Grand Canyon Travel Tips
Green Travel
- Plan your route to minimize carbon emissions. For example, travel by train and public transport where possible.
- Keep your vehicle’s engine tuned and your tires properly inflated to get the best gas mileage and reduce the chances of expensive repair fees.
- Minimize flying time and stopovers. Carbon emissions are extremely high during take off and landing.
- If you are selecting a tour company, ask how they minimize environmental impacts and contribute to the local economy in order to support the greenest business practices.
- To save money while you are gone, adjust your air conditioner and/or heat to the lowest possible setting to still protect pets, plants, etc.
To save even more money, turn your hot water heater to “Vacation” or the lowest setting, or just turn off the breaker. This may save significant funds, even if it’s only over a 3-day weekend! - Appliances, such as televisions and computers, can be unplugged because they can draw or “leak” as much as 40 watts per hour even when they are turned off, costing you money even when you are not there.
- Put your newspaper delivery on hold and ask if the company will prorate your bill so that you don’t pay for newspapers you don’t receive.
- Purchase electronic tickets for airline travel to reduce waste and cost. If paper tickets are lost, they may cost $75-100 to have replaced.
- If possible, walk whenever you can to save money, enjoy the landscape, and get some exercise after long periods of sitting while traveling.
- Use public transportation when available, such as the free shuttle service at Grand Canyon National Park.
- For your safety in the dry climate of the Southwest, you should drink plenty of water. Carry a reusable water bottle with you, and refill as needed. Grand Canyon’s water is some of the cleanest in the country!
- If you are a coffee drinker, many cafes and diners will fill a reusable cup that you bring with you. Some might even give you a small discount! This allows you to get your coffee and head out to enjoy the Canyon, while still keeping your drink piping hot.
- Water is a limited resource throughout the Southwest. Reduce the amount of water you use for bathing or showering. At hotels, let management know that it’s not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day. This reduces water and electricity use and saves everyone money!
- Don’t forget the good habits you already have at home. When you leave your hotel room, turn off the air conditioner/heat, lights, television, and radio.
- Participate in recycling programs by placing recyclables in appropriate bins. Grand Canyon collects all plastics, cardboard, aluminum, and paper for recycling.
- Take only brochures or maps that you need. Keep your Grand Canyon guide with you so that you do not need multiple copies.
What To Bring Hiking
When you visit the Grand Canyon South Rim, you want to make sure you are prepared. Use these tips to ensure you are ready for your hiking experience!
- Water – some plain and some with electrolyte replacement.
- Food – especially salty foods. Eat twice as much as normal.
- First Aid Kit – Bandaids, ace wrap, antiseptic, moleskin, etc.
- Map – while many trails are well-marked, maps are helpful tools.
- Pack – to carry the essentials.
- Flashlight/Spare Batteries – allows you to hike out during the cool evenings.
- Spray Bottle – fill with water for your own personal air conditioning system.
- Hat/Sunscreen – to keep the sun off you and to protect your skin.
- Whistle and/or Signal Mirror – for emergency use.
- Waterproof Clothing – poncho or jacket; especially useful during monsoon season (mid-July to early September).
- Food – especially salty foods. Eat twice as much as normal.
- First Aid Kit – Bandaids, ace wrap, antiseptic, moleskin, etc.
- Map – while many trails are well-marked, maps are helpful tools.
- Water – plain and some with electrolyte replacement.
- Pack – to carry the essentials.
- Flashlight/Spare Batteries – allows you to hike out at night.
- Appropriate Footwear – waterproof boots, gaiters to keep snow and mud out of your boots.
- Over-the-shoe traction devices – it will only take a short and unexpected stretch of ice to make you glad you have extra traction.
- Hiking Poles – to help with footing on icy trails.
- Whistle and/or Signal Mirror – for emergency use, know how to use your equipment.
- Waterproof/Warm Clothing – parka, hat, gloves for the snow and rain, plus an extra set of dry clothing – in case you get wet.
Hiker Transportation
For those of you planning a Grand Adventure…a rafting trip and then hiking out…biking through…or hiking rim to rim transportation may be a concern. Why do you ask? Your raft trip leaves from the Page area and you are now hiking out at Phantom Ranch but your vehicle is back in Page…You are on an epic bike ride and want to hike through the Grand Canyon but bikes are not allowed below the rim…You leave from the South Rim and hike to the North Rim but your vehicle is now on the opposite Rim.
Here are a few local companies that can address that for you.
- Serving Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hikers since 1989 with daily scheduled and charter shuttles between the North and South Rim. For more information, please call us or visit our website. P: 928-638-2820 | WEBSITE
Door to door, or trail-head to trail-head, we will provide your group’s transportation at anytime, at either rim. The shuttle is available 24 hours a day by reservation for pickups and drop-offs at the South Rim, North Rim, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, and Phoenix. We are properly insured and operate under permits from the Grand Canyon National Park. We provide this service with friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced drivers that our customers rave about!
We also offer gear storage/delivery for round-trip travelers, and are bike friendly.
P: 888-215-3105 | Website
Sunrise/Sunset Viewpoints
There is no one best place for watching the sunrise or sunset, just good places and better places. Look for a viewpoint that jets into the canyon, with views both east and west.
• While Hopi Point is unquestionably a desirable viewpoint for sunset, it attracts crowds of people and buses.
• Yaki and Yavapai Points are accessible by shuttle, offer spectacular views of the canyon and are less congested.
• Lipan, Navajo, and Desert Viewpoints offer incredible views of the canyon, with extensive stretches of the river below.
