WINTER VACATION...AT THE GRAND CANYON

It’s less than a week from the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere. It’s already dark before we head home from work. Many people I know are thinking “vacation.” Vacationers from my neck of the woods are thinking Hawaiian breezes, or fun in the Caribbean sun.
I haven’t met a soul yet that’s thinking National Parks, like the Grand Canyon. Yet, having vacationed at Grand Canyon National Park in the winter, I know what a great destination it is during the cold months. It may be a bit frosty, but December through March is a wonderful time of year to visit the Canyon.
The Grand Canyon is immense. It’s so large, it’s one of the few landmarks which can be seen by astronauts orbiting the Earth.
During the winter, the north rim of the Canyon is closed to traffic due to heavy snows, but the south rim and it’s Grand Canyon Village beckons.

The El Tovar Hotel, first opened in 1905 and recently renovated, is a favorite of mine. The nearby, less expensive, Bright Angel Lodge and Thunderbird Lodge are first rate, but to me there is magic at the El Tovar, a registered national historic landmark. When you return to it after watching a spectacular sunset at the Canyon’s Rim just a few hundred yards away, you feel it immediately when warming your hands in front of the glowing fireplace in the lobby.
Almost five million visitors come to Grand Canyon National Park each year, however, most arrive from May through October. That’s not to say you’ll be alone from December through March, but you will be able to find a parking spot in one of the lots, you won’t be tripping over other hikers on the trails, and you won’t have to push through crowds to find your way up front at the overlooks along the Canyon’s Desert View Drive or Hermit Road.

Nevertheless, you’ll need to make a reservation to stay in the Park at any of the Grand Canyon Village inns. They fill up year round. You could stay near the Park, but to me, there’s nothing like watching the sun set over the Canyon, to reveal a blanket of stars in the sky, then walking a few hundred feet to a warm hotel and a great meal, rather than taking a long ride in the darkness. Staying in the Park also means you don’t have to travel to the Rim each morning of your visit.
Another advantage of a winter stay in the Canyon is that Hermit Road is open to traffic, weather permitting, from December through February. That means you can visit its wonderful lookouts, Maricopa, Powell, Hopi, and Mohave Points, and the Abyss, at your own pace from the comfort of your car. During the rest of the year, you’ve got to take a bus, ride a bike, or hike to see these picturesque locations.

Hiking is fabulous in winter at the Canyon, even when there’s a light snow. Several thousand hikers can be found daily on the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails during the summer. On winter weekends there will probably be fewer than a couple hundred. When I was last there in winter, I saw fewer than 20 hikers on the Bright Angel trail.
A word of caution for Canyon winter hiking. Winter in the Canyon can be “moody.” Storms can come and go quickly. Winter fog can set in reducing visibility. It can be cold. When there for a March visit it was 20ºF the first day, and the Park was hit with about 4” of snow. It dropped to 0ºF that evening while we were in the comfort of El Tovar, but by noon the next day it went up to 45ºF. The Park cleared the snow from the roads quickly. The weather didn’t stop us at all. We had a great time.

You must be properly dressed for hiking, and that includes footware. I wore a pair of waterproofed hiking boots suitable for winter conditions. Wear clothing in layers, and even though it’s winter, and you’re taking a day hike, have a backpack to hold belongings, and don’t forget water.
It may be winter, but you can still take an incredible mule ride into the Canyon, weather permitting. I highly recommend these rides. The trip and its views are marvelous. By the way, it can be easily 20ºF warmer at the bottom of the Canyon. Again, though it’s much less crowded in winter, an advanced reservation for the mule rides is a must.
Don’t forget your camera wherever you are in the Grand Canyon. Your photographic opportunities are limitless.