I’ve wanted to visit the Grand Canyon for as long as I can remember, so planning our recent visit to America’s “canyon country” was something that I was super excited about, and a true bucket list vacation for me and my husband. Still, I wasn’t prepared for how much I would fall in love with this part of the U.S. Who would have ever thought this beach-loving, water-loving, surf-and-sand-loving girl would fall in love with giant mountains of rock? As we have told many since our return, America is truly beautiful and seeing the incredible canyons of the southwest should be something that everyone does at some point in their lives.
Not only did we enjoy *seeing* the canyons, we enjoyed leaning about and *experiencing* them as well. In fact, we learned some important tips that are the subject of today’s blog.
In no particular order, here are my Top 4 Tips for visiting America’s canyon country.
- The time of year – and the corresponding weather – matters. We visited in the summer, which obviously was during some of the hottest times of the year (although this year especially it has apparently gotten hotter, earlier than is typical). So for those planning a summertime visit, it’s extremely important to pay attention to the weather forecast, especially if you’re planning a long hike in the summer. Even more important – heed park warnings about heat in the canyons, because the park rangers know a lot more about what it’s like in the canyons than we do. The temperature in the canyons can be as much as 15 degrees more than the rim, so it’s especially not recommended to do long hikes into the canyons in heat of the day. (This was brought home to us as we watched a helicopter evacuation from the Grand Canyon, with the person being rescued in a basket from the base of the canyon. Sadly we later learned that the person died.) Summer is also monsoon season, and it’s not unusual for storms to rapidly come up and in some cases, result in flash floods. So paying attention to potential storm warnings and flash floods is super important. Not going in the summer? You’re not off the hook either, as temperature variations can be dramatic at any time of the year, and even in the spring/fall, temperatures can drop quickly once the sun goes down. And winter travel comes with it’s own set of issues, as snow can and does close some areas and roads, and the weather can dramatically change very rapidly. So not only do you want to make sure where you want to visit is actually open when you want to go, but also be sure to monitor the weather forecast closely.
- Elevation also matters – more than you might think. I had always heard this, but as someone that lives pretty close to sea level, experiencing the elevations that we did was a bit of a surprise to me. The elevation at the Grand Canyon is about 7000 feet, and at Bryce Canyon National Park, the elevation can go up to over 9100 feet. The air is thinner and you can really feel it, especially if you have asthma or breathing problems (make sure you have your inhaler with you and be prepared to use it). Even if you don’t have breathing issues, it’s not uncommon to feel a bit lightheaded or have a headache. And don’t overlook the sunscreen either – you can burn faster at a higher altitude.
- Water is your friend. You’ll be visiting a “high desert”. Both of those words matter (see above for the “high” part), so don’t overlook the “desert” part. As someone who lives in the Mid-Atlantic where humidity is a way of life, especially in the summer, it was hard for me to wrap my head around what 9% humidity feels like. *Dry* doesn’t even begin to describe what it feels like. Drink lots of water. Then drink more. In fact, just bring the biggest refillable water bottle you can find, and keep refilling. You’ll be amazed at how much water your body will want you to consume each day (and how quickly your body will remind you, if you neglect the water).
- Plan for sunrise and/or sunset. We had the opportunity to witness both sunset and sunrise at the Grand Canyon, and I am so glad we did. While the sunset was magnificent, for me the sunrise – witnessing the Canyon wake up and listening to the wind seemingly speaking – was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I do not say that lightly.
Pretty magical, right?
If you’ve never been, put America’s canyon country on your travel bucket list, and then follow these tips for one of the most memorable vacations you’ll ever take!
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