Travel Blog

Visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona is one of the truly neat things to do. You really cannot capture the grandeur of the Grand Canyon in a picture. We have included a couple of pictures in this post to show what the grand canyon is really like.  If you have not made a visit to one of the 7 wonders of the world, it is high time you did. We have been there several times. We have also hiked part way down the side of the south rim of the grand canyon and it is actually only when you do this that you realize just how large it is.

The Grand Canyon – Ten Miles Wide!

When you visit the grand canyon on a clear day and stand at the edge on the south rim near the grand canyon village, you can see the other side which is more than ten miles away. In fact it so grand that there can be multiple storm systems along the north rim with blue sky in between each. On the day we arrived there were three such systems on the north rim. There was blue sky between them and all across the south rim making for a truly picturesque day. We could see the lightning striking the ground from each of the storms, however they were so far away that we could not hear the sound.

Walking Down the Trail

We walked down the trail for about a 1000 feet in elevation. The trail is approximately 7 to 10 feet wide and used by hikers of course, but also mules that carry tourists down to the bottom of the canyon. We were not too excited to be share the trail with a mule train, and I sure would not want to be on one when they got excited or missed a step! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the sunny day and the short hike.

Note that if you plan to hike to the bottom of the trail, down to the Colorado river,  you need to plan to stay at the bottom of the canyon for the night and you must have reservations as well. There are a few camp sites and there are also is a building with bunk beds. Apparently reservations are needed almost a year in advance. We also need to advise you that unless you are in phenomenal shape, you cannot walk this trail in both directions in one day. It is just too much to try.

The Grand Canyon – Hiking the South Rim Trail

There is also a trail that runs about a mile along the edge of the South Rim that most people will find quite easy and the view is fantastic as well. It is paved so easy for wheel chairs etc to navigate along this trail while enjoying the view. The trail down to the river is of course a combination of gravel, rock and just plain dirt.

Time of Year

The south rim is approximately 6000 feet in elevation and does it get snow in the fall, winter and spring. Summers can be quite hot and of course down at the river, the temperatures rise to very high temperatures in the summer time. The water is still very cold due to its origins being snow melt in the mountains north and east of the grand canyon area.

Before you go, check with the park to find out what the typical temperatures are and remember that if you bring the extra clothes you can always take them off if it gets too hot. If you do not have them and your freezing, your going to continue freezing.

If you have been to the Grand Canyon, and would like to leave comments for our readers please do. A constructive helpful comment with a link is always helpful for our readers.

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