Grand Canyon Visit -- Tips?

[mummabear]

We went several years ago and stayed at a hotel on the south rim, too. We just hiked around the area. I was amazed at the lack of railing/fencing on obvious observation areas. It seemed that anyone could go to the edge of the rim at most places. We took advantage of the free information video/movie. It was well worth it with the history and background. You will have a wonderful trip whatever you do.

We went last summer. I agree with the above poster who talked about the lack of railings around the edge. I was so glad we waited until our kids were older, 14 and 16, before taking them. I was paranoid even then, I would have probably had a heart attack if they were younger.

My tip: Once you park your car - don't move it. Parking is very difficult to obtain.

I was just reading that an average of 12 people a year fall over the edge

We are thinking of taking the kids this year when we go to DLR we are in LA for 15 days, we have 10 day tickets to DLR and I am a bit over LA. I think the kids would get a kick out of seeing Vegas. We would stay 2 nights, drive, and hit GC on the middle day.
DH and I have seen the West Rim before prior to the skywalk opening so I am interested in hitting the South Rim but not sure it is "worth" doubling the time in the car with the kids-it would put us in the car for 8 hours return instead of 4.

I too am worried about the kids near the rim, they will be 3,6 and 7 at the time. No one will be letting go of my hand! Miss 3 may even be relegated to her backpack carrier.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I am taking notes as well and loving all of the incredible photos. We plan to visit (and hopefully spend a few days) at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Southern Utah and visit as many parks as we can. I am wondering if any of you have ever stayed there or visited the sanctuary?

I have friends here in NH that have flown out a few times to volunteer at the Best Friends. They said it was a great experience. I know they hoped we would go there last summer on our trip, but we just didn't have the time in our schedule. We did see lots of billboards for the place and drove through Kanab where the sanctuary is located.

 

[mom2rtk]

I was just reading that an average of 12 people a year fall over the edge

We are thinking of taking the kids this year when we go to DLR we are in LA for 15 days, we have 10 day tickets to DLR and I am a bit over LA. I think the kids would get a kick out of seeing Vegas. We would stay 2 nights, drive, and hit GC on the middle day.
DH and I have seen the West Rim before prior to the skywalk opening so I am interested in hitting the South Rim but not sure it is "worth" doubling the time in the car with the kids-it would put us in the car for 8 hours return instead of 4.

I too am worried about the kids near the rim, they will be 3,6 and 7 at the time. No one will be letting go of my hand! Miss 3 may even be relegated to her backpack carrier.

That's not correct. 12 people die there every year, but that's not all people falling over the edge. It includes natural causes, illness, suicide, even traffic crashes.

Of course you have to use common sense around the rim. But the vast majority of incidents involve people ignoring rules and doing stupid things.

I actually bought and started reading this book on our first trip to the Grand Canyon, via the Grand Canyon Railway. They sold it in on board. It's really a fascinating read:

https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Ca...2822033&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+grand+canyon

 

[bcla]

That's not correct. 12 people die there every year, but that's not all people falling over the edge. It includes natural causes, illness, suicide, even traffic crashes.

Of course you have to use common sense around the rim. But the vast majority of incidents involve people ignoring rules and doing stupid things.

I actually bought and started reading this book on our first trip to the Grand Canyon, via the Grand Canyon Railway. They sold it in on board. It's really a fascinating read:

https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Ca...2822033&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+grand+canyon

There are a lot of similar books in different series. The same author wrote Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite. A different author wrote Death in Yellowstone. Many deaths are strangely familiar - stuff like auto accidents. The thing that kills quite a bit at the Grand Canyon is heat related stuff. I heard of a woman who thought that she was somehow superhuman because she'd run several marathons, and only prepared herself for an attempted rim to rim and back the same day hike with about 1.5 liters of water during the summer. The really hardheaded are the "fastpackers" who try to shave off weight, including water in a quest to be as light as possible.

http://articles.latimes.com/2004/aug/17/news/os-canyondeath17

 

[mummabear]

That's not correct. 12 people die there every year, but that's not all people falling over the edge. It includes natural causes, illness, suicide, even traffic crashes.

Of course you have to use common sense around the rim. But the vast majority of incidents involve people ignoring rules and doing stupid things.

I actually bought and started reading this book on our first trip to the Grand Canyon, via the Grand Canyon Railway. They sold it in on board. It's really a fascinating read:

https://www.amazon.com/Over-Edge-Ca...2822033&sr=8-1&keywords=death+in+grand+canyon

Well that makes me feel a lot better!
Unfortunately common sense is somewhat lacking these days in society as a whole-and certainly in my 3 year old!

 

[mom2rtk]

Well that makes me feel a lot better!
Unfortunately common sense is somewhat lacking these days in society as a whole-and certainly in my 3 year old!

Don't get me wrong. Young kids around the rim make me really nervous as well. Heck, older kids around the rim make me nervous. But most of the falls involve people doing things like jumping from rock to rock or stepping off the path to get the perfect camera shot. (I love great camera shots too, but let's face it. Stunning shots are everywhere there. No need to put your life on the line.)

This is an interesting rundown:

http://www.mygrandcanyonpark.com/falling-to-death-grand-canyon/

 

[WVMomof3]

After watching video of the Angels Landing trail in Zion, the first thing I did was google how many people have died on the hike. Yikes, It actually wasn't as many as I thought, but eek, the trail looks very scary!

 

[mom2rtk]

After watching video of the Angels Landing trail in Zion, the first thing I did was google how many people have died on the hike. Yikes, It actually wasn't as many as I thought, but eek, the trail looks very scary!

I'm too much of a weenie to do that trail, but we did a different one once at Zion that a park ranger said was mild and that our 6 year old daughter could handle, and oh my! It scared the crap out of me. If I was younger and didn't have kids, I would love to do more of those trails, but it does terrify me with kids along.

ETA: I just watched a video of the Angel's Landing hike. I understand more now why that park ranger told us the hike we took was mild!

 

[disneyseniors]

I was just reading that an average of 12 people a year fall over the edge

We are thinking of taking the kids this year when we go to DLR we are in LA for 15 days, we have 10 day tickets to DLR and I am a bit over LA. I think the kids would get a kick out of seeing Vegas. We would stay 2 nights, drive, and hit GC on the middle day.
DH and I have seen the West Rim before prior to the skywalk opening so I am interested in hitting the South Rim but not sure it is "worth" doubling the time in the car with the kids-it would put us in the car for 8 hours return instead of 4.

I too am worried about the kids near the rim, they will be 3,6 and 7 at the time. No one will be letting go of my hand! Miss 3 may even be relegated to her backpack carrier.

Honestly, the lack of any railing really scared me. There were young kids (12ish?) right up to the edge looking down. No parents around. I admit to being afraid of heights, but this bothered me. I guess you can't fence in the Grand Canyon, but I thought the easy to walk to areas would be a little better done. Just hold on to those hands and have a great time!

 

[bcla]

I'm too much of a weenie to do that trail, but we did a different one once at Zion that a park ranger said was mild and that our 6 year old daughter could handle, and oh my! It scared the crap out of me. If I was younger and didn't have kids, I would love to do more of those trails, but it does terrify me with kids along.

ETA: I just watched a video of the Angel's Landing hike. I understand more now why that park ranger told us the hike we took was mild!

I've done it once. It strangely enough didn't scare me, and I don't particularly like heights.

Now the stuff that is risky is wing-suit drops. They are totally illegal in US national parks, but a lot of the well-known climbers have gone to doing it as their latest thrill. Climbing (at least with equipment) has a relatively low fatality rate. However, wing-suits are well known for a high fatality rate. The guy who parachuted dressed like the Queen at the London Olympics died doing a legal wing-suit flight. He jumped from a helicopter, but the danger came from flying along a ridge. There was one fatality in Zion. A well-known climber (Dean Potter) died in Yosemite a couple of years ago. He had run-ins with the NPS over various rule bending or outright rule breaking over the years before he finally died doing his last stunt.

 

[Skippy918]

I had heard about angel's landing when we went to Zion, but we skipped it. We did the Narrows river hike instead.

 

[bcla]

I had heard about angel's landing when we went to Zion, but we skipped it. We did the Narrows river hike instead.

I did both on the same day. It was Angels Landing first thing in the morning to avoid the midday heat. I think I took the first bus in the morning from Springdale. I did the Narrows almost at 5 PM. I wore my regular boots and grabbed a stick at the shore. I saw quite a few people rented neoprene boots and poles.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Anyone know where to snap this beauty? My guess is somewhere near the South Rim visitor center but not 100% sure on that.

 

[momz]

Anyone know where to snap this beauty? My guess is somewhere near the South Rim visitor center but not 100% sure on that.

I don't think that is near the visitor center. I can't say for certain where that is. There's more trees at the south rim, plus, there is an upper canyon and a lower canyon. This view does not look out over the upper canyon toward Indian Gardens.

In fact, I wonder if it may be from the North Rim.

But, all that said, there are a multitude of places to get similar shots at the edge like that, no matter where you are at the canyon.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't think that is near the visitor center. I can't say for certain where that is. There's more trees at the south rim, plus, there is an upper canyon and a lower canyon. This view does not look out over the upper canyon toward Indian Gardens.

In fact, I wonder if it may be from the North Rim.

But, all that said, there are a multitude of places to get similar shots at the edge like that, no matter where you are at the canyon.

The area near the visitor's center on the north rim seemed to me to have more vegetation that in the above shot. That said, we didn't take any long hikes so were mostly in and around the cabins and the short trails close by.

North Rim Sunrise by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Thanks Momz. My guess was Mather Point.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Got it.

 

[momz]

Very nice! How hot was it?

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Very nice! How hot was it?

Pretty hot. That was 2 weeks ago. I want to say upper 80s. It cooled off substantially at night and early in the morning.

 

[momz]

Pretty hot. That was 2 weeks ago. I want to say upper 80s. It cooled off substantially at night and early in the morning.

Tell us about your visit. What did you do? What was good, what was bad. Any advice for a summer visit?