 6000 feet elevation). If you plan to do any hiking, it is not a bad idea to have crampons or 'yaktraks' if the trails are icy.

As for things to see and do nearby. The famous Navajo and Hopi reservations are just to the east of the canyon. The Navajo were traditionally nomadic (related to the Apache) and many of the Hopi still live in their traditional mesa-top stone pueblos. Just east of the canyon (where highway 89A to Page crosses the Little Colorado River) is Cameron Trading Post which has a good selection of Navajo blankets (and very tasty Navajo Tacos). A little further north and you will be on the reservation. The Tuba City Trading Post 9 (at Tuba City - a reservation town) is a neat building with a good selection of crafts. On the Hopi mesas, you can visit a museum and reservation-ran store, but much of the Hopi reservation (including most of the old villages) can only be visited with special permits. The reservation roads are often narrow and winding and can be icy in winter - be careful and watch for livestock on the road. From Grand Canyon village, it is about 40 minutes to Cameron and another 45 minutes or so to Tuba City.

Monument Valley is also a great place to visit on the Navajo Reservation and Gouldings Lodge is a great place to stay there (MV is where many famous western movies were filmed), however it is probably 2.5-3 hours drive from the canyon.

There are several other reservations for other tribes (mostly Yavapai) between Phoenix and Flagstaff, but most have little in the way of museums, crafts shops, traditional housing, or other things open or interesting to non-tribal members (other than casinos). If you are in Phoenix and interested in Southwestern American Indians, you should visit the well respected Heard Museum (specializes in Native American arts and history) downtown.

Also in the vicinity of the canyon (and worth visiting) are a number of sights in Flagstaff including the historic downtown area (from the Route 66 days), Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered in 1930) and the Museum of Northern Arizona (also excellent Indian arts and history exhibits). Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments (just northeast of Flagstaff) are vary interesting and often overlooked. Sunset crater is an old volcanic field (lava flows, etc) and Wupatki is a prehistoric indian pueblo ruin.

Have fun! The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World for a good reason.

Answer 2

Hi,,, hmm,,, The grand canyon is at the North of Arizona, near Flagstaff.. It is several hours away from there..

Now, the only problem you might run into is if it snows,, the park will be closed...
You can e mail the national park service and find out more information... and make reservations at the lodge at the Grand Canyon.. that is very rustic and nice !!!!

Most of my native people will be inside, because i promise, it will be Damn Cold that time of year.... You really should come in the Spring... or early Summer....no offense....


Good luck,

Answer 3

Hi. Stormy. I'll answer your question to the best of my knowledge. Grand Canyon is the nearest state to Arizona. Also sheck out some locations in the state of Arizona because I think they'reare some Indian Reservation there.

Answer 4

Flagstaff, Arizona and there's a Navajo Reservation nearby...try yahooing Grand Canyon and then looking at the map...it's a pretty good one.

Answer 5

We just stayed at the Best Western in Williams and it was great. The rates were right around $85 a night and that includes a free continental breakfast that's nicer than most. The rooms were clean and they have a little gift shop plus free high speed internet service. Highly recommended.

Answer 6

Phoenix, sounds pretty good. But the grand canyon is just a big hole in the ground not very exciting.

Answer 7

Jeezus. You ever heard of what I invented? It's called the internet.