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Old Oct 26, 2018, 12:25 am
  #20  
kale73
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19,392
Originally Posted by MarkP24
Pardon my ignorance, but we're going in the winter, so my understanding is the North Rim is closed, and we can only visit the South Rim. Is the route you describe on the North Rim, as my understanding is that the shuttle is on the North Rim.

I'm leaning toward staying in Flagstaff at the Residence Inn.
Most services at the North Rim are already closed for the Winter. The North Rim will close to most visitors at the end of October (I beleive there are still very limited services for cross-canyon hikers and those who enter the North Rim area on horseback or cross country skis). During the summer, there generally is no "shuttle" service on the North Rim. There is a daily bus from the South Rim to the North and back.

On the South Rim, Hermit Road (dscribed above) is closed to private vehicles (except those with a park-issued handicapped permit) from March 1 through November 30. During those times, shuttle busses run along those routes. Portions of the trail are also open to cyclists. Yaki Point Road is closed to private vehicles year-round. Another bus route provides service to a couple of overlooks and a trailhead on that road. The main - Village Route - shuttle bus runs year-round.

I personally wouldn't recommend a tour company. But I've neen to GCNP a couple of dozen times including three visits this past summer. There are ample resources available on the park's webpage (www.nps.gov/grca) to enable anyone to plan a trip tailored to one's own interests and abilities. The park website should also list any special events or presentations that may be scheduled during your visit.

There's a lot to do in the Grand Canyon Village area, but I highly recommend including the Desert View (near the East entrance) overlook in your plans. It's one of the most spectacular views from the South Rim, IMO and the best place to see the Colorado River from the rim. It's also the site of the Desert View Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter in the 1930s to resemble an ancient Anasazi structure and, of particular interest to FlyerTalkers, offers a view of the site of the 1956 mid-air collision between a United DC-7 and a TWA Super Constellation that spurred the formation of the FAA and positive air traffic control in the United States.

My lodging suggestion is the motel at Cameron Trading Post on U.S. 89 northeast of Flag. The rooms are very comfortable with individualized southwestern decor and hand-carved wooden furnishings. The rates are comparable to Flagstaff and it's definitel not a "chain". From Cameron it's only about a 30 minute drive to the East (Desert View) entrance to GCNP. From Flag to the South Entrance is more like an hour and a half.

Cameron also puts you closer to Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Page, Glen Canyon Dam, etc. should you choose those options.

Hope you enjoy your trip.
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