My wife and I just did the 8 day trip with Grand canyon Whitewater. Just so grandiose and awesome (thank you to Justin, Gabe, Nate and Berkeley). I feel like this may become a thing of the past if the drought continues. Please let it rain so our grandkids can experience the beauty of the canyon.

Hey guys,

In the beginning of september my girlfriend and I will visit Las Vegas for 1 day and want to go to the Grand Canyon. Our trip will be: Las Vegas - South Rim - Lower Antelope Canyon - back to Las Vegas. (Iknow it will be a long drive but we only have 1 day)

I've got a couple of questions:

1. Should we visit the south rim first of the lower antelope since i've hears that it will be nicer to see the antelope in the morning

2. Are there any recommendations for tours at the lower antelope canyon?

3. What are the best tours of walks to do at the south rim?

Thanks in advance!

I will be coming September 3-4 to phoenix and want ideas to go to the grand canyon for a day. looking for suggestions and a travel buddy. water is a plus. willing to rent a car

Planning to MTB ride Sedona the following day- looking for suggestions for that too...

Hi everyone!

I posted earlier asking for R3 advice and now have some additional items I'd like to get feedback on from anyone who has completed it:

1. Going down SK or BA: My current plan is to take SK- which is the trail I took down on my R2R from the south rim. I thought the views were incredible and I loved how quickly it gets you down. And I don't recall it fatiguing my legs. That said, the R3 is a different beast, and I figure it may be prudent to take BA to save the extra wear and tear on my legs. But, of course, BA is also 3 miles longer. I'm having trouble deciding if the pros and cons point to a clear winner. So, if you've started the R3 from SK, BA, or both, LMK your thoughts.
2. Pack Size: I prefer a lighter pack whenever possible. Given that I intend to complete the R3 in under 24 hours I won't have a terrible amount of stuff to carry. I'm trying to decide between my 12L and 26L. Both have a 3L bladder. Is 12L too small for the R3?
3. Hiking Poles: I know many hikers swear by them but I have never used them. Not once. Not on my two previous rim-to-rim hikes, the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), or the Peaks of the Balkans (POB). The thought briefly crossed my mind given the difficulty of the R3 and I'm curious where others stand on them, specifically for this hike. Yay or nay?
4. Foot/Leg Care: I have synthetic KT tape (primarily for achiles), metatarsal pads (I wear trail runners that are ~8 ounces, so these help with impact), and graduated calf compression sleeves (15-20 mmHg). Thoughts or feedback on any of these or anything I am missing?

Going end of Sept. for only 4-5 days and don’t know anything about what best sites to see. Not looking for major hike areas, more about what can be seen by driving. I’ve heard the south rim is the best for accessibility paths? Also, which airport would be best to fly to? Hope someone can help us out. It’s a special trip !

Hey everyone! I'm doing a 3 week trip out West in September with my partner and came up with this rough draft for an itinerary. We're basic hikers so don't intend to do any super long hikes or camping. What do ya'll think of this lineup of trails and activities? Anything we should add or shuffle around?

 

Vegas to Zion (1 day)

Sep 7:

• 2:30 PM - Get rental car and drive to Zion stay
• Valley of Fire State Park (priority)

 

Zion (4 days)

Sep 8:

• Angels Landing start 9am (5.4 miles) (earlier the better)
• Enter through the south entrance- 1 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767

 

Sep 9:

• Canyon Overlook Trail (1 mile)
• Riverside Walk (2 miles)

Sep 10:

• Observation Point via East Mesa Trail (7 miles)

Sep 11: (flex):

• Watchman Trail (3.3 miles)
• Beginning of narrows

 

Bryce Canyon (2 days)

Sep 12:

• Navajo Loop Trail
• Queen's Garden Trail
• Sunset at Bryce Point

 

Sep 13:

• Scenic drive
• Mossy Cave Trail
• Drive to the grand canyon stay in the evening (5 hrs)
• Stop at the Little Colorado River Gorge Overlook and Dead Indian Canyon Overlook, Lee Canyon View, all are right off the road

 

Grand Canyon South Rim (3 days)

Sep 14:

• South Kaibab Trail
  • Skeleton Point (~6 mi RT)

Sep 15:

• Rim Trail
• Desert View Drive overlooks
  • Stargazing at Mather Point
  • Yavapai Geology Museum nearby if there’s time (open from 8 am to 7 pm)

Sep 16:

• Bright Angel Trail
  • 1.5 Mile Resthouse (3.5 miles RT)

 

Sunrise: Yaki Point

Sunset: Hopi Point

 

Sedona (7 days)

Sep 17:

• Drive to Sedona stay, on way stop at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument

Sep 18:

Sep 19:

Sep 20:

Sep 21 (flex):

Sep 22 (flex):

Sep 23:

 

Recommendations:

• Cathedral Rock Trail
• Devil's Bridge Trail
• West Fork
• Doe Mountain Trail
• Soldier Pass Trail
• Airport Mesa (beautiful sunset spot)
• Bell Rock
• Tlaquepaque 
• Montezuma Castle 
• Chapel of the Holy Cross
• Bell Rock
• Airport Mesa (Airport Mesa isn't really a long hike. It's more of a view point/sunset activity.)

Drive:

• Red Rock Scenic Byway

Other Ideas:

Could visit Jerome – Historic mining town with shops and restaurants. 

Flagstaff 

Hot air balloon 

Jeep tour

 

Vegas (2 days)

Sep 24:

• 4 ½ hour drive back to Vegas

Sep 25:

·         some cool buffet or show

Sep 26: Fly out

Hi everyone! My daughter and I are trying to plan a last minute r2r backpacking trip. We're not in incredible shape, and we want to take our time enjoying the scenery over a few days. We are confident in our health and abilities.

So I am trying to find out more about camping areas. We will be applying for last minute permits when we get there. I know there is cottonwood, havasupai, bright angel campgrounds, but where else can you camp? I have read that you may have to be flexible, and go off corridor for the last minute permits, but where are the permits for? Where is off corridor camping? Is it designated spots, other campgrounds, or just primitive? I just want to have some ideas on the extra hiking and time we may have to consider.

Edit: we plan to go at the beginning of October, but waiting on my daughter to get her schedule. We also have lived in the Appalachians for 30+ years and have a lot of camping and hiking experience, but this is my 2nd backpack and her 1st.

My husband, our 1 yr old, and I are able to do a short visit (kind of a mini road trip) to the Grand Canyon and Zion NP in mid October. Neither of us have ever been to either place so we're excited just to get the chance to see the spaces. This won't be a trip where we're doing a lot of advanced hikes because we don't have the time and we're not prepared for that (my husband probably could but our baby and I certainly aren't) so that will have to be a separate future trip without baby. I've been trying to sift through all the information but it's become a bit overwhelming (does everything need some kind of permit or lottery system?!). So I'm looking for walkable paths (while having baby in a hiking carrier) and any tips for the driving parts or places to stay that you recommend. Will the Riverwalk in the narrows be too cold mid October? Do we need specialty gear?

We land in Las Vegas on a Friday (and then driving everywhere) and will be going back to the hotel in LV for a work conference on a Tuesday, so I know we're really squeezing a lot in but I don't know the next time we'll be able to go back out there.

Are there any short/mild hikes that are even do-able with a baby carrier around the Grand canyon?

Thank you for the help!

(I'm posting this in the Grand Canyon thread too)

Hi everyone! I’m planning a family road, I (21) with my parents, trip to the US West Coast from December 24 to January 2, and I’d love some advice on our itinerary.

This will be our first time doing this route. We’re not very outdoorsy and don’t plan on doing long/strenuous hikes (I can do some by myself). We’re more interested in scenic drives, viewpoints, cities, and seeing the major sights. We’re also a vegetarian family.

Here’s our rough itinerary:

Dec 24 – Los Angeles
• Land in LA and rest

Dec 25 – Universal Studios Hollywood
• Full day at Universal

Dec 26 – Los Angeles
• Explore LA / sightseeing

Dec 27 – LA → Santa Barbara → Death Valley
• Drive toward Santa Barbara
• Continue toward Death Valley
• Overnight around Death Valley

Dec 28 – Death Valley → Grand Canyon
• Some sightseeing / easier trails in the morning at death valley
• Long drive to the Grand Canyon

Dec 29 – Grand Canyon
• Full day at the park
• Viewpoints / easier trails

Dec 30 – Grand Canyon → Las Vegas
• Drive to Vegas
• Explore Vegas in the evening

Dec 31 – Las Vegas → Joshua Tree
• Drive to Joshua Tree
• Explore the park

Jan 1 – Joshua Tree → Los Angeles
• Some sightseeing / easier trail
• Drive back to LA

Jan 2 – Fly out of LA

A few questions I’d really appreciate advice on:

1. Is this itinerary too ambitious for late December?
2. Are there any roads/areas on this route that are particularly risky or likely to be affected by winter weather?
3. Is Death Valley → Grand Canyon in one day realistic, or should we change the itinerary?
4. Would you recommend spending more/less time at any of these places?
5. Are there any easy trails or viewpoints you’d recommend at Death Valley, Grand Canyon, or Joshua Tree?
6. Should we be concerned about park/road closures around Christmas and New Year’s, and how far in advance should we be checking?
7. Would you recommend booking hotels in advance for this period, especially around the Grand Canyon and Death Valley?
8. Is there anything obvious that we’re missing or that you would change completely?

We’re happy to cut things out if the itinerary is too rushed.

Thanks in advance!