Grand Canyon News

…Boy, that’d take an awfully big pool cover!  Just playin.’  

Sorry, guys, but when folks ask “do you close up the Canyon at night?” one’s mind just tends to form these funny little pictures of two guys in gray overalls turning this huge crank….“OK, Bernie, let’s cover it up!”  Or…maybe it’s just MY mind that forms the funny pictures. 

Anyway, today’s question – which, by the way, is a perfectly legitimate question – is about the hours of operation of Grand Canyon National Park.  Grand Canyon South Rim is open year-round.  The entrance gates are staffed during the day by the rangers of the National Park Service, who collect your entrance fees, distribute park maps and guides, and answer your questions about the park.  They’re there during the daylight hours, which of course, vary with the season.  The actual park gates, though, are open 24/7, which means you can enter and exit the park any time of day or night.  Grand Canyon North Rim is only open for about 5–6 months a year (mid-May through mid-October, weather permitting), but during its season, same rules apply (rangers at the gate during daytime, gates open 24/7). 

So, for those of you not expecting to arrive at the park until late at night, you won’t be shut out… but you might get shot down IF you don’t have reservations for those Grand Canyon hotels.  Have you made yours yet? 

Wow.  2007 is barely 3 weeks old and already it promises to be a year full of change!  It truly is the only constant in this world, and it’s certainly a constant here at GrandCanyon.com.  We’ve been busy helping lots of you get your Grand Canyon hotels and tours reserved – clearly, you’ve taken our advice to heart about getting your ducks in a row ASAP for your Grand Canyon vacation and you’ll definitely be glad you did.  We’ve also been posting a lot of new Grand Canyon tour videos.  We’re particularly proud of our Grand Canyon Railway video – take a gander if you get a minute!

Getting back on the subject at hand … well, I have a few subjects on the agenda…  One thing I wanted to discuss today was Grand Canyon camping.  You may think that if you’re camping, you don’t need to plan ahead like you would if you were staying at hotels.  Let me tell you – from 20 years’ experience – that that assumption is just flat out W-R-O-N-G!  During the summer months, campgrounds can be every bit as busy as hotels, and reservations are every bit as necessary (with a few exceptions – keep reading), and next month, the place to go to make those reservations will change. 

Effective February 7th, the National Recreation Reservations Service will take care of National Park camping reservations: online, visit www.Recreation.gov  If you prefer to make reservations by phone, call toll free 877–444–6777.  Apparently this service will take care of all the National Park campgrounds in the country, which is good – one stop shopping!  So if you’ll be visiting our campgrounds, make your reservations soon, but don’t try to make ‘em today – the systems are in transition mode until the 7th and will not “go live” until then.  RV spaces are still managed by Xanterra South Rim LLC, who can be reached at 888–297–2757, 303–297–2757 or www.grandcanyonlodges.com  To every rule, there is of course an exception, sometimes a few.  In this case, there are a few car campgrounds that operate on a first-come first-served basis.  To learn more about these campgrounds, take a look at my post-script to this entry.  

This change WILL NOT apply to camping in the inner canyon, such as Cottonwood, Indian Gardens or the Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch.  These reservations are still taken care of by the Backcountry Office of the National Park Service.  Backcountry permits for Bright Angel Campground and elsewhere open four months ahead of time for the proposed month of your trip (i.e., if you want to camp in September, you can make reservations as of May 1), and they typically get booked up as soon as they become available.  For more information on how to obtain a backcountry camping permit at the Canyon, click here.  Dorms, cabins and meals at Phantom Ranch are still manged by Xanterra (see contact info above). 

Speaking of Bright Angel – the Lodge this time – renovations are underway at this historic property designed by famed female architect Mary Jane Colter.  Dating back to 1935, Bright Angel Lodge  (a Xanterra property as well) consists of European-style rooms with shared baths and others with private bath.  My favorites are the charming cabins, some of which are located right on the canyon rim!  From now through April 30th, the lodge rooms will be closed as furniture is  refinished, fixtures are replaced, and walls and ceilings are repainted.  The boardwalk that connects some of the rooms to the main lobby is also scheduled for replacement.  The main lobby of the lodge, including the Transportation Desk, Coffee Shop, Lounge and Gift Shop will remain open.  The Arizona Room is closed through February (which is their usual seasonal closure). 

What does this mean to you?  Well…. it means that 80 or so of the area’s most economically priced rooms will be out of commission over Spring Break, making it even more important that you get hotel reservations made if you’re visiting us then.  In March, you can still take advantage of off-season rates at several Grand Canyon hotels, including our preferred hotel, the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn.  Standard rooms, for example, are $89/night, deluxe rooms are $109/night through March 31st, which is a $50 per night savings over peak season.  The Squire is actually a really nice hotel (I’ve stayed there myself several times) and an excellent choice for families with young children since it has an on-site play center with a bowling alley, video games and pool tables.  They even have spa-type services by prior arrangement (can we say massage after a mule ride?  Yeeeeeeeeah BOY!).  Sound good?  Book a room right now! 

Up the road a ways in beautiful Lake Powell, we’re making ready to bid “adieu” to a local institution: the Canyon King.  A genuine paddle-wheel boat that made its first splash in 1979, the Canyon King ferried thousands of people around the lake as they savored juicy prime rib or munched on bacon and eggs.  I’ve been on this boat several times myself (my first rock band played its first gig on this boat) and have made many a cherished memory with friends and family as we glided past Lake Powell’s trademark towering rock formations (that tower even higher now with water levels lower than in years past).  Now, the old vessel simply can’t be brought up to modern safety codes without it costing an arm and a leg, so Lake Powell Resorts decided it was time to retire her (or is it a him since it’s a “king”?).  According to the Lake Powell Chronicle, speculation has already been made about turning the Canyon King into a roadside attraction at the new visitor center scheduled to go in on US 89 near Page, Arizona.  If our friends in the UK will pardon us just this once for stealing one of their phrases: “Long Live the King.”

As we say “good-bye” to a King, we’ll say “hello” to a Princess: the Canyon Princess, a modern luxury yacht-style vessel featuring richly appointed cherry wood salons, a curved grand staircase and an open air deck.  She’s gorgeous and due to arrive here in a few weeks.  She’ll be available for breakfast cruises, sunset dinner cruises, and maybe even nighttime star gazing parties, not to mention private events like weddings and such.  I can’t wait to meet her. 

Lake Powell is just 2.5 hours away from Grand Canyon South or North Rim.  In addition to our line of Grand Canyon tours, we can also book you on a Lake Powell Scenic Cruise Adventure.  Just give us a call or drop us a line at info@grandcanyon.com 

Til next time, Happy Travels! 

Alley Kaye

P.S.  Oh hey!  We just posted our seasonal Grand Canyon Travel Guides for 2007 – yaaaay!  We decided to put ‘em all up at once because so many of you have already decided when you’re going (good call).  For those of you who have yet to decide when/where to go, we’ve put up our very first Grand Canyon Annual Travel Guide.  All are available as Adobe pdf downloads (about 2 mgs) and they’re even better than last year’s.  They feature an extended camping section (which discusses first come-first serve campgrounds), more information about Grand Canyon West, and our Annual Guide has a special “You Asked We Answered” section that discusses things like fireworks (forget it), weddings (possible with a permit), ski areas (don’t laugh), even where to watch “March Madness.”  You’ll find the links underneath the videos section just “under the fold” on the homepage, GrandCanyon.com.  Thanks in advance for reading! 

Some things about the Grand Canyon never cease to amaze me…. well, the Grand Canyon never ceases to amaze me, but that’s a given.   What amazes me is that in this day and age of information on demand, MapQuest, Google Earth, et al., I still continue to field questions from folks having difficulty locating Grand Canyon National Park on a map.  I guess it stands to reason in a way as the Grand Canyon lies in one of the last areas of the US to be mapped; Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument up near Lake Powell and Bryce Canyon is another such area.

In fact, in the news recently, you may have heard about the passing of a gentleman named Bradford Washburn.  He mapped the Grand Canyon using techniques that were unheard of at the time (the late 1970’s).  According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, he used “lasers and reflecting prisms to measure contour and depth” (read the full article), eventually producing two Grand Canyon maps, one of the inner canyon and one of the center.  But the fact that this was accomplished as recently as the 1970’s just goes to prove how challenging an environment the Grand Canyon is and always will be.  

Speaking of articles, last week, I posted an article on ArticleFeeder.com that addresses the lingering difficulty of locating the Grand Canyon and gives a complete list of my personal favorite tips and tricks to mapping the Grand Canyon accurately.  So am I gonna give ‘em all out here, too?  Actually, I already have.  Several times in fact.  If this sort of info is what you need right now, check out the article on Article Feeder.com under the “Travel and Leisure” section, or click here and you’ll get right to it.  Heck, if you just need a Grand Canyon map, there’s a ton of ‘em on our maps page.  If you want the Grand Canyon Village map, we’ve got that.  Want a map of Northern Arizona?  We’ve got that.  Las Vegas Strip?  Ditto.  Downtown Phoenix?  Got it. 

I will say this, though: my favorite mapping site is Yahoo! Maps.  Google Earth is pretty cool, too.  What I like about Yahoo! Maps (the new version) is the fact that mapping someone’s entire vacation from point A to B to C to D (and even E and F!) is really easy (especially when you know the local airport codes), and that’s important to me because I know so many of you are visiting the Grand Canyon as part of a Grand Circle Loop itinerary. 

Oh, here’s another thing: if you map your trip online, make sure you do a “reality check” of the roads you get routed on.  There’s a lot of dirt roads out here, and some mapping sites may inadvertantly route you down one because it’s simply the shortest route from point A to point B.  This happens frequently in our area with the Cottonwood Canyon Road, an unpaved road north of Lake Powell that follows the Paria River for a distance, eventually ending at the beautiful Kodachrome Basin. 

The Cottonwood Canyon Road is VERY scenic, and most of the time, not too terribly bad, though some washboard action is to be expected.  If you try to map the drive from Lake Powell to Bryce Canyon, chances are, you’d get routed down this road.  Unfortunately, this road is prone to washouts due to flash flooding, and it’s also not recommended for large trucks, busses, etc.  Apparently a few semis have had to be rescued from this road.  I’ve even rescued some people off this road who didn’t know what they were getting into.  So make sure you know what you’re getting into before you “ease on down the road.” 

WHEN IN DOUBT, CHECK IT OUT.  Learn that phrase and don’t be afraid to use it!

‘Til next time, Happy Travels! ~ Alley Kaye  

Hey, everybody, Happy New Year! 

So what are YOU resolving to accomplish in the New Year?  Get organized?  Get thinner?  Get richer?  Whatever it is, I wish you the best, BUT, if your family is visiting Grand Canyon National Park in 2007, let me strongly suggest this: resolve to get on the stick with your Grand Canyon lodging reservations, like, NOW.  From what people are saying on travel forum sites like TripAdvisor, Fodor’s, etc., many Grand Canyon hotels are already getting full, and not just for upcoming holidays like spring break.  Summer’s shaping up to be busy, too.  All perfectly normal – getting your Grand Canyon hotel lined up is probably the most important element of your vacation.  It’s pretty much the “linchpin” around which the rest of your plans will revolve. 

So – get on it, pronto!  Trust me on this.  Like they say on “Monk” (USA’s having a marathon), “you’ll thank me later.”

For in-park hotels, you want to check Xanterra South Rim LLC, www.grandcayonlodges.com 888-297-2757 (toll free in US) or 303-297-2757 (outside US).  If you can’t find lodging in-park, check Tusayan (7 miles away), Williams (60 miles away) or Flagstaff (85 miles away).  For availability and pricing of hotels in those areas click here or call 800-916-8530. 

If you’re saying “hooooooooold on, I haven’t gotten that far and I don’t know where to begin!” take a look at our newest contribution to the world’s largest, most useful ‘How To’ Manual, wikiHow.com: “How to Plan a Grand Canyon Vacation.”   It’ll break down the process of planning your Grand Canyon trip in 10 steps! 

Oh, yes, we are technically closed today.  But this information was too important not to pass on via the miracle of modern technology.  :) 

Talk to ya tomorrow, folks!    

***UPDATE November 29th 10.51 AM***:  Highway 67 from Jacob Lake, Arizona to Grand Canyon North Rim has closed for the season.  The highway is tentatively scheduled to reopen in mid-May, weather permitting.  Continue to monitor www.az511.com for current road conditions statewide.  Grand Canyon South Rim and Grand Canyon West are open year-round.****

This morning, residents of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah were advised to “hunker down and prepare for what may be the worst storm of the season.”  Snow is in the forecast for the next couple of days, with higher elevations potentially receiving a foot or more of the white stuff.  That should please the ski resort operators!  I personally just got off the phone with the good folks at the Jacob Lake Inn, 45 miles from the North Rim of the Canyon, who report about an inch on the ground, but the road into the park is still open.  Ditto for the South Rim, which is actually open year-round. 

Snow or no snow, it’s going to be COLD and WINDY, folks.  Tomorrow’s overnight low at Grand Canyon South Rim is expected to be -6…no, that’s not a typo…. that’s Minus 6…. Fahrenheit… BRRRR…. 

Planning a visit to the park in the next couple of days?  Keep an eye on the weather, and monitor road conditions closely at www.az511.com 

You can also view Grand Canyon South Rim in real time on the National Park Service’s webcam, at this link: http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/grcacam/grcacam.cfm

Catch ya later folks, there’s a cup of mocha-java at Circle K with my name on it!