My husband and I are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, what should we do?

Question

* 1 day donkey ride down and up
* donkey ride down, spend the night, next day ride up
* Hoover Dam Tour
* anything else?
not interested in helicopter; have never been there before. I am a photographer and need opportunities to take photos.
*Do the train or motorcoach rides allow for stopping and photo taking?
* The hiking reservations through Xanterra are already full. Are there other companies that do hiking?

Oh, and are the mule rides scary?

Answer 1

I have been to the Grand Canyon many many times and on one of those trips I did take the mule ride down, spent the night at Phantom Ranch and then rode back up the next day. THAT was/is THE most exciting thing I have ever done in my life (but I don't sky dive or bungee jump). First, if you want to do the mule ride you absolutely MUST make reservations far in advance. I mean like a year or so in advance. When I did the mule ride I made my reservations in February and they only had a couple days open for me to select from for a July date and I was able to get that date because I was a party of one.

If you want to get pictures of the Canyon from the bottom up then do one of the mule rides. I think the one day down and back would be OK if you cannot get on the overnight trip. One the one day you do not go across the suspension bridge at the bottom to the other side of the river and you do not see the Phantom Ranch and it's surroundings.

One of my good friends just did the train ride from Williams to the Canyon and they showed us nice pictures but although the train does not stop in between, there is not much to see that you cannot photograph from the train.

When you get to the Canyon there is a tram that you must ride to get to the overlooks along the West Rim Drive. You cannot go by car. The trams run every 15 minutes or so and you can get on and off at whatever stop you want. The tram makes the same stops going and coming back so I suggest riding all the way to the end and then get off on the way back at the stops that look interesting.

If you are driving to the Canyon from somewhere east, take the East entrance to the park because you will see a different perspective as the depth and width of the canyon expand as you go west. Plus there is no tram service to see the East rim drive. Tour buses do it, but not the Park Service's trams.

You can hike down the canyon trails on your own without going with a company, if you just want to go as far as the Indian Gardens and then come back up. Just be prepared for the heat with a big hat, long sleeves and a gallon of water. You'll need good walking shoes of course but you have to also be aware of all of the mule poop and stuff on the trail.

The Hoover dam is a nice view but it is a long ways from the Grand Canyon. The dam is just about 30 miles from Las Vegas and will take about 4 and a half hours to drive to from the Canyon. Now if you are driving to Vegas after the Canyon, then for sure stop at the dam. You will pass right over it on the drive to Vegas.

If you are staying overnight, which I recommend, have dinner at the Arizona Room restaurant, it has a beautiful view of the Canyon at sunset. Also, take a flashlight as it gets mighty dark there at night and you never know what animal you may walk up on in the dark.

Answer 2

When are you planning on doing this because it does make a difference ?
Also where are you starting and ending points ?
Edit
Let me suggest this as an alternate routing from Las Vegas. Quite honesly it will add about 135 miles onto your trip But if you're a photographer, the spectaular and diverse scenery of this routing is well worth the additional miles .
When you enter it into mapquest as
LAS > Kanab UT > Lee's Ferry AZ> GCN
it doesn't look like much but on the ground it's a whole 'nother story
Leaving LAS at daybreak the trip to Kanab takes you up I-15 and thru the amazing Virgin River Gorge .
When you leave I-15 and p/u SR9 [get gas in Hurricane] it will take you to and thru Zion NP [talk to the ranger about the annual parks pass option ] to the jct of US 89 . The crossbedded sandstones at the top of Zion are incredible
From US89 South you will take it to Kanab and then US 89A-South to Fredonia AZ then climbing up into the trees before finally reaching about 8000' at Jacob Lake -and the turn off to the N.Rim.[dont use it ]
from Jacob Lake to Lee's Ferry is one of my favorite short [40 miles ] stretches of road in America. There are spots on it that you can literally see 100 miles. There's a scenic over look just as you leave the pines
When you get to the Lee's Ferry -use the turnoff for it and follow the road all the way around to the put -in point for raft & dory trips down the river.Until you get back to Hoover Dam or Laughlin it will be your only chance to touch the River.Lee's Ferry is also mile zero for the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon .
Back on the road
As soon as you cross the river via Navajo Bridge you will be in a different country ;The Navajo Nation and you will stay in that country until you see a sign on SR 64 that says "Entering Kaibab National Forest
When you get to Cameron make a right on SR 64 . I would get gas at the Cameron Trading Post and it's also the best place for many a mile to get a decent meal and not a bad place to spend a night if the Canyon is all full up
Resist the urge to buy jewelry a better jewelry stand is exactly six miles up SR 64 at a scenic overlook for the Little Colorado River
When you see the sign for Kaibab National Forest, pull over and look behind you across the Navajo and Hopi Reservations and the Painted Desert
Let me suggest a favorite day hike for you.
You will of course need to be properly equiped , there is no water enroute-nor restrooms . I would cache some water for the uphill trip about half way down and like all GCN day hikes you will need to leave a good part of the day to do it
Park your car at Lipan Point -one of my favorite view points -walk down the road and find the the Tanner trailhead,take that to the sadddle between Cardenas and Escalante Buttes and explore the great views from the saddle
Before I finish this let me suggest a book that you may want to see if you can find it
Corridors of Time by Robert Redfern,
It's a geological photo essay of the Canyon
Your local library may have it in the reference section
I would also get a copy of the Sierra Club book Hiking the Grand Canyon by John Annerino -he's good
If you leave GCN before noon you may want to try this routing back to LAS
GCN>Peach Springs > click avoid highways then Oatman AZ > LAS
That routing will take you on as much of intact Rt 66 as is left in AZ..Get gas where Rt66 crosses I-40 in Kingman
Have fun
Btw I don't know if anybody told you this but there is a strictly enforced 200 lb limit on the mules. So if your husband is a big man mules may not be an option anyway

Answer 3

Ok, 1st the donkey tours: They offer 2 tours. The day tour is takes you to Plateau Point. From there you can see the inner gorge that you cannot see from the rim. I'm not sure on the hrs. on "donkey back", but it's something like 6. They do feed you lunch at Indian Gardens and then you split from the over night donkey riders to go out to Plateau Point then you come back out. You don't really get to get off the donkey while on the trail, there just isn't room. However, these animals are trained to follow the tail in front of them. So, if you want to take pics, you can do so while in the saddle. Now the over night trip takes you all the way to the bottom to stay at Phantom Ranch. The price includes your ride, stay at the Ranch, dinner, and breakfast. It is about a 6 hr ride down and almost 5 out (you take a different trail out. It is steeper and hard on the donkey's knees to go down with a rider). Unless you are a cowboy by trade and spend hours every day in the saddle, bring some muscle rub and apply it liberally all over before bed. Even to places you don't hurt, because you will be sore in the morning. I took the over night trip in Feb of 2000 as part of my training to work as concierge at the El Tovar Hotel. It was great, cold, but great. If you plan to go in the summer though, you may not be able to reservations for this summer. However, if you are going in the winter, it is much easier to get a reservation. It is up to you to decide which tour you do. You may only be able to reservations for one or the other (that will make you decision easy..LOL)
2nd Hoover Dam: This is cool, but a little out of the way unless you are heading to Vegas. It is about a 4hr drive from the park (Vegas is about 5 hrs away). Even if you don't take a tour of the Dam, there is plenty to see. The Angels of Mercy are beautiful Art Deco sculptures. As cool as the Dam is, I wouldn't make the trip just to see the Dam. But I would allow the time to see it if you are heading to Vegas anyway.
3rd Train/Motor coach tours: The train does not take you by the Canyon (until it gets there anyway). It takes you from Williams 50 mi. south of the park through the Ponerosa (sp) Pine forest. The trip takes about 2 hrs and the train gets "robed". I would recommend it if you are a train buff (some of the cars are antiques) or you have young children (4-10 range). The motor coach tours are neat in the fact that you have a guide with you to answer questions. These tour guides are usually long time park residents and are a wealth of info. You only stop a 3 points on either tour (Hermits Rest or Desert View). You do get out and look around and get the opportunity to take pictures. The guide is also a trust worthy person to had your camera to to take a pic of you and your hubby. Also available or Ranger Walks/Talks. These are free and provided by the Park Service. They change every so often and you can find a listing of them in The Guide. The Guide is a free paper the Park Service puts out. It has tons of good info on the park.
And 4th Tips: No matter what time of year you travel to Grand Canyon, bring a jacket. The rim is at 7000'. It get chilly at night in the summer and down right cold in the winter.
If you do take the donkey tour, pack some clothes that are easy to layer. The bottom of the canyon is a mile lower than the rim, therefore, it is much warmer there even in the winter. You will want to peal off layers and you go down.
And lastly, park you car and leave it. The park provides a free shuttle that will take you just about anywhere you want to go. Parking at the rim is limited and a nightmare no matter what the season. If you find parking there, don't give it up! If you cannot find parking try by the Bright Angel Cabins (turn in Bright Angel's parking lot and go to the end, instead of making a left to exit, turn right up the hill. Follow the road around and park at the top of the hill). If this is full, then the next best place is by the RR tracks. If this is full, park 1 1/2 mi away at the post office. Get on the free shuttle to get to the rim. If you are staying at a rim lodge, they do have loading zones in front of the hotels so you don't have to hike your luggage from where ever you park. Also, if you stay in a rim lodge, you may want to use the Bell men. The El Tovar is 3 stories and has no elevator. Trust me when I tell, 3 flights of stairs at 7000' is no picnic.
That is about it. When you get to the park, you can pick up brochures on other tours. They do not usually sell out months in advance as most people don't even know about them until they get there. I hope you have a good trip.

Answer 4

Well, you seem to have it: donkey ride, spend the night, Hoover Dam.

Are you going to the North rim or the south rim? They have different pros and cons.

Answer 5

Tinkertoy above had some good comments and suggestions.

As noted, staying at the bottom (Phantom Ranch) generally requires reservations a year or so in advance (although you can sometimes get lucky and pick up somebody's last minute cancellation). Note that unless you are staying at Phantom Ranch, you can't take a mule day trip all the way to the bottom and back (it is too long of a trip). The day trips go down half-way to Indian Gardens and Plateau Point (still a nice trip). Even for these half-day trips, you should get reservations.

As far as lodging - this time of year in particular, it is not uncommon for people to cancel last minute. I have often tried calling (not the website) a couple times in the week or two before I go and pick up a cancelled room. If that does not work, there are a number of hotels just outside the park gate at Tusayan (see link below). You would definitely be able to get a room at Flagstaff or Williams (about an hour away). Flagstaff is a worthwhile place to stay in itself with a couple of good museums and a neat historic downtown with art galleries and cafes.

If you are a photographer, you will probably just want to hike around the canyon on your own rather than take a mule ride anyways. This is cheaper, easier to arrange, and allows you to stop when and where you want. You definitely don't need a guide to do short day hikes on the main trails of the South Rim (Bright Angel, Hermit, South Kaibab). Just make sure you have comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, carry water and remember it takes about twice as much time/energy coming up as it does going down.

From May through Sept, the South Rim can be quite warm as the poster above mentions and a broad-brimmed hat and lots of water are a must for hiking. But at 7,000 feet elevation, the South Rim gets quite cool in winter and you should be prepared for cold temps and weather if you are going then (it is still very nice for walking and hiking unless a storm goes through).

For photography on the South Rim, the best day hike by far is to go down the South Kaibab trail (trailhead is near Yaqi Point) for 1.4 miles to Cedar Ridge. South Kaibab follows a ridge line and so has much broader expansive views than either Bright Angel or Hermit trails (which are tucked back up side canyons). Cedar Ridge (where the first restrooms on the trail are) has amazing views (one of my favorite spots in the canyon) and a good chance of seeing ravens, condors and mountain sheep. Be aware, there is no water anywhere along the South Kabaib trail. If you happen to be visiting after a major snow storm (unlikely before December), there is a chance of icy spots on the upper portions of all the trails.

Aside from hiking into the canyon a bit (which I do highly recommend), there are of course many popular viewing spots along the rim itself that don't require any hiking. Mather and Yavapai Points (as you first come into the park from the south) are quite spectacular (Yavapai in particular gives you good views of Bright Angel canyon and a glimpse of the river) - although these overlooks can get crowded.

As the poster above mentions, there is free shuttle that runs from the lodges to Hermit's Rest and back along the western edge of the rim and you can get on and off at a number of overlooks along the way. I highly recommend this as well. One nice thing to do, is get off at one overlook and then walk along the easy rim trail to the next overlook - this allows you to get a little privacy and solitute since people tend to cluster at the main overlooks.

East of the lodges, you can follow AZ64 along the rim to the park's east entrance at the old Trading Post of Cameron (an interesting stop). There are a number of interesting overlooks along the way (Grandview, Lipan, Desertview) which are very nice and generally much less crowded than the ones near the lodges. You must drive to all of these on your own (no shuttles).

Also, as a photographer, don't overlook the park's many historic buildings - Grand Canyon village is widely recognized by architects and historians for having one of the best collections of different park construction styles in the country. Many of the buildings were designed by famous Santa Fe railroad architect Mary J. Colter. Of particular interest are the grand 1905 El Tovar Hotel (check on the lobby), the nearby 1905 Hopi House (gift shop built to look like an indian pueblo), Lookout Studio, Bright Angel Lodge and Hermit's Rest. The old Kolb photo studio (near Bright Angel trailhead) often has free art and photo exhibits.

For photography in general at the canyon, sunrise and sunset are especially nice because of the contrasts of light and dark on the rocks. Storm clouds at any time of the day can also make for dramatic lighting effects. A wide angle lens is helpful, but don't get so focused on the large wide views that you miss the many interesting close-up possibilities of little details and smaller features.

All of the above applies to the South Rim. The North Rim is higher elevations, colder and much less developed. I actually prefer the North Rim during summer, but it is closed from mid-October to mid-May due to snow and cold.

Lastly, since you mention Hoover Dam, I assume you are coming from the west (Vegas?). If the weather is good, you may want to consider taking a detour off I-40 to follow the longest surviving stretch of Old Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman (be sure to stop at the historic Snow Top Cafe in Seligman). This is a very scenic and famous stretch of old 66 (much of the movie 'Cars' was based on this section) and is more interesting that I-40. As far as Hoover Dam goes - yeah, it is interesting, but not that interesting. And expect lots of traffic congestion around the dam.

Have fun!