We will be flying into Las Vegas mid March and heading to the Grand Canyon. Do we need to rent an SUV? Did not know how the roads would be. Also, where are the best spots along the South Rim to view the sunrise and sunset. Thanks!

You definitely do not need an SUV. Roads are very good.

Just about any spot along the rim would be good for sunrise or sunset. Hopi Point is very popular for sunsets and Mather for sunrise. Which means if you go to one of those, you will be there with about 300 other people.

I enjoyed a quiet sunrise at Yaki Point. Private vehicles are not allowed on the road to the point, which is over 1/2 mile from the main road. We parked along the main road and walked to the point (or you can take the shuttle) and saw 2 elk on the way. For sunrise, there were only about 4 other people.

For sunset, I would suggest walking along the rim trail, east from the rim lodges, find a spot to sit and watch, then back to the lodge area for dinner.

You do need to be prepared for driving in snow, depending on when you travel. When we were there one year in mid-March we had about 5 inches of snow at the top.

Sometimes there's a heavy snowstorm in March, in which case you will appreciate an SUV with 4-wd. But probably 80-90% of the days in March the roads are clear and you will be OK with a standard vehicle.

You can see the storms building up over the Pacific and hitting the LA area a day or two before hitting Arizona, so you could consider making two reservations, one for an SUV and one for a cheaper standard car, and cancel the one you don't need when you arrive at LV.

where are the best spots along the South Rim to view the sunrise and sunset.

Mather, Hopi, Yaki and Grandview Points are all very good. Have to take a shuttle to Hopi and Yaki though.

We made that trip in mid-March and we did drive in some snow. In fact it was snowing at the Grand Canyon, but the roads were fine and we didn't have an SUV.

Years before that we drove from Pheonix to the Grand Canyon in late January, and hit a snow storm in Flagstaff. That was another story!

If you NEED a 4WD to drive the highway, you should not be driving.

Thank you for all the replies. Did not know how quickly they clear the roads so if it would be better to have an SUV. Great ideas for sunrise/sunset as well! We did not get the lodge we wanted at the GC, but I have read that things tend to open up closer to the date so I am hoping we can get the Bright Angel. Thanks!

Try checking the website at least a couple of times a day for vacancies. Also call at least once a day in case they have a vacancy that hasn't posted:

http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/

888.297.2757

Don't get hung up on Bright Angel. Thunderbird or Kachina would be quite fine. In fact, the rooms might be nicer, since they were both recently renovated.

If roads are bad they often close them (many are closed right now, including the highway from Flagstaff), so an SUV won't help in many cases. You can keep updated on road conditions via the park's website.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisi...-condition.htm

Did not know how quickly they clear the roads so if it would be better to have an SUV.

A typical fast moving storm would bring snow and icy conditions for a day and a night, then usually by noon the next day it's sunny and roads are not too bad; by the third day it's typically fine driving with dry roads during the day, with a chance of icy patches at night where the melted snow on the side of the highway seeps in and re-freezes.

This is for the average storm ... we had two of those in Dec, for example. However sometimes there are a series of storms back-to-back, like last week (the storms that brought the mudslides and flooding to southern California). Northern AZ got so much snow that I-40 was shut from Winslow to Kingman for a couple of days, as was I-17 from Flagstaff to the Sedona turn-off. Even a 4-WD with chains was not enough during these kinds of storms, but this was the worse one in 20 years. Basically the whole northern third of the state was shut down for a while.

We also visited in March. We drove into the Grand Canyon, at night, in a blinding snowstorm. We are used to driving in snow, but it was hard to see. We awoke amazed though to a beautiful sunny day that melted all the snow.

I loved just walking along the paved rim trail before sunrise. People are out walking their dogs, ambling along drinking coffee. Very peaceful. Elk on the lawn.

One morning at 5:30, I caught the shuttle and went to Hopi Point for sunrise. For awhile, I was the only one there; only a few people joined me for the sunrise and everyone was so quiet. We also watched the sunset there--lots more people--and they all head to the restaurants after sunset. The buses line up there to get you back to your hotel.

Be sure to take the Hermits Rest Shuttle and get off at several of the lookouts.
We also took the shuttle out the other way to Pipe Creek Vista, walked the rim trail,to Mather Point, the Visitors Center, Yavapai Observation Station and then back to the El Tovar where we were staying. That's a beautiful walk along the rim.

If you can, it's enjoyable to walk at least partway down the Bright Angel Trail. Several in our group spent the night camping at Phantom Ranch. If you are in shape, this is a really memorable hike.

Wonderful suggestions - thank you so much!