The best time to visit Grand Canyon.
Summary
TLDRThe video offers an expert's perspective on the best times to visit the Grand Canyon, based on a decade of monthly visits. It advises against peak season due to crowds and weather extremes, suggesting quieter, cheaper January and February for South Rim, with easier access and lower rates. For North Rim, the ideal time is late September to October for fall foliage. The script provides practical tips for planning a Grand Canyon adventure, emphasizing the importance of considering weather and personal travel flexibility.
Takeaways
- 🗓️ The best time to visit the South Rim of Grand Canyon is during the transition periods of the busy season, specifically in March or November, with November being more favorable.
- 🍁 For North Rim, the optimal time is from September 8th to October 8th to enjoy both the canyon vistas and the fall foliage.
- ❄️ Winter, particularly January and February, is the quietest and cheapest time to visit, with less than 20% of peak visitation rates, but weather can be unpredictable.
- 🏞️ The North Rim facilities are open from May 15th to October 15th, making this the only period to visit, and it's known for its beautiful fall colors.
- 🌡️ Weather extremes are a significant factor at the Grand Canyon, with potential snow in winter and dangerously hot temperatures in summer.
- 🚫 Peak season, now shifted to May and October, is not recommended due to crowded conditions, long lines, and difficulty in finding parking.
- 🏞️ The scenic Hermit's Rest Road is open to private cars from December 1st to February 28th, allowing for a more personal visit.
- 🏨 Lodging rates drop significantly in winter, sometimes by as much as 80%, making it an economical time to visit if weather permits.
- ⛄️ Winter weather requires appropriate clothing for subfreezing temperatures and often necessitates traction devices for icy trails.
- 🚗 Parking is easier and crowds are minimal in winter, allowing for a more solitary and peaceful experience at the canyon.
- ❌ Holiday weekends should be avoided regardless of the season due to high visitation and potential for fully booked accommodations.
Q & A
What is the speaker's opinion on the best time to visit the Grand Canyon?
-The speaker suggests that the best time to visit the Grand Canyon is during the edge of the busy season, specifically in March or November for the South Rim, with November being better, and from September 8th to October 8th for the North Rim.
Why does the speaker believe that visiting the Grand Canyon in winter can be unpredictable?
-The speaker considers winter weather at the Grand Canyon to be unpredictable, requiring visitors to bring clothes for subfreezing temperatures and often needing traction devices for icy trails. Additionally, the park service may close Rim Drive due to snow, and severe weather can lead to road closures.
What is the traditional peak season for visiting the Grand Canyon, and why does the speaker recommend avoiding it?
-The traditional peak season for visiting the Grand Canyon is during the summer months, but the speaker recommends avoiding it because of the extreme weather conditions, long lines, crowded attractions, and difficulty in finding parking.
What is the significance of 'Lal' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to visiting the Grand Canyon?
-'Lal' is a Chinese word meaning 'hot noise,' which describes the pleasure of being in a popular place among a crowd. The speaker uses this term to describe the special joy of visiting the Grand Canyon during its busy season.
Why does the speaker suggest that holiday weekends should be avoided when planning a visit to the Grand Canyon?
-The speaker advises against holiday weekends due to the high number of visitors, leading to booked rooms, crowded parks, and the potential for spontaneous family trips that can make the experience less enjoyable.
What are the benefits of visiting the Grand Canyon during the winter months according to the speaker?
-During winter, the speaker highlights benefits such as lower visitation rates, reduced room rates, easy parking, and the opportunity to visit spectacular viewpoints at one's own pace on the Hermits Rest Road.
How does the speaker describe the weather conditions at the Grand Canyon during summer and winter?
-The speaker describes summer at the Grand Canyon as having dangerously hot weather, while winter can be covered in snow with frigid temperatures, leading to weather extremes.
What is the speaker's rationale for recommending the first few weeks of March and November for visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon?
-The speaker recommends these times due to moderate weather, thinning crowds, and reasonable room rates, with November being particularly better as it offers clear skies, mild temperatures, and the added benefit of Fall Foliage.
Why does the speaker consider the period from September 8th to October 8th as the best time to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon?
-The speaker recommends this period because it coincides with the peak of Fall Foliage, offering visitors the combined spectacle of the canyon vistas and the beautiful colors of Aspen and Maple trees, along with more tolerable weather conditions.
What advice does the speaker give for those planning to visit the Grand Canyon during winter months?
-The speaker advises that while winter can be a great time to visit if you live close and can reschedule easily, those traveling a distance or with limited time should avoid winter due to unpredictable weather and potential road closures.
Outlines
🌄 Best Time to Visit Grand Canyon: A Comprehensive Guide
The script discusses the best times to visit the Grand Canyon, with a focus on weather and crowd conditions. The speaker, who has extensive experience visiting the canyon, recommends avoiding peak season due to extreme weather and crowds. They suggest that the best times to visit the South Rim are in March and November, with November being preferable due to milder weather and fewer crowds. Winter is highlighted as the quietest and cheapest time, but unpredictable weather can be a challenge. The script also touches on the historical significance of the Grand Canyon as a popular American road trip destination and the evolution of peak visitation times.
🍂 Optimal Visiting Periods for South and North Rims
This paragraph delves into specific recommendations for visiting both the South and North Rims of the Grand Canyon. For the South Rim, the speaker advises visiting in early March or November, favoring November for its clear skies and mild temperatures. The North Rim is best visited from September 8th to October 8th to enjoy the fall foliage in addition to the canyon views. The speaker also addresses the challenges of winter visits, such as potential road closures and the need for winter gear, and suggests that late August offers a less crowded alternative to summer heat, despite still being warm. The script concludes with a reiteration of the Grand Canyon's year-round appeal and a wish for viewers to have a successful visit.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Grand Canyon
💡South Rim
💡North Rim
💡Weather Extremes
💡Visitation Peaks
💡Lal
💡Road Trip
💡Holiday Weekends
💡Winter Visitation
💡Fall Foliage
💡Rim Drive
Highlights
Grand Canyon is spectacular any time of year.
Best time to visit is anytime you can get there.
Opinion is based on visiting the canyon at least once a month over the last decade.
Grand Canyon experiences weather extremes with snow in winter and dangerously hot weather in summer.
Traditionally visited in summer as part of the Great American Coast to Coast Road Trip.
Peak season at Grand Canyon has evolved to May and October due to awareness of weather extremes.
Busy season has its own pleasure with crowds and a festive atmosphere.
3-day weekends and holidays get busy no matter what time of year.
Winter is the quietest and cheapest time to visit with less than 20% of peak visitation rates.
Hermits Rest Road is open to private cars from December 1st to February 28th in winter.
Winter room rates can be significantly cheaper, often close to 80% less than peak rates.
Winter weather is unpredictable, and you may need to bring clothes for subfreezing temperatures.
Late August sees a decrease in crowds and room rates but is still hot.
Recommended time to visit South Rim is the first few weeks of March and November.
North Rim facilities are only open from May 15th to October 15th.
Fall Foliage makes North Rim visits in September and October particularly special.
Recommended best time to visit North Rim is from September 8th to October 8th for Fall colors.
Transcripts
Grand Canyon is spectacular any time of
year and I could say the best time to
visit is anytime you can get there but
that would be a cop out and also there'd
be no reason for you to watch this
video I will provide specific dates for
south rim and North Rim last because
only about 10% of visitors make it to
North Rim but first I'll give you my
rationale my opinion is based on
visiting the canyon at least one once a
month over the last decade and staying
between two to four days all times of
the year and in all
weather I've spent more than 300 nights
staying at Grand Canyon plus my opinion
is as a visitor like you not an employee
I don't get anything from anybody for
making these
recommendations traditionally Grand
Canyon was visited in summer often as
part of the Great American Coast to
Coast Road Trip trip like the grisales
and like my first visit more than 50
years
ago I think mistakenly visitors often
have the impression that Grand Canyon
has consistently warm and sunny weather
I mean Arizona is the land of
suus but sitting at an altitude of 7,000
feet at south rim and 8,000 ft at North
Rim with a Descent of about a mile to
the canyon floor Grand Canyon is subject
to weather
extremes it can be covered in snow with
frigid temperatures in the winter and
have dangerously hot weather in the
summer weather is the number one cause
of visitor rescues at Grand
Canyon now there is a special joy to
visit in Grand Canyon in the busy season
the Chinese have a word Lal literally
meaning hot noise that the describes the
pleasure of being in a popular place
among a crowd of people Time Square on
New Year's Eve is an American example
being among the American families and
international tourists who mob the
canyon in High season can be a pleasure
of its
own and peak season at Grand Canyon has
evolved perhaps because of Greater
awareness of the weather extremes the
highest levels of visitation are in what
used to be the shoulder season
the busiest months now are May and
October and with all due respect to L
now I think the busiest times are times
to
avoid weight times at the gate to enter
the park can stretch to hours and there
are lines at the free shuttle bus stops
and at the restaurants and
attractions parking is frustrating and
difficult to find people block the views
if you can avoid it peak season is not
the best time to visit Grand Canyon
additionally I think because Grand
Canyon is historically part of America's
psyche and the Great American road trip
3-day weekends and holidays get busy no
matter what time of year the canyon is a
one-day drive from a number of major
cities and families can spontaneously
load up the car on a holiday week
and have an
adventure The Lodges do a nice job
decorating for the holidays and it's a
joy to sit before a wood fire on a cold
evening but during the winter holidays
the rooms will be booked and the park
will be
packed I recommend avoiding holiday
weekends no matter what the
season now the quietest and cheapest
time to visit the canyon is winter
particularly January and February when
visitation rates are less than 20% of
the
peak an added bonus is that the Hermits
Rest Road is open to private cars from
December 1st to February
28th allowing you to visit some of the
most spectacular viewpoints from your
private car at your own pace the rest of
the year you have to take a
bus during winter room rates drop
meaningfully often close to 80% less
than Peak room rates a room at massick
lodge costs
$330 in May
2024 but with the right sales only $69
in
January in winter parking is easy Crowds
Are non-existent and you can stand in
popular spots on the rim at noon and
still be there by
yourself I really like Grand Canyon in
winter but but for the Casual visitor
winter weather is
unpredictable at minimum you need to
bring clothes for subfreezing
temperatures and often you'll need
traction devices for your shoes on icy
trails in recent years the park service
has closed the Rim Drive for snow at the
drop of a
hat this year for the first time they've
started closing the Rim Drive in
anticipation of storms whether the road
is dangerous or
not anytime a storm blows through you
can experience reduced ability to visit
the popular viewpoints on the rim plus
during big storms traffic accidents are
common and in severe weather even the
road to Southgate can
close you should always consult the
az511.gov traffic website and a weather
website as well winter is great if you
live close to the canyon and can
reschedule a trip easily I just canceled
one because of bad weather but if you're
traveling a distance or you have a
limited window of time to visit I would
avoid the winter
months now there is a time in late
August when the summer heat Mellows and
fam stay home to prepare for the school
year and crowds decrease along with room
rates but it's still pretty hot at the
Canyon that is not a time I would
recommend no the time I recommend is the
edge of the spring and fall visitation
Peaks the first few weeks of March and
the month of November up until the
Thanksgiving holiday can give you
moderate weather thinning crowds and
reasonable room
rates of course in both March and
November snow and bitter cold is
possible but but in general the skies
are clear and the temperatures are mild
now to narrow it further if it's been a
snowy year in Spring there may still be
ice on the pathways and trails
particularly if you hike into the canyon
in November although there may be
occasional fresh snowfall it has not
packed into ice and the trails will
generally be clear and safe
so my most specific recommendation of
the best time to visit Grand Canyon is
the weeks in November before the
Thanksgiving
holiday that's south rim now for North
Rim the answer is faster and easier
North Rim visitor facilities are only
open from May 15th to October 15th
yearly although the north rim Road may
be open until December 1st weather
permitted
there are no room discounts on North Rim
and the visitation rate remains about
the same all season long with Peaks
during rimto Rim season generally May
15th to June 1st and October 1st to
October 15th at that point the heat
conditions in the Deep Canyon tend to be
more endurable but a specific natural
phenomena exists that makes the best
date to visit North Rim easy and that is
the Fall
Foliage there are massive strands of
Aspen and sprinkles of Maples along the
drive and at North Rim that make an
Autumn visit a twofer you get the canyon
Vistas plus you get the beautiful
foliage fall comes early at the high
altitudes on the north rim and Peak
foliage dates vary year to year but I
recommend visiting from sep September
8th to October
8th that's before the worst Crush of Rim
toim visitors and with the full
spectacle of the Fall colors and if you
stay at the north rim Lodge No rooms
have air conditioning so the cooling
weather makes the visit more pleasant
well I'll go back on my word and say
Grand Canyon is spectacular year round
and you should go whenever you're
able but if you have
flexibility the best time to visit South
Rim is on the edge of the busy season
March or November with November being
better and the best time to visit North
Rim is from September 8th to October 8th
for both the views and the Fall
Foliage I wish you the best of luck in
planning your Grand Canyon adventure and
thank you for
watching
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