Princess

We'll be going there in 8 days and wondered what we should be sure to pack? For instance, is a jacket necessary? Are sandals good enough for hiking (never hiked before), or are tennis shoes preferred? Is dress attire required for the El Tovar Restaurant?

TAW

You're at about 7200 feet so it can get cool in the mornings & evenings (or any other time for that matter.) Best bet is layers. No dress requirements for El Tovar (such as coat/tie for men, etc) I went in May and just added a colorful scarf to my otherwise plain outfit. Not sure how much hiking you are planning on but sturdy walking shoes or at least good sandals (not flip-flops) should do. If you were an experienced hiker you'd already have your shoes. Hopefully, you have already broken in whatever footwear you bring. It's a beautiful place,,,have a wonderful time!

spirobulldog

You will most likely not need a jacket, but do pack one as TAW states, you never know about the weather. Since you have never hiked before, do go down just a little ways in the canyon. DO NOT go far as it is harder on your way out. Grand Canyon isn't really a place to start out hiking very far if you are inexperienced. I would definately wear hiking shoes. Tennis shoes are ok, but if you find you like to hike and plan on doing more, buy some hiking shoes and/or boots. I prefer Merrels. Water is an absolute must. If you hike down into the canyon an hour, it will take you 2 hours to hike out. Temperatures on the top can be cool and near 120 at the bottom as the day progresses. If you haven't seen the GC before, be prepared to be wowed. The first view will almost bring you to your knees. You might consider a helicopter ride to get a different perspective. You will see people dressed nicely and others in hiking attire at El Tovar.

J62

I've seen lots of people hiking down the Bright Angel trail at mid day in flip flops and carrying no water, so if you wore sandals you wouldn't be alone. You'd be foolish, but not alone.

You basically have 3 hiking/walking options at the Grand Canyon.

1. along the flat, rim trail that runs for miles east and west out of GC village. You can take a shuttle bus to any of the lookout/drop off points and walk (hike) a short distance, our you can just hop back on the next bus. It's paved in many sections so hiking is just walking.

2. down into the canyon on the Bright Angel trail. The starting point is convenient, unless you hike down quite a distance you'll just be hugging the canyon wall & switchbacks without any remarkable views. Plus a lot of work to walk back up - it can feel like walking up 50 flights of stairs. There is water on this trail, but not until you hit the 1.5mi point. That 3mi round trip can take 2-4hrs, depending on your fitness level (how many miles a week do you walk?) for exercise. You'd need to bring 1-2 liters of water per person to do that hike. 1 would be ok if you knew you were going to get to the watering point. A single small 0.5 liter water bottle is not enough.

The Bright Angel trail that descends into the canyon from GC Village near the BA hotel is a dusty, hard rock, in some places dusty, dry dirt, and in others just dusty dry dust. You also share the trail with lots of mules. Closed toe shoes are a must, if you get the hint I'm dropping...

3. The South Kaibab trail - you need to take the shuttle bus to the trailhead. You can hike to the 1.5 mile point and get a great vista down into the canyon. There is no water at all on this hike. You'd need at least 1, perhaps even 2 liters of water per person if you did that 3mi round trip hike in mid July. No mules on this trail.

My recommendation is that since you've never hiked even the 1.5mi hike on South Kaibab would be too much for you, and 1.5mi on the BA trail would be even worse.

You could venture a very short distance down the BA trail so you get a close up look at the layers of rock and the view down the face of the canyon. The 1st 1/4 mile or so is relatively benign.

There are miles of paths & trails along the rim - so I suggest that if you want to hike, you take a shuttle bus towards the West rim drive - towards Hopi point, then take a leisurely flat along the rim to another bus stop. The area around the visitors center gets mobbed with tourists in cars and tour buses. The area towards hopi point is restricted to just shuttle buses, hence a lot fewer people.

There are lots of rangers in the park who could make recommendations for you.

I can't emphasize the need for water enough. You will be at 7000' elevation, in the middle of a desert landscape, in blazing heat and near 0% humidity.

Regardless of the trail, if you're going to walk a mile or so then you must wear good footwear - which means no sandals (unless they are hiking sandals like Merrells, or at least have good arch support, good tread, and adjustable heel strap)

spirobulldog

We are not trying to sound negative, just want you to enjoy your experience. Below the rim is pretty serious hiking and really isn't the way to start out, much less in sandals or flip flops and in hot July. You WILL have a great time at the Grand Canyon!!

MikePinTucson

It looks like the lows (right around dawn) will be mid-50's and the highs will be mid 80's. So a light jacket or sweater would be good in the morning (and evening, since it cools down rapidly after sunset).

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...ld2=-112.15333

If you aren't used to hiking, definitely wear tennis shoes, and not sandals. You really don't have to hike down into the canyon to enjoy it, although it does help. And since you haven't hiked before, AND since you will be at elevation, be prepared for the hike back up to take at least 3 times as long as the hike down. You can also hike along the rim trail, between viewpoints, if you want to just do a little fairly level hiking. Here is a map that shows distances between the points (shuttle stops).

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upl...ransit-map.pdf

Placename

You are always better on trails wearing closed toe shoes and socks. '

The trails are dusty, there can be gravel and stuff that would get caught under your sandals. You need to have a decent grip sole if there is loose gravel or dirt.

You should wear socks so as to avoid blisters. That is also a good reason to only wear shoes that are broken in.

giveitago

I echo everyone's sentiments here. Good suggestions.

No matter if you're walking the flat rim trail or decide to wander into the Bright Angel trail for a bit, there are four things you should always have with you in my opinion. Even if you do the flat rim trail because, well... just in case.):

1) Good sturdy closed toed shoes. Be safe and wear shoes with good traction and covered toes. Even on paved trails, you may still come across dust, gravel, open brush, etc. And if the urge strikes you and you want to tackle a more intermediate trail, you'll be decently outfitted. Well worn sneakers with sturdy soles will do in a pinch.

2) Bottle of water. I'm assuming you're going either later this month or next month. High desert means drier conditions. If you end up going further down into the canyon, it'll be really hot. Even when I hike in winter I NEVER leave without a bottle of water. To me, this is imperative.

3) Sunblock. No explanation necessary.

4) A hat. Baseball cap will be okay, something with a wraparound rim will be better. Higher elevation + summertime weather = bright sunlight, even if you may not experience serious heat. I made the mistake of NOT wearing a hat when I first started hiking years ago. It was an easy to intermediate trail. It was November in Southern California. The weather was a lovely 76 degrees and very sunny. 40 minutes in, I experienced by first and only collapse from heat exhaustion. Some people hike without a hat and just sunglasses, which is fine if that works for them, but as a first-time hiker, just play it safe and snag a hat.

Happy trails!