Grand Canyon National Park Planning Guide: Watch Before Visiting!

Hey y'all and welcome to the Grand Canyon National Park! I learned so many tips and mistakes on our trip to Grand Canyon National Park, and created this Grand Canyon Planning Guide to help you have the best vacation.
This guide includes details for transportation, shuttle times, trails to hike, and more! I have included itineraries to help you plan your best day, depending on how much time you have to visit Grand Canyon National Park. PLUS- don't miss my BONUS TIP, if you have more than a day to visit...it was such a wonderful discovery and a MUST SEE, in my opinion!
**My Grand Canyon Video Playlist: • National Parks (USA)
Grand Canyon National Park Service Site: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Busy Season Planning Tips: www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisi...
Current Weather and Road Conditions: www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisi...
Grand Canyon Railway: www.thetrain.com
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*TIME STAMPS*
00:00 Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park
00:30 Grand Canyon Tickets & Annual Passes
02:15 Transportation and Shuttles
03:20 Mask Rules
03:30 Tusayan / Grand Canyon Map
04:30 Grand Canyon Railway
05:25 Food/ Drinks/ Restaurants
06:20 Best Time Of Day To Visit Grand Canyon National Park
06:40 Best Time Of Year To Visit Grand Canyon National Park
09:05 Grand Canyon Hiking Trail Tips
09:45 Bright Angel Trail
10:35 Pet Rules
10:45 Safety Tips For Hiking Grand Canyon Trails
13:30 Grand Canyon Planning Guide Itineraries
15:00 SUBSCRIBE!
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[@topchainring]

Taking the wife on April 28th. Me, my brother in law and niece along with two gents from Vancouver BC did Rim to Rim (2 day hike from South Kaibab then back up Bright Angel) Camped at Phantom Ranch and Havasupai Gardens. June of 2023. We used Wildland Trekking. It was the hardest yet most fulfilling thing I've ever done. Like you said. Videos or pictures don't do it justice. So beautiful.

[@user-oh2hs6jh5x]

For anybody interested in hiking down into the canyon, I can share my perspective. We hiked in January 2016. We had a couple of inches of snow on the south rim. We stayed at Maswik the night before we hiked, then took the shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead, watched the sunrise, and then started down. We had crampons on our boots and had a little bit of snow and ice for about the first 2000 vertical feet. It was 18 degrees on the rim. We ran out of snow and removed the crampons at about the 5000 foot level. It was about 60 degrees at the river. Stayed at Phantom Ranch (reservation needed). Then we hiked out on the Bright Angel. Started out in the dark with headlamps. Pretty easy until the 3 mile resthouse, then really tough those last 3 miles. No need for crampons when we hiked this trail. Time to get down on South Kaibab, an easy 5 hours. Time to come out on Bright Angel (from Phantom Ranch) a very hard 8 hours. Fantastic experience, and can't wait to do it again. Winter can be a great time to hike, no crowds, good temperatures for hiking and the scenery is the same.

[@fredreeves7652]

I've never been to the Grand Canyon and planning my first visit in March... fantastic video and tips! Thank you! Very practical and useful information. : )

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-oh2hs6jh5x]

Excellent summary. I would stress that you are at 7000 feet on the south rim, and 8000 on the north rim. If you are coming from a lower elevation please know that you are going to feel the effects of the altitude. Those 4 mile walks that you did on flat ground at sea level aren't going to impress the Grand Canyon. Even hiking down to ""mile and a half rest house" on the Bright Angel means that you are going to walk 3.2 miles and go down 1200 feet. What goes down has to come up, and walking up trails this steep when you can't catch your breath is difficult. Perhaps consider hiking into the Grand Canyon more towards the end of your vacation instead of doing it first thing. The trail is sufficiently wide that you will not feel as though you are going to fall off unless you are extremely phobic. You can also hike down the South Kaibab trail, but there is no shade, and at certain times of the year, no water. I thought the lower part of the SK had the best scenery though. It's also worth ducking into the El Tovar for a quick look around.

[@JungleJimAB9AB]

Your commentary is informative and entertaining. It is filled with the type of info others may need to plan their trip to the Grand Canyon and get the most out of the time they spend there.

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Thank you so much for the kind words Jim!

[@l.mccabe4071]

Many thanks to you for providing great tips on the NPS pass & entrance fee, food, transportation and (for me, anyway) how much time to allow for certain trails (along with trail details) and the number of miles for the Desert View drive. Great job with the timely & practical safety tips along with reminding people NOT to feed the animals, deface the park with personal "artwork" or litter in any way. Two big thumbs up!!👍👍

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Thanks so much! Yes the park is beautiful on its own and definitely doesn’t require any further artwork to enhance it 😂 It’s already the prettiest painting I’ve ever seen!

[@JassoModucking]

Your tips are very helpful. Thanks.

[@vonnie.]

So helpful! I'm excited to visit!

[@halifang366]

Very good. Thank you very much.

[@alexalopez8251]

Loved your vid ❤

[@anthonycalvert8052]

Hey, good content. Well Done!

[@maribellamas5634]

Thank you so much ❤

[@angelrosee73]

Looking forward to it! I’ve enjoyed your Grand Canyon videos since we have a trip planned in a couple weeks - they’ve been so helpful! Thanks for sharing

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Yay AngelicaRM I hope these tips help you when you visit! Thank you so much for watching!

[@angelrosee73]

@@gotravelwithstaci If you have any tips for packing or clothing that would be great! I know it'll be warmer while we're there - I love wearing my Birkenstocks, but feel like I might need a closed toe shoe or hiking type shoe for the GC? We won't be hiking, but plan to take the Railroad excursion and also a helicopter tour.

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Hey Angelica! I am so sorry I never saw this reply! You most likely have already been on your trip- I hope you had a wonderful time. In case you haven't, I would definitely wear closed-toe shoes and pack your outfits with layers in mind. Tank top under a long sleeve lighter shirt, or light jacket. Anything you can do to keep the bulkiness light, but also keep a chill off you, or get a breeze when you need it.

[@clarenancy77]

Thanks for this! I'm planning a road trip and your tips will help. What time of year was this filmed?

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Hi this was filmed in April. The weather was awesome 😎

[@samuelsurbrook1428]

I went White Water 💧 rafting in the Grand Canyon July 2018. Do you think 🧐 it would be better to also see the Grand Canyon from where you are and not just the river. Thank you ☺️ and hopefully 🤞 you can help answer some of my questions?

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Wow I bet that was fun! Yes, I think the difference in perspective would be eye-opening. Seeing the canyon from below is amazing but you don't get a good understanding of just how big the canyon is when you are down in it.

[@javiercenteno4599]

Hi, does the shuttle busses has wheelchair access? Thanks for this video with good information.

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Hi there and welcome! Yes all shuttle buses should be equipped for wheelchair access. Here is the NPS website for more info: www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm#:~:text=All%20park%20shuttle%20buses%20are,be%20accommodated%20on%20shuttle%20buses.

[@mzmelissa26]

Where can i find a park ranger? How can i check trail conditions before driving out? We're looking to go this mid February

[@angelrosee73]

Also, could you let us know if you visited the Hoover Dam? We are flying in and out of Vegas and it seems like it would be an interesting stop before or after a few days at the Grand Canyon - thanks!

[@gotravelwithstaci]

We didn’t fly in/out of Las Vegas, we went in from Flagstaff, AZ …BUT! I can tell you the Hoover Dam is only about 45 mins/ 1 hr outside Vegas and roughly on the way to the GC South Rim. Las Vegas is closer to the far western part of the Grand Canyon, and we were on the Eastern side of the Grand Canyon. If I were you, I’d check it out. I was just thinking of a way to squeeze it into my quick Vegas trip this weekend. Fingers crossed!

[@robhamilton8993]

Are service dogs allowed to go of trails

[@AnneMarieGuard-wn7mc]

Do you have a link to the backpack you’re using?

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Hi Anne- yes here's the link: amzn.to/3MlTLlY You can also shop all my travel faves in my Amazon store: www.amazon.com/shop/gotravelwithstaci

[@kingmemories352]

Is the Grand Canyon (southern) open to visitors in December and is there a chance of snow in December?

[@gotravelwithstaci]

The southern rim is open all year and could have snow in December. The northern rim is the side that closes in the winter and usually always sees snow during that time.

[@yuliw7697]

In April , at what time is usually sunset?

[@gotravelwithstaci]

Around 7pm