A North Rim family site in the pines.

Dear Arizona Travel: 
Are the North Rim campsites open through the month of October, so we can reserve them on June 1st?
Thanks,

Dania S.

Hello, Dania!

The North Rim closes in mid-October every year.  After mid-October, weather permitting, a limited number of campsites at the North Rim Campground with limited services (portable toilets) will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until snow closes Highway 67. Hikers and cross-country skiers will be permitted to use the park’s group campsites throughout the winter months if they have obtained a permit through the park’s Backcountry Information Center.

There is also outside the park camping near the North Rim:

DeMotte Campground
Operated by the U.S. Forest Service. 16 miles/ 28km north of the canyon rim. No hookups or reservations. Generally open May 15 to Nov. 1 for overnight camping, depending on snowfall. $17 for the first vehicle, $8 for the second, per site.

Jacob Lake Campground
Operated by the U.S. Forest Service, 45 miles/75 km north of the North Rim, during the summer only, no hookups or reservations. $17 per per night for first vehicle; second vehicle $8.00 Free evening programs.

Dispersed Camping
is permitted in the national forest outside the park; there are restrictions, however. Inquire at North Rim Visitor Center inside park, or at Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center at Jacob Lake (928) 643-7298. In winter contact the North Kaibab Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest, P.O. Box 248, Fredonia, AZ 86022 or call (928) 643-7395.

Kaibab Camper Village (Jacob Lake)
Commercial campground located ¼ mile/0.5 km south of Jacob Lake on Arizona Highway 67. Full hook-ups available. Phone (928) 643-7804 May 15-October 15. Off-season phone (928) 526-0924, outside AZ 1-800-525-0924.

Hope this answers your question!

–ChristinaToo

Today, we kick off a series we’re calling Back(pack) to Basics series with a general guide to the Grand Canyon. We’ll answer all the basic questions about visiting the Grand Canyon in a lightweight, easy-to-carry guide you can stuff in your “backpack” of web resources and maybe even visit this Natural Wonder of the World this summer.

Simple Starters

Grand Canyon National Park is located entirely in northern Arizona near the southern border of Utah and the southeastern tip of Nevada.

Most visitors come to the South Rim (open all year). The North Rim (open mid-May through mid October only) has fewer facilities and is less accessible (it is over 200 miles one way by automobile from the South Rim to the North Rim, a 5-hour drive for most). When making reservations for lodging and camping remember to identify the rim you plan on visiting.

• Bring an extra set of car keys it could be a long wait for a locksmith.
• Film is available at both rims, but the closest camera repair is in Flagstaff, Williams, or Page.
• There is an automobile mechanic on the South Rim, but you may experience delays waiting for parts.
• Distances are deceiving in this part of the country: it may look like you can visit three parks in one day, but reality is often different.
• Keep your gas tank full the next gas station may be quite some distance down the road.
• Carry water in your car, particularly during summer months.
• Cell phone service is very limited, if at all available, inside the Park.

General Information

Pets
Pets are allowed in the park but must be on a leash at all times. Leashed pets are allowed on rim trails throughout the developed areas in the park but not below the rim, in park lodging or on park buses. The only exception is certified service dogs. Persons wishing to take a certified service dog below the rim must check in first at the Ranger Office (at the corner of Center Road and Village Loop Drive.)

A kennel is available at the South Rim only. It is open daily from 7:30am – 5pm. Call (928) 638-0534 for information. Reservations are suggested.

Fishing
Fishing in the park requires an Arizona state fishing license. Licenses are available at the Camping Department of the DNPS General Store at Market Plaza, Grand Canyon Village, South Rim. They are not available at the North Rim. Make sure you know the regulations before you fish.

The best time of year to fish for trout within the park is in the fall and winter. Bright Angel Creek by Phantom Ranch permits unlimited trout fishing; unlimited striped bass; unlimited catfish. Trout taken at Bright Angel Creek shall be killed and retained as part of the bag limit or immediately released.

Ranger-led Programs
National Park Service (NPS) rangers offer a wide variety of interpretive programs throughout the year on the South Rim, including a nightly evening program (indoors in colder weather, outdoors in summer) and throughout the season on the North Rim. All NPS programs are free and open to the public. Detailed program information is listed in the park’s newspaper available at the entrance station.

Bus & Air Tours
Persons wishing to take a guided bus tour should visit our Grand Canyon Tours by Land: Hike, Ride, Rail, Walk. A variety of different tours are available throughout the year.

All scenic air tours operate from outside Grand Canyon National Park. Local commercial air tour operators are located in Grand Canyon Airport (just south of Tusayan). For a list of air tour operators, visit our Grand Canyon Helicopter & Air Tours page.

Bicycling
Bicycles are not available for rent in the park. If you plan to bring one, remember that in Arizona bicycles are subject to the same traffic rules as automobiles. Use extreme caution when riding on park roads; shoulders are narrow and vehicle traffic is heavy. The West Rim Drive is open to bicycles throughout the year, but remember that during the summer months there is heavy bus traffic on the West Rim Drive. Use caution and do not obstruct traffic. Bicycles are not allowed on any park trails.

Mountain bikes are allowed only on those roads open to automobile traffic.

Shuttle Transportation
From March 13 to October 18 the park operates a free shuttle bus system on the South Rim in Grand Canyon Village and along the West Rim Drive. These shuttles provide transportation; they are not tour buses. You must get off the bus to see the canyon. Most shuttles are inaccessible to wheelchairs. However, accommodations can be made with advance notice by calling 928-638-0591 at least 24 hours in advance.

Shuttle service is provided seasonally between the North Rim and the South Rim for a fee by Trans Canyon Shuttle (928-638-2820). Shuttles depart the North Rim daily at 7 a.m. with arrivals to the South Rim at noon; South Rim departures are at 1:30 p.m. daily with arrivals to the North Rim at 6:30 p.m.

Medical Services in the Park
The South Rim has a clinic and pharmacy (928-638-2551) open all year. Emergency medical services are provided by rangers and clinic staff – dial 9-1-1. North Rim emergency medical services are provided by rangers on duty – dial 9-1-1.

Accessibility
Not all park facilities meet the accessibility standards that have been set in recent years, and many of the buildings in the park are historic. However, many facilities are accessible with assistance, and an increasing number of facilities are accessible. Accessibility Guide may be downloaded here.

Lodging
In-Park

Lodging on the South Rim is booked well in advance. Be sure to make reservations as far ahead as possible. A variety of lodging facilities are available and reservations are handled by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Prices range from $45 to $285 per night for two people. There is no youth hostel in Grand Canyon National Park.

Out-of-Park
The following accommodations are available in Tusayan, 7 miles south of the South Rim. More details about these hotels can be found on our South Rim Lodging page

Camping
In-Park
Camping in the park on the South Rim is restricted to established campgrounds, although a few remote sites are available with a Backcountry permit.

Mather Campground: Operated by the National Park Service and located in Grand Canyon Village, this campground offers tent and RV camping (no hook-ups). Reservations are required from April 1 through November. For online reservations, visit http://reservations.nps.gov. Fees are $12 to $15 per site depending on the season. Maximum of two vehicles and six people per site. Sites may be reserved up to five months in advance. Campsite reservations are booked well in advance; make reservations as far in advance as you can. Mather Campground is handled on a first-come, first-served basis from approximately December 1 to March 1 of each year. Cost: $10 per site.

Trailer Village: (adjacent to Mather Campground) offers RV sites with hook-ups; reservations may be made by calling 303-297-2757. Cost: $20 per site. A dump station is located adjacent to Mather Campground and Trailer Village on the South Rim (closed during the winter months).

Desert View Campground: (26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village; no hook-ups) is open mid-May through mid-October and operates on a first-come, first-served basis only. Cost: $12 per site (maximum of 2 vehicles and 6 people per site).

Out-of-Park
Ten-X Campground: The U.S. Forest Service operates this public campground 2 miles south of Tusayan. Open May through September. No hook-ups or showers; pit toilets and cold water faucets are located throughout the campground. Campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis and rarely fills. Cost: $10 per vehicle per night (maximum of two vehicles per site). Group site is available for groups of up to 100 people, reservations required. Call 520-638-2443.

Dispersed Camping: Dispersed camping, or camping “at-large” is permitted in the national forest outside the park. Camping must be at least 1/4 mile 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 520-638-2443 for information.

Services

A variety of services are available in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim and in Tusayan, 7 miles south of the rim.

Dining
A wide variety of restaurants are available in the park from formal El Tovar Hotel to cafeterias at Yavapai and Maswik Lodges. Tusayan offers both fast food and more formal dining.

Fuel
Gas, diesel, and propane are available at Desert View, in Tusayan, and just outside the south entrance.

Showers and Laundry
Located adjacent to Mather Campground in Grand Canyon Village and in Tusayan.

Groceries
Available in Grand Canyon Village, at Desert View, and in Tusayan.

Camping Equipment
Sales and rentals in the Grand Canyon Village. Other: Post office, Western Union office, bank, automatic teller machine (ATM).

Park Headquarters & Visitor Center

The main park Visitor Center and Headquarters building is located on the South Rim at the east end of Grand Canyon Village, 6 miles from the South Entrance Station, and is open all year. Other visitor contact stations open year-round with exhibits, ranger staff, and/or bookstore operations include Tusayan Museum, Desert View, and Yavapai Observation Station. North Rim Visitor Center is open during the summer months.

How to See the Canyon

There are many overlooks accessible by car that offer spectacular views of the canyon. The East Rim Drive (Highway 64) follows the canyon rim for 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village to Desert View (the east entrance to the park). The East Rim Drive is open to private vehicles throughout the year. The West Rim Drive follows the rim for 8 miles west from Grand Canyon Village to Hermits Rest. The West Rim Drive is closed to private automobiles from mid-March through mid-October. At that time of year the park runs a free shuttle bus to provide transportation to overlooks on the West Rim Drive.

A hiking trail follows the rim from Yavapai Point to Hermits Rest; the Rim Trail is paved from Yavapai Point west only as far as Maricopa Point. Unpaved portions of the trail are narrow and close to the edge.

Yavapai Observation Station (at Yavapai Point, just west of Mather Point on the South Rim) offers panoramic views of the canyon (including the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch) from inside the building and is open all year.

For viewing and photographing the canyon, the light is most dramatic early or late in the day; mid-day sun tends to flatten the view and soften the colors. Remember that days are short in the winter and long in the summer. Times for sunrise and sunset are listed in THE GUIDE, the park newspaper issued at the park entrance. If you’re planning to see the canyon at sunrise or sunset, it is recommended that you be on the rim at least an hour beforehand.

The Colorado River, which is responsible for the existence of Grand Canyon, lies at the bottom of the canyon, 5000 feet below the rim. Because of the enormous depth of Grand Canyon, the river is visible only from certain viewpoints. It is a two-day (round-trip) hike to the river from the South Rim for most people; it’s a longer trip from the North Rim. It is possible to drive to the Colorado River at Lees Ferry (near Marble Canyon, Arizona) but this is a 2 1/2 hour drive (one way) from the South Rim. Lees Ferry marks the official beginning of Grand Canyon, and the canyon is only a few hundred feet deep at this point.

Hiking and Backpacking

Grand Canyon offers some of the most challenging hiking and backpacking found anywhere in North America. Steep trails, intense heat, fast changing weather, and elusive water and shade combine to make for harsh conditions–even on a good day. Over 250 visitors are evacuated from the Canyon for medical emergencies by the park service Search and Rescue team each year. Proper planning and training is imperative.

With few exceptions the 1.2 million acre national park is fair game for foot traffic. Due to the difficult terrain the vast majority of the backcountry is only accessible by experienced off-trail hikers or uphill forays from rafting trips. To assist the rest of us there are approximately two dozen established trails that provide access to some of the park’s most remarkable destinations.

These trails begin on the North or South Rim and eventually make their way to the rock bottom of the Canyon a vertical mile below. The trails vary in length and difficulty. A backcountry permit is required for all overnight camping in the park. Find out more about securing a permit by following this link http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm

Day hikers are not required to obtain a permit from the park service. They should choose their route carefully, and let someone know where they are going and when they plan on returning. Each year several day hikers become lost or disoriented in the Canyon, and several perish as a result. Don’t become a statistic. Do your homework, don’t take any undue risks, and stay well within your known limits in terms of physical exertion.

Best Day Hike

Bright Angel Trail
The best day hike for newcomers to the Grand Canyon is a descent of the Bright Angel Trail. This historic trail begins in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim and tumbles seven miles to the Colorado River below. However, going to the river and back in a single day is strongly discouraged for any hiker on any day. The good news is that there are obvious places to change course and head back uphill including the rest houses (with treated drinking water during the hot summer months) that are found at 1.5 mile increments between the top and Indian Garden Campground which is half the distance to the bottom. Plan for twice as much time and effort to go up than it takes to go down.

As with all day hikes, get a reliable weather forecast and dress accordingly, wear sturdy shoes and a brimmed hat, and take a few quarts of water and salty snacks for each person in your party. All this same advice follows for the best day hike on the North Rim that can be found on the precipitous North Kaibab Trail.

Best Backpacking Destinations

Bright Angel Campground &Amp; Indian Garden Campground
For first-time backpackers in Grand Canyon National Park the most popular itinerary is to spend a few nights at either Bright Angel or Indian Garden Campground. The Bright Angel Campground can be accessed by either the Bright Angel or the South Kaibab Trail (off the South Rim); Indian Garden by the Bright Angel Trail. Advance campground reservations are recommended.

Both campgrounds have restrooms, treated drinking water, established campsites, individual food storage canisters (to thwart the critters), and are frequently staffed by helpful park rangers. Packing correctly will make or break your experience. For a list of backpacking gear follow this link http://www.hitthetrail.com/equipment.php

Once you’ve mastered the “easier” trails in Grand Canyon you can graduate to the next tier of more remote trails in the Hermit and Grandview Trails (South Rim). Also popular is Havasu Canyon including the waterfalls at Havasupai and Mooney Falls.

Havasupai And Mooney Falls
Havasu Canyon, home to the Havasupai Indians, is a paradise located in western Grand Canyon known worldwide for its towering waterfalls and beautifully sculpted rock. In this idyllic setting of lush side canyons and sun-splashed cliffs a small group of indigenous hunters and farmers arrived centuries ago and carved out a simple lifestyle; one that continues to this day.

Havasu Creek, the carver of this serpentine side canyon beneath the South Rim, is fed by a deep aquifer. The perennial desert stream tumbles over several major waterfalls on its journey to the Colorado River on the floor of the Grand Canyon. The presence of calcium carbonate in the highly mineralized, spring-fed water gives Havasu Creek its distinctive blue-green color. This same robust creek sustains a rich riparian ecosystem that is home to a wide variety of plants, birds, and animals.

Though many Supai tribal members continue to farm in this flood-prone drainage, tourism has emerged as the tribe’s primary source of income. Fee-based camping is offered year round. In addition to backpackers, visitors arrive by helicopter and horseback, some staying in the tribe’s rustic lodge. Camping in Havasu Canyon requires an permit that can be obtained directly from the tribe. For more information on visiting Havasu Canyon follow this link http://www.havasupaitribe.com.

The South Rim

Rim Trail
Begin from any viewpoint in the Grand Canyon Village or along Hermit Road. The Rim Trail extends from Mather Point in the Village west to Hermits Rest. It offers excellent walking for quiet views of the inner canyon and for visitors who desire an easy hike.

Bright Angel Trail
The trail begins just west of Bright Angel Lodge. It is well-maintained and follows switchbacks to the Indian Garden Campground and Inner Gorge. After Indian Garden, the trail heads east along the river to the Bright Angel Suspension Bridge and on to Phantom Ranch. The roundtrip length of the Bright Angel Trail is 19 miles and descends 4,400 feet.

South Kaibab Trail
This trail begins south of Yaki Point on Yaki Point Road. It is 12.6 miles roundtrip and is steep, dropping 5,000 feet in 6.3 miles. The trail follows ridge lines rather than side canyons. It goes to the Inner Gorge where it meets with the Kaibab Suspension Bridge on the way to Phantom Ranch.

Grandview Trail
Caution is required as this trail is unmaintained, steep, and very strenuous. It begins at Grandview Point on Desert View Drive 12 miles east of Grand Canyon Village. The 6 mile roundtrip trail descends to Horseshoe Mesa.

Hermit Trail
Hermit Trail begins 500 feet west of Hermits Rest which is 8 miles west of Grand Canyon Village. It is unmaintained, steep, and very strenuous. The 17 mile roundtrip leads from the canyon rim to the Colorado River. Sights include Hermit Gorge, The Supai Formation, Santa Maria Spring, and the Redwall Formation.

The North Rim

Widforss Trail
The trail can be reach by leaving Grand Canyon Lodge and going 2.7 miles north on the highway, then turn left one mile on a dirt road; the turnoff is 0.3 mile south of the Cape Royal turnoff. This is a relatively easy hike with great canyon views. It skirts the head of Transept Canyon and across a plateau with ponderosa pine to an overlook near Widforss Point. Below the trail’s end is Haunted Canyon flanked by the Colorado River on the right and Many Temple and Budda Temple on the left. The trail is 10 miles roundtrip and is frequented by mule deer.

Ken Patrick Trail
The 19.8 roundtrip trail starts at Point Imperial and goes along the rim to Cape Royal Road. Then it continues through forest to the North Kaibab trailhead. Great hiking through the forest with views across the headwaters of Nankoweap Creek.

Uncle Jim Trail
The first mile of the trail is along the Ken Patrick Trail and then breaks off to Uncle Jim Point. It is 5 miles roundtrip and has views of Roaring Springs Canyon and North Kaibab Trail.

For further reading you may want to purchase the Official Guide to Hiking the Grand Canyon which features all the Grand Canyon trails as well as giving tips on packing, permitting, and safety. This book is published by the Grand Canyon Association (GCA) and can be purchased online at http://www.grandcanyon.org. For a guided backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon consider joining an educational outing with the GCA’s field seminar program, the Grand Canyon Field Institute (a link available on the GCA homepage). There are also numerous commercial guiding companies that can be hired for backpacking or day hiking. Find them on this site under Grand Canyon Tours & Things to Do and Grand Canyon Tours By Land: Hike, Ride, Rail, Walk.

On a final note, please remember that the Inner Canyon is a fragile desert ecosystem, and that the desert “grows by the inch and dies by the foot.” A single careless boot print off the trail can last for decades in such an environment. Be sure to tread lightly, and leave the Canyon the way you found it. For more on Leave No Trace hiking and backpacking follow this link http://lnt.org/programs/

Grand Canyon Weather, Temperatures and Precipitation

Grand Canyon South Rim Weather:

Grand Canyon West Rim Weather:

So, there you go! That’s our primer all the basics of visiting the Grand Canyon. Did we leave anything out? What else would you like to know? Feel fee to comment and we will reply!

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park opened for the season on May 15, 2009. All National Park Service visitor facilities and services are open. Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, a Forever Resorts property and Grand Canyon Trail Rides also commenced their season operations on May 15.

At noon on October 16, 2009 Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim and Grand Canyon Trail Rides will close for the season. The National Park Service will continue its operations including the North Rim Visitor Center and Bookstore, as well as the North Rim Backcountry Information Center through November 30, unless snow closes Highway 67 leading into the park prior to that date. From October 16 until closure, these facilities will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Starting October 16, campsites with limited services, such as portable toilets, will be available for a $12 fee on a first-come, first-served basis. Forever Resorts will also keep their gift shop and gas station open during the shoulder season. Gift shop hours are expected to be from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and the gas pumps will be available seven days a week, 24-hours a day.

While it might not be any surprise that the South Rim of the Grand Canyon receives the lion’s share of the 5 million visitors to the National Park each year, you might not realize that lodging options are not limited to the Grand Canyon National Park lodges inside the south rim of the park. With half a dozen cities and towns peppered around the national park’s edges, and within a day’s drive to several larger metro areas like Las Vegas, Sedona and Phoenix, the geography of places to stay at the Grand Canyon lends itself to lots and lots of options. Last year, we polled thecanyon.com visitors to hear what they had planned for their Grand Canyon vacations. Here are the results of the most popular places to stay at and around the Grand Canyon.

• South Rim – 27%
• North Rim – 14%
• West Rim – 12%
• Tusayan or Williams – 17%
• Jacob Lake, Lees Ferry or Southern Utah – 3%
• Las Vegas – 9%
• Sedona – 8%
• Flagstaff – 9%
• Phoenix Metro Area -3%

After two years of fundraising and two months of training, Girl Scout Troop 119 from St. James Lutheran Church in Quincy recently returned from hiking the Grand Canyon with a sense of accomplishment.

Assistant troop leader Barbara O’Dear, who has been training athletes for years, knew it would not be easy to train 12- and 13-year-old girls to hike the Grand Canyon.

“As a trainer, I knew it would be impossible for us to accomplish this goal without a lot of hard work,” said O’Dear. “Practice was going to be the key to success.”

The girls began flat road training in June, starting at four miles a week. Eventually they hiked seven miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays along the hilly terrain near Clat Adams Park during the hottest times of day to prepare for the conditions at the Grand Canyon.

“It was tough,” said troop member Mia McNay. “But once your legs got built up, the miles got easier.”

At the end of training, the girls had to pass a 10-mile hike in high grade-hot climate conditions in order to ensure they would be ready to make the actual hike at the canyon. Katarina Bowles, Nicole Duesdieker, Valya and Roza Panos, Mia McNay and Audrey O’Dear were cleared to go, though Bowles had to ride a mule on the hike due to an ankle injury.

While planning the adventure, O’Dear and troop leader Patti McNay also wanted the girls to learn something about themselves and each other.

“The training they went through together really brought them a lot closer to one another,” said McNay.

The hike began Aug. 14 with a 16-mile trek from the north rim of the canyon to Phantom Ranch, a campground at the bottom of the canyon where they ate and slept in a dormitory. They awoke early the following morning to complete their adventure by hiking 10 miles from the South rim of the canyon back to the top.

“It felt like the training was for a reason and that reason became true to us,” said Mia McNay. “I learned about teamwork, trusting in people and to just have fun.”

Troop 119 recently made a 16-minute motivational DVD of their trip to the canyon that includes a song that the girls wrote themselves. Patti McNay said the video will be sent to 109 Girl Scout councils in the United States. Troop leaders can pick up the video up from their local council.

“We’re hoping to motivate other girls and show them that with a little hard work, they too can achieve their own goals,” said Patti McNay.

“It’s wonderful to have a dream, to work your dream and then to live your dream,” said O’Dear. “We are very proud of each and every one of them.”

The Girl Scouts of Two Rivers Council gave all six girls a Bronze Award Sunday night at the St. Francis Hills Boy Scout Camp for their work on the DVD.

Source: Hannah Flesner, Herald-Whig Staff Writer October 16, 2006

The straight-line distance from the north to the south rims of the Grand Canyon is about 10 miles.

By road, it’s a 5 1/2 hour, 220 mile drive.

On foot, it’s just about a marathon – 25 miles, give or take – with around 10,000 feet of elevation change. In what can be brutal conditions.

No wonder, then, that the rim-to-rim hike has been described as one of the best day hikes in the world. And it’s no wonder the National Parks Service discourages trying the rim to rim in a day – or at all, for that matter, by the ill-prepared.

“So many people who choose to do it,” said Marc Yeston, a Canyon District Ranger, “don’t know what they’re up against and end up needing to be rescued. Some even end up dying. If you know what you’re getting into and are prepared physically, it can be done safely. But if you’re not prepared, it’s dangerous.”

Nearly three years ago, Lawrence’s Pat Grzenda vowed to be a member of the former faction.

Part of a group of six women – the other five were Debbie Miller, Katie Becker, Joni Lawrence, Barb Malone and Teri Oberzan – who came to be known as the “Canyon Girls,” Grzenda’s group trained for the rim to rim.

Together and separately, they took long hikes around Lawrence and conditioned themselves as best they could for the searing Arizona heat that awaited them at the canyon floor.

On Sept. 14, 2003, the Canyon Girls completed the rim to rim, from south to north, in around 15 hours.

“It was hard,” said Grzenda, a former competitive swimmer and longtime high school swimming coach. “I was 50 years old when I did it, so that’s a different experience than somebody doing it when they’re 25, but for me that was part of the challenge, part of what made it fun. I felt very proud of myself and proud of the group. All I’d ever done before at the Grand Canyon was stand on the south rim and ooh and ahh.

“But this took preparation. It really was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I had nothing left at the end. I’m not trying to scare anybody off, but it was a challenge.”

Grzenda paused when asked to compare it to any of her other athletic endeavors.

“I’ve never done a marathon, so you’d have to ask a marathoner how they compare, but the distance is about the same,” Grzenda said. “The speed is different, but a marathon usually doesn’t have the elevation change. I was a competitive swimmer, and you train some long hours, but this was a one-shot deal.

“You know, I’ve done a couple of short-distance triathlons. When I did one in the summer of 2004, the summer after I did the Grand Canyon, I remember standing there, putting my goggles on and saying to myself, ‘You crossed the Grand Canyon. How hard could this be?’”

The upside-down mountain

Make no mistake: The rim to rim is no Sunday-afternoon stroll.

Yeston, the ranger, refers to the Grand Canyon as an upside-down mountain, and the metaphor is apt.

Trail head at the north rim is about 8,200 feet, while the south-rim trail heads are around 6,800 or 7,200 feet, depending on the trail.

The inner desert sits around 2,200 feet.

“People pull up to Mount Rainier or Teton and say, ‘Hey, let’s go climb this thing,’” Yeston said. “They get about halfway up and say, ‘This isn’t such a good idea,’ and turn around. But it’s all downhill. Here, you’re on one rim and look down. It’s nice and cool. You head down. It’s easy going. But it gets hotter and drier as you go down. You get to the bottom, and it’s 108 degrees, and you still have to go back up. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

Sometimes it’s more work than hikers can manage.

Yeston said there were between 250 and 400 trail evacuations and one or two trail deaths a year. All told, there are 12 to 20 Canyon fatalities yearly, including drownings, homicides and suicides.

Naturally, the rangers would like to cut down on all those numbers.

After a spate of heat-related fatalities in the 1990s, the parks service started a preventative search-and-rescue program, where individuals head down the trails early each day to interact with hikers they encounter.

“We try to turn people around, or adjust people’s plans about how prepared they are,” Yeston said. “If you’re heading to the bottom with a Diet Pepsi can in each pocket, we might try to turn you around. ‘This is how much water you need. Those two cans aren’t going to cut it.’”

Yeston frequently is asked how best to prepare for a hike like the rim to rim.

“People ask, ‘How many hours a week should I do on the StairMaster?’” he said. “For a lot of people, hiking the Grand Canyon is like being on a StairMaster for 12 to 15 hours. Most people don’t want to be on a StairMaster 12, 15 hours.

“I tell people, ‘You can’t just lose the 10 or 20 pounds you’re hoping to lose and spend an hour a week on the StairMaster and come here and expect to do a rim-to-rim hike reasonably comfortably. There could be a fit 22-year-old with an ill-thought-out plan to go to the bottom. Are they likely to die? It has happened. It will happen again. One thing I can say with certainty is, you can jam a pencil in your eye socket, but why would you want to?”

Nuts and bolts

Logistics makes up another difficulty in doing the rim to rim.

Snowfall closes the North Rim usually from mid-November to mid-May.

The ideal hiking window shrinks even more when factoring in the peak of the summer heat, thus most rim-to-rimmers aim for early or late-season attempts.

And then there are the travel difficulties once the hike is over.

There is a shuttle service to ferry hikers from one rim back to their cars on the other side, but some eschew the shuttle service in favor of the more arduous rim-to-rim-to-rim hike.

“Those animals who do the rim-to-rim-to-rim… that’s just amazing to me,” Grzenda said.

In retrospect, Grzenda said, “just” going from one rim to the other was amazing enough.

But, she said, the accomplishment was just part of the payoff.

“The best part of the whole thing, to me, was the way the group pulled together,” Grzenda said. “Two people had the idea. One brought in one person, the other brought in two more, they knew somebody who wanted to do it. We didn’t know each other real well before we started preparing for it. We trained together and spent many Saturdays doing four-, five-hour hikes around Lawrence and became good friends. It was just a bonding experience with a great group of women, and we’ve remained good friends.”

Fire conditions within Grand Canyon National Park have moderated with increased precipitation and the onset of monsoons. In the last few weeks, fire danger has gone from extreme down to high.

The improved conditions allow fire managers at Grand Canyon National Park to lift fire restrictions on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon. Fire restrictions had been in place since June 5, 2006.

Restrictions that are being lifted include: Charcoal grills and campfires (that were restricted in Mather Campground, Desert View Campground, the North Rim Campground and residential areas). The restriction on smoking, which was only permitted within and directly adjacent to buildings that had designated smoking areas and within private vehicles provided an ashtray was used, has also been lifted.

Campfires in Grand Canyon National Park are only permitted in designated grills within established campgrounds on the rim, and along the Colorado River providing fire pans are used.

Historically conditions continue to moderate once the monsoons arrive. However, conditions can again dry out especially in early fall. If this occurs, fire restrictions will again be put in place.

Visitors and residents are reminded that even though fire conditions have improved and restrictions have been lifted it is important to practice fire safety at all times throughout the year.

A veteran picks his 7 favorites west of the Divide

Arizona: Crossing the Canyon

Over the years, I’ve spent hundreds of days exploring Arizona’s Grand Canyon. I’m convinced that while the view from the top can be stunning, the best way to appreciate the canyon’s grandness is to walk across it.

The easiest traverse begins from the North Rim with a 13.8-mile descent down the North Kaibab Trail. Canyon walls engulf hikers, each stony stratum offering its own textures and colors. Buttes and buttresses reach for cerulean skies. Pastel bands paint distant walls. The sheer immensity inspires awe and incites blisters.

Bright Angel Campground offers canyon-bottom tent sites. From there, the 9.6-mile Bright Angel Trail leads to the top.

At first, the path parallels the Inner Gorge whose metamorphic rock marks the roots of ancient mountains. It then corkscrews upward to Indian Gardens Campground near the halfway point. After crossing the sloping Tonto Platform, it zigzags some more. Finally, atop one broad hairpin stands Kolb Studio at the edge of the South Rim. Brews, baths and beds lie blissfully beyond.

[Visit www.thecanyon.com] for rooms at North and South Rim lodges, [hotels bed & breakfasts and more.] Your inner-canyon campsite, which must be reserved well in advance (928-638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca), is your hiking permit. Technically, if you don’t camp, you don’t need a permit. [Many tour companies on www.thecanyon.com offer rides from one rim to the other, helicopter and air tours as well as guided hikes and river trips.]

See 6 more hikes…
By Dan Leeth
Special to the Chicago Tribune
Published June 11, 2006

Leaving the Jacob Lake campground on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend for a dispersed site on the Kaibab National Forest felt strangely disconcerting.

Try as I might to allow a rebellious streak to emerge, I have always been a color-inside-the-lines, stay-on-the-trail, follow-all-of-the-rules kind of guy. I almost always go to church on Sunday and spend most of my life trying not to hurt the feelings of others no matter how much I might disagree.

Developed campgrounds make me comfortable. I know the basic needs of a bathroom, a picnic table and a level place to put a tent will be met. There are rules to follow and people there to help you obey them.

For example, there was a fire ban in effect the night we stayed at Jacob Lake. I had called in advance to make certain a small, propane campfire would be legal. Three different campground hosts came to our campsite and told me to put it out before checking with their supervisor who had approved it. That didn’t stop them from glaring at me like I was a criminal. Being a Catholic, I still felt guilty even though the fire was safe and legal.

Left on my own, I would have stayed at the developed campground, visited the safe trails of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and been a part of the Memorial Day masses.

But my traveling companions, including my daughter Emma and one of her best friends from Flagstaff, Ariz., who knew the area, had other plans. Since we carried water, two portable tables and a shovel to bury human waste, we would stay outside the lines of the national park.

Such freedom frightens me for reasons I can’t understand. I asked the workers at the North Kaibab Visitors Center plenty of pointed questions about Forest Service travel plans, fire restrictions and where it was legal to camp. They seemed perfectly fine with the entire idea.

There was also the matter of my new pickup. I justified the expense because I could drive it off highway. But, with its inside and outside still shiny and little more than 1,000 miles on the odometer, turning off the pavement for a trip on the long and bumpy dirt road made me cringe.
When we ended up at a remote patch of dirt near an old fire pit, dust covered my newest toy. Worse, someone left a light on and the battery died, giving me something else to worry about.

Everything worked out just fine. Some 30 miles off the highway and well outside of the national park, we pretty much had our Grand Canyon viewpoint to ourselves. We got the truck to start, we didn’t burn the forest down, we left no trace and, most important, we found silence.
Sleeping in the the bed of the truck, I savored black skies filled with stars. Each night, we walked a few yards to the edge of the Grand Canyon and set up our camp chairs to watch the sun set.

I discovered what I knew all along. Leaving the safety of what you know to a place off the beaten track where you follow your own rules can be more than a little satisfying.

June 1, 2006 By Tom Wharton, Tribune Columnist, Salt Lake Tribune

Photo source: http://www.gigapxl.org/gallery-AngelWindow.htm

Where do you get the best views of the Grand Canyon?

The North Rim? The South Rim?

Admittedly, it’s a subjective decision, but the South Rim gets my vote.

That comes after making my first trip to the still-impressive North Rim. I had visited the South Rim about 15 years ago.

The North Rim and South Rim are only 10 miles apart by air, but they are 215 miles and five hours apart by road.

The North Rim is higher in elevation at up to 8,800 feet. It is covered with pine forests and open only five months a year because of snow. It gets far fewer visitors than the South Rim. Accommodations are more limited on the North Rim. It has fewer trails that drop into the canyon and fewer overlooks.

The North Rim has higher cliff faces and offers up-high views of the rock formations within the canyon.

But to me, the big difference is that the views from the North Rim are less striking, less dramatic, less gripping.

From the North Rim, you have sweeping giant vistas across the Grand Canyon from Bright Angel, Cape Royal and Point Imperial. From its edge, the North Rim offers an enormity of view.

The North Rim offers one glimpse of the aquamarine Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon. That’s at Cape Royal.

However, you are unable to look into the heart of the canyon from the North Rim the way you can from the South Rim with its numerous vantage points, and that is a significant difference.

The South Rim offers better lighting and offers a wider and deeper canyon than does the North Rim.

That enables you to visually connect with the Grand Canyon in a way that is not as strong from the North Rim. More…

Written and published by Bob Downing Beacon Journal staff writer Akron, OH Beacon Journal May 28, 2006