Grand Canyon
 

We are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon & surrounding area. What is the best time of year to make the trip?

Depends on what you want to do there, how long you plan on staying and whether or not you are OK with crowds.

Spring or fall are probably the best overall for weather, but spring break would be pretty busy. Winter has the fewest number of visitors. Summer is crowded and hot if you're planning on hiking into the canyon.

Do you plan to hike to the river, or just stay at the rim?

If it is the former you want days that aren't over 100 degrees yet days are long enough. April, May, Sept are good months. By late May can get toasty.

If you're just visiting the rim, you can include extend through June. By July you are getting into monsoon season. Temps will still be hot but you risk the rains & lightning limiting your activities.

Early October was a glorious time to visit Arizona.

North Rim or South Rim? NR (my favorite) is closed in winter.

I hiked to the bottom in March and it was perfect. There was snow on the first couple of miles but with Yak Tracks we had no problem. It actually made hiking easier. As you descend it gets hotter. We were losing layers and sweating. I can't imagine doing that in the summer.