Hi,
We are spending 2 nights at/near Grand Canyon after long drive through Mohave Desert on our way to a week's stay in a resort above Sedona.
Two questions:

1)have non view reservations Sat-Mon at Thunderbird Lodge, also at the Best Western 5 miles away. Are we better off staying on Rim or driving in VERY EARLY from BW to find parking? Answer not clear to me.

We've both been to the Canyon before in November with good crowd avoidance. We are making this stop because it's only an hour out of our way and we may never be back. We are experienced hikers, but now stuck with 3-4 miles (knee problem, aging). What would you do in this situation?
I know Yosemite like the back of my hand, but am completely lost now. For example, would we do better to drive in from BW and to to a trailhead father from the Village?

All advice gratefully received. We had planned to do Utah, but COVID risk is too high, so we are splurging for 7 nights at the Enchatment resort in Sedona. But for a taste of the Grand Canyon????

Many thanks.

Not quite sure what Yosemite has to do with anything, but IMO/IME it is almost always better to stay in the park and the Thunderbird Lodge is in a terrific location. I've twice stayed in non-view rooms there and would again if there was no availability at El Tovar.

I would take the Thunderbird. Just step outside for all the views you want. It is always better to stay in the park.You are there for sunrise and sunset.Usually animals out in the evening.(deer)

Thanks, Janis, that helps. Sorry about the distraction of the Yosemite comment -- I wrote the post when I was tired. I mentioned Yosemite only as an example of a situation where I know the park and its lodging situations well, which I don't with the Grand Canyon.

I'm going to keep looking for view cancellations at El Tovar, Thunderbird and its sister hotel, if not stay in the. non view room at Thunderbird we were lucky to get.

Next step will be to plan how to have the nicest day we can in the Canyon. We can get up at dawn to get an early start to avoid crowds, need to accommodate knee problem by either staying level or being on well-groomed trail.

Stay in the park.

Sure, stay in the park. Have dinner at El Tovar if you can score it.

> trailhead father from the Village?

Sound like you are looking for crowd avoidance. The only ones I have personal experience with are Grandview and Tanner. You'll hardly see any other people (as of 2012), but there's a reason for that. Both are real pieces of work right from the start. I've never been on South Kaibab or Hermit.

An early start on Bright Angel should avoid some crowding, maybe.

Just saw this: being on well-groomed trail.

I think Bright Angel is as well-groomed as you’ll get, except for staying on the rim. Nothing wrong with that, either.

Have a good trip.

you can preview the trails on google maps street view. The three main trails that go below the rim - BA, S Kaibab, and Hermit all have significant elevation change right off the bat, but you can walk 15miles or so of flat rim trail, and you can head out either east or west from your hotel. Go half the distance you want and loop back, or take a shuttle back.

I enjoyed dinner at the Arizona Steakhouse,if it is open. I don't know what is open with the Covid deal. I thought the rooms at Thunderbird were a lot bigger than the El Tovar

"I wrote the post when I was tired. I mentioned Yosemite only as an example of a situation where I know the park and its lodging situations well,"

Understood. After I posted it dawned on me that's what you meant

Stay in the park. Arizona Steakhouse was abyssmal last time I ate there. It may be closed.

I think South Kaibab to Ooh Aah Point (or as far as you want for a taste) or just the rim trail toward Hermit's Rest (as far as you want).

They aren't fancy and the bed is small, but I love the historic little cabins at Bright Angel. If small isn't your thing, then avoid.

Stay at Thunderbird. You do not want to be encountering elk or mule deer on a drive in the dusk before dawn or after sunset,
As has been mentioned, the rooms at el Tovar are small, although the linens and toiletries were nicer. Because the views at GC are mostly down, you have to be out of your room to have a view from most of the lodging. A reservation guy at elT told us that to get a view you needed to be in a suite at the top of elT which was always booked, and also cost a fortune.