Grand Canyon 2020... things to do?

[WYO George]

I'll try to keep this short enough to read, but I tend to get long winded.

Next summer we're taking a two week trip and headed down to Moab for five days then Monument valley for a night then South Rim of The Grand Canyon. This is where I get stuck. How many days here? Is there much to do or just walk up and say "gee, that's a big hole in the ground" and then move on? It's two couples in two campers plus my three kids (12,12,9) and we enjoy hiking, but not all day every day.

My thought is to spend a night at the South Rim and see the nice overlooks then move on to the North Rim and spend a couple days then move on to Zion.

What I want to avoid is getting home and regretting not spending more time at South Rim. The expensive stuff (like helicopter tours, donkey tours, etc.) isn't on the option list because I simply cannot afford that kinda stuff.

So, anything I need to write down and make sure we see/do while there? Especially South Rim, but anything in the area.

[twogypsies]

Every national park has an awesome web site that among other information, gives 'things to do'. Check them out.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

I would recommend 3 nights to do the park justice. Take the tram early morning or for sunset views. You can get on and off at various spots. Get off and walk the Rim Trail to the next stop and get on again. Take part in the many Ranger Programs for all ages. The children's ages are perfect for this. There are also nightly campfire programs. I would also recommend that you hike DOWN the Bright Angel Trail if only for 1/4 miles or so. It will give you a very different perspective of getting below the Rim. If you can splurge once then go to Tusayan just outside the park gate and take in the IMAX show. Great! Also, be sure to visit the Desert View area at the far eastern edge.

I wouldn't go to the North Rim if you're doing the South Rim.

Stay in Zion, if possible, at Watchman campground and try to get one of the river sites. Fun for the kids (& adults) to play in the shallow stream on a hot day. Be sure to check out Zion's web site and also Arches, in Moab. For Monument Valley set up a tour if only spending a day. You can do this as you're leaving Moab to better judge timing. If you have a high clearance vehicle you can drive the loop yourself without a tour. The road is dirt and depending on recent rains it can be bumpy. If you take a tour they are in open vehicles and you WILL get dusty!!

Make your reservations NOW, especially if you have another RV going with you.

I'd recommend that you make a Signature Line of your RV and vehicle so it appears on every post you make. It makes it easier when replying knowing what you have.

Have a good trip!

[WYO George]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Every national park has an awesome web site that among other information, gives 'things to do'. Check them out.

https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

I would recommend 3 nights to do the park justice. Take the tram early morning or for sunset views. You can get on and off at various spots. Get off and walk the Rim Trail to the next stop and get on again. Take part in the many Ranger Programs for all ages. The children's ages are perfect for this. There are also nightly campfire programs. I would also recommend that you hike DOWN the Bright Angel Trail if only for 1/4 miles or so. It will give you a very different perspective of getting below the Rim. If you can splurge once then go to Tusayan just outside the park gate and take in the IMAX show. Great! Also, be sure to visit the Desert View area at the far eastern edge.

I wouldn't go to the North Rim if you're doing the South Rim.

Stay in Zion, if possible, at Watchman campground and try to get one of the river sites. Fun for the kids (& adults) to play in the shallow stream on a hot day. Be sure to check out Zion's web site and also Arches, in Moab. For Monument Valley set up a tour if only spending a day. You can do this as you're leaving Moab to better judge timing. If you have a high clearance vehicle you can drive the loop yourself without a tour. The road is dirt and depending on recent rains it can be bumpy. If you take a tour they are in open vehicles and you WILL get dusty!!

Make your reservations NOW, especially if you have another RV going with you.

I'd recommend that you make a Signature Line of your RV and vehicle so it appears on every post you make. It makes it easier when replying knowing what you have.

Have a good trip!

Thanks for the input, I very much appreciate it. The NPS websites I knew of and have browsed, but I missed things like the IMAX just south of the entrance. That's a great idea and one that we'll add to the list.

[jonmarks]

If you’re going to Zion, be sure to check out Bryce Canyon National Park. Stunning, for sure. I’m planning to try to drive the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument road, too. It might be Utah 12. Has anyone done that in a coach? I’ve ridden it on my motorcycle- but those days are past and I’m not sure what it’ll be like in a big rig. Any advice?

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by jonmarks

If you’re going to Zion, be sure to check out Bryce Canyon National Park. Stunning, for sure. I’m planning to try to drive the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument road, too. It might be Utah 12. Has anyone done that in a coach? I’ve ridden it on my motorcycle- but those days are past and I’m not sure what it’ll be like in a big rig. Any advice?

I agree.... don't miss Bryce!! The hiking is awesome..... like a fairy wonderland.

Many folks drive Hwy 12. We did many times in both directions with our 40' motorhome. Don't pass it up!

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by WYO George

I'll try to keep this short enough to read, but I tend to get long winded.

Next summer we're taking a two week trip and headed down to Moab for five days then Monument valley for a night then South Rim of The Grand Canyon.

This is where I get stuck.
How many days here?
Is there much to do or just walk up and say "gee, that's a big hole in the ground" and then move on? It's two couples in two campers plus my three kids (12,12,9) and we enjoy hiking, but not all day every day.

My thought is to spend a night at the South Rim and see the nice overlooks then move on to the North Rim and spend a couple days then move on to Zion.

What I want to avoid is getting home and regretting not spending more time at South Rim. The expensive stuff (like helicopter tours, donkey tours, etc.) isn't on the option list because I simply cannot afford that kinda stuff.

So, anything I need to write down and make sure we see/do while there? Especially South Rim, but anything in the area.

You've gotten some pretty good advice - but with the Kids you need to find some water - JMHO - Summer, Kids, Water = FUN

Doubt you will hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to get to the Colorado River - so take a Look at Page and Lake Powell - Water and lots of areas to Play - Goosenecks State Park near Monument Valley (Just a spot on a crook in the River) - All along Lake Powell there are spots to enjoy the water - Look at some of the trips this family took - 20 summers of RV road trip travels across the USA and Canada | Lolo's Extreme Cross Country RV Trips - might give you a few ideas - Also look at trying to get a campsite on the East end of the GC away from the crowds, if you stay.

https://www.google.com/search?q=goos...w=1536&bih=760

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...4dUDCAY&uact=5

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...4dUDCAY&uact=5

A link to Stan's Images of many of these areas - https://www.pbase.com/sparker1/root%26view=tree - look through to see what you might enjoy.

Bryce is a Must with Kids - RT 12 will be a drive you will remember - problem is now you are getting into a shortage of days.....so plan needs to tighten up - need enough time but this is going to be a lot to see in two weeks! Only way I see to accomplish this is to shorten any stay to 3 days, MAX - Keep in mind that Utah is HOT in the Summer - so hikes and sites will likely only be seen early and late in the day when it is cooler - so travel in usually during the heat of the day. Look over this trip report as it may help - https://www.americansouthwest.net/it...nd-circle.html -

One thing I always suggest is to start the trip on Friday right after Work - get 4-6 hours of drive time in on the first 1/2 day - you will be so glad you did. This might get you to somewhere fun - Colorado? - Dino NM? - Yampa River SP?........

Look over this post and info included it will help - http://www.irv2.com/forums/f38/color...ks-466891.html

Likely I'll get called out to even suggest you skip South Rim and Just do North Rim - but if time is short and all you want to do is look over the Edge and check the Box off, then really might just save a couple days and enjoy the higher elevation - Cooler - and fewer people at the North Rim.....Sorry guys but - my best memories are of the North Rim - Never had a Bad experience there and the South Rim in the Summer is Hot - and Crowded - NR, we had Snow one year in the first week of June and it was Spectacular!!!!
(Breakfast Buffet on the North Rim looking out over the Canyon - I'll always remember)

I could go on and on (you thought you were long winded) but I think you get the idea You will not see it all - young kids love the water - Dino is on the Green River and Kids love to see Real Bones in the Mountain - Flaming Gorge is on the Water and is just a fun Place - .......You will be back - just too much to see and do in one trip - .............

Hope this is of some help,

[LovesToWine]

Last April, we spent 3 nights on the South Rim at Mather Campground. We loved our site on the Juniper Loop and welcomed the elk each morning and evening. There are no hookups but they have a dump station, hot showers, flush toilets, and laundry. We have been to the GC many times and are glad we did the 3 nights. It was very relaxed and we did much sightseeing; so Mather was our homebase and we drove out truck to various areas.

And Bryce is fabulous!!!

[LovesToWine]

P.S. The North Rim was closed last April

[SpartyTom]

You may want to spend 2 nights at monument valley to allow time to do the loop tour. We visited there titis fall and did one of the charter tours. Beautiful. Depending on your toad you ca do the loop yourself. Its a pretty bumpy “road”.

[TXTiger]

X2 on Lake Powell. At least for one or two nights.

[UTTransplant]

If you are going in the summer, Moab, Zion, and Monument Valley are HOT, like over 100 degrees hot. In Moab, find a spot with a pool for the kids. Zion has the river and a few shady trails. South rim of GC will be really warm, but not like the others. Bryce is much higher and relatively mild. Just be prepared, and watch the kids for heat exhaustion. If you are not from a dry climate, you might get surprised how easy it is to get dehydrated because you don’t feel sweaty. And if you can fit into the park campgrounds, do it! Ranger talks and getting Junior Ranger badges can’t really help kids get into a location.

[twojayhawks]

Hi WYO George
So you are taking the crew to the desert next summer Just kidding Moab, Zion, & GCNP are some of our fav's. We wouldn't go in summer months but I understand you likely have to work around school, sports, etc. I think two or three days at the south rim would be a minimum. Most importantly is to start working on getting a reservation at a CG inside the national park. Trailer Village would be my recommendation. It makes it much easier to get up at the crack of dawn, step out of your camper, step on a free bus, to go see the sun up over the canyon. Also there is a grocery (small) inside the park & all the restaurants at the lodge's are very good and vary reasonable.

[winniman]

I agree that going to the south rim if coming from the north is not worth it. Its a four hour drive from the south rim to the north. That's a lot of extra driving when you only have two weeks. I would say once you leave Moab, Monument Valley is less than three hours away. This would leave time later in the day to drive around the loop, {provided you have some clearance on your vehicle}. I would suggest after Monument Valley, you could stop at Page Arizona. Its only a couple hours away. They have Lake Powell, slot canyons, Horseshoe Bend, and the Glen Canyon Dam, which is almost exactly like the Hover Dam. I think its only 10 or 20 feet shorter. This keeps you above the Grand Canyon. You can then travel to the North Rim from Page in about two and a half hours. From there to Zion is also about two and a half hours. Bryce Canyon is about two and a half hours from Zion. This keeps all the traveling down to under three hours a day. If you want to do the south rim on a different trip, you can take in Barringer Crater, Painted Desert and Petrified Forest NP, do some Route 66 stuff like Oatman, or go to Peach Springs and drive the road to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. This part of route 66 has the most intact parts of the highway left.There is too much to see on the south side to try to squeeze it in to a two week trip. Southern Utah, and Northern Arizona are wonderous places. I have went there two winters in a row whenever the weather will allow us to go "up the hill". I will return again. We go for two months, and don't get to see it all. Good luck.

[WYO George]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful input, I’ll definitely be putting the notes in my planning book. It looks like the Grand Canyon might be out this year due to time constraints so we’ll spend a week in Moab and just do a day trip down to Monument Valley. Ground clearance is no issue, my tow vehicle is a well set up 4WD truck.

Yes, it’ll be warm the first week of June, but that’s the date window we have. At least it’s not August!