Spring is the best time to visit the canyon, it is already warm, but there is no summer influx of tourists yet. The north rim of the canyon opens only in April, in winter and early spring the North ledge of the Grand Canyon is closed to tourists. The Grand Canyon is located at an altitude of about 2000 meters, the temperature and weather change unexpectedly. Rain and +5 in the morning, sunshine and about 20 warm in the afternoon, typical weather for spring in Grand Canyon. A windbreaker and fleece jacket are required.
September-November
Autumn is another perfect time of year to visit. It is worth considering that the Grand Canyon Music Festival is held in the first half of September, which means that you will enjoy the scenery in the crowd, but it will be fun. The deeper into autumn, the fewer tourists, and so on until November.
Many parts of the canyon close with the first snow, however, there is still plenty of room for hiking, the South Corniche of the canyon (the most popular) is almost completely open to the public in November. In autumn, the days are still warm, the air temperature is up to 20 Celsius, the nights are cold, frosts are frequent, the temperature is down to -5 Celsius. Warm clothes are a must.
More articles about California and beyond read on the Russian-language project Californiatrip.ru
How to find budget accommodation in Los Angeles
Budget accommodation or hotels in Los Angeles can be found through the booking system Hotels Combined, a service I use myself. The advantage of the service is that it compares the prices of dozens of booking systems - you just have to choose the best offer. In each article or report, I provide links to hotels where I have stayed and which I liked.
Rent an apartment in Los Angeles
A large company, a family or you just want to save on accommodation in hotels or restaurants - then it is best to rent an apartment or apartments in los angeles across Booking.com Prices are from 25 to 100 dollars and this is one third cheaper than city hotels, besides, there is an opportunity to feel almost like a local.
How to buy a cheap flight to Los Angeles
You can buy a flight from Kyiv directly on the website of the airlines, but it is most advantageous to take advantage of flight offers by direction Kyiv-Los Angeles from www.aviasales.ru. The service offers the most advantageous offers - we just have to choose the best one by price, departure time or airline.
How to rent a car in Los Angeles
It is enough to choose the country and city in which you need a car. Then choose a typewriter and, for example, easily and naturally just like we did.
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IN USA. I am a middle-class person, so being in the States, no matter what I do, I always look for the cheapest solutions. Today I want to tell you about how to save money if you are going to go to the Grand Canyon without a car and serious money for the tour.
I'll be doing a briefing below and attaching photos from the Grand Canyon along the way.
Let's get started!
HOW TO GET TO?
The cheapest option is by car, but not everyone has one. Therefore, you need to book a sightseeing bus. No other way.
If you want to see not only the Grand Canyon, but also travel more or less cheaply, then I advise you to start your journey from Los Angeles, and from there take a bus to Las Vegas. There are many excursions to the Canyon from Las Vegas.
WHICH EXCURSION TO CHOOSE?
As I already wrote, there are a great many of them! But we're looking at the cheapest option, right? Therefore, I recommend Tours4fun from the bottom of my heart. You can search the entire Internet, but you won’t find a cheaper tour.
At Tours4fun A HUGE selection of excursions to the Grand Canyon. There are tours from 1 to 7 days! Want to fly over the Canyon in a helicopter? Easy! Would you like to sail through the Canyon on a boat? No problem! They will arrange for you whatever you want. But it won't be cheap either, of course.
As for us, we took a day trip from Las Vegas for 80$ (it costs more now), which included:
- Stop at the Hoover Dam
- Dinner.
- 2 hours allocated for a walk through the Grand Canyon.
Also, for an additional cost, you could watch a 3D film about the Canyon before lunch. It cost dollars 10-15 . My boys went, but they didn’t like it at all, because. The film was old and not very good quality.
There was a tour and cheaper, for 55$ , but it did not include lunch and a stop at Hoover Dam.
The bus gathered everyone at the casino "Excalibur" at 5:00 am. If you can fall asleep normally on the bus, then the trip will fly by for you. We are one of those people who cannot sleep in transport, so we suffered pretty much)
Gathering place. Casino Excalibur, Las Vegas
But, as I already wrote in a review for Los Angeles, you should understand that buses in the USA are not the same as ours) USA buses have a toilet, Wi-fi, air conditioning, sockets and a transparent ceiling. Only the fact that no one does foot massage)
SPECIFIC ABOUT ALL 3 POINTS OF THE EXCURSION
After a sleepless night in Las Vegas, it was hard to climb up the path to see this work of human hands. But it was worth it!
The dam was erected in 1936 on the border of the states of Nevada and Arizona, where the time difference is 1 hour. We took a step forward - you are in Arizona at 10:00, a step back - in Nevada at 9:00))
The dam is not only the largest hydroelectric power plant in the United States, but also protects the southwest from floods, which were a frequent occurrence in these parts before the construction of the dam.
- feeder
After stopping at the dam, there was another stop an hour later for lunch. You can choose any lunch. Want soup, want pizza, Chinese food, whatever! You also have a choice of dessert. As for drinking, then drink until it starts to gurgle. All drinks - FREE! So you can take an 8-liter eggplant with you on a trip and collect pomegranate juice or cocoa there))
In almost all establishments in America, you can take bags of sugar, dry cream, cheese, spices, mayonnaise and various sauces in unlimited quantities, which is what I did. I stuffed my pockets with mayonnaise. As they say: "And sho robyt?"
- 2 hours allotted for a walk through the Grand Canyon
There is nothing more to add here. Get off the bus, walk for a minute or two, and then you see a picture from the wallpaper on your desktop in front of you)
When you look at the Canyon live, it is no different from the picture. It seems that you have a layout in front of you, and you just have to touch it with your finger - it will immediately fall. It just looks unreal!
Tourists are provided with many viewing platforms and souvenir shops. You can also buy yourself a huge ice cream cone for 8$. We did not buy it for ourselves, but we licked it.
The park has a shower for tourists. We did not find out its price, but it is worth noting that it the only one, and there are many who want to wash themselves after a 7-hour journey through the desert)
So keep my way:
Take two handkerchiefs with you on your trip. Upon arrival at the park, soak one of them with soap in the toilet, and simply dip the other in water. Go to the toilet cubicle. Portable shower ready!
Since the territory of the park covers 5,000 km2, and the depth is almost 2 km, the flora and fauna of the Grand Canyon is very diverse. Dozens of species of animals and birds live in the park. We had a chance to meet squirrels that cannot be fed)
The Grand Canyon had to be visited unequivocally - a synonym for "traveling the canyons in America" - the option to say upon arrival "went through the canyons, but were not in the Grand Canyon" was not considered. We happened to visit South Rim in one day - with the approved route, it was the only comfortable way. But the impression of this one day is truly new and unforgettable.
We traveled to the Grand Canyon from the city of Flagstaff. it was not enough to drive in a day, and in the evening it was necessary to be in the second base city - Page. This is the plan for the day on the map. You should read about the national park itself, maps and routes in your section on nps.gov/grca.
Landscapes change as you approach the Grand Canyon. So far, it looks more like the usual Far East.
Soon there are hints of canyons, there are more stones.
The forest is already smaller.
We drove past the Planes of Fame Air Museum. For fans of aviation and technology, it’s a sin not to call if you have time.
From the road you can see the unusual Lockheed Constellation VC-121A and Douglas DC-3.
From this place to the entrance to the park about half an hour. Entrance fee - about 25 dollars. As a standard for national parks, this entry permit is valid for a week. They give out an excellent card with everything you need - what I printed out at home was not at all useful. Parking at Mather Point Overlook - we leave the car there.
Further inspection goes to the left along the map along the entire South Rim - there are equipped viewing platforms, which are thus visited by everyone. Return to the car by bus - everything is well organized. Well, then for the main part of the day, a walk along the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Actually, a dream come true. We are in the Grand Canyon. First impressions are completely unusual - the landscape and the general feeling of the scale, depth and size of everything is absolutely nothing to compare with.
The path between the observation decks goes along the very edge of the Grand Canyon. In some places, everything is fenced, but otherwise, no one and nothing forbids at least jumping down or just going down as low as you want.
We approach the next lookout.
I want to stand longer, remember the sensations.
There are also paths below. But this is an occasion for a special trip.
From a distance, all these ridges seem to be crumbling and collapsing, and, probably, they are.
You can see the path along the ridge itself. Now there is a desire to go on a more serious hike - I can’t imagine the sensations when walking along the ridge there.
There are no prohibitions - you can go to the rock completely unhindered.
We cannot fail to do this.
It's almost there.
It gets scary.
Panorama of the Grand Canon. She's one of the hundreds that I shot there.
Another cape and two girls who played Titanic and I never got a chance to go there.
And the girls are taking pictures.
There are many paths below.
Below the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon seems to be up to 2 kilometers deep. The scale of all this cannot be described.
We smoked over the cliff. It also had to be done "for show".
Scary, to be honest.
Such holes to the very bottom are sometimes not fenced.
Everything goes deeper.
A ready-made landscape for any fantasy, you don’t need to draw anything. According to the degree of incomparability in terms of impressions, it seems that you are looking at photo wallpapers.
Might be able to walk there sometime.
In some places, trees manage to take root on the stones.
There are dinosaur footprints. The entire path is organized in such a way that you move, as it were, through millions of years of geological epochs. They tell on the example of rocks about the evolution of the Grand Canyon. But for me, this explains something very little - how it all formed remains completely incomprehensible.
It's worth it, it's falling apart. The thought flashed about "how many years it takes for this species to change."
The path from the top of the cliff is, in fact, from the very end of the viewing platforms.
Wherever people go.
The trees take their chance.
The path along the edge sometimes departs from the very edge - but we still try to walk along the cliff anyway.
The shadows fall beautifully. Clouds begin to roll in.
Small video. All the same, do not betray the sensations.
Wild life is available - wild ungulates with huge ears walk along the cliff.
The clouds finally ran up and burst into a full-fledged thunderstorm and downpour. This we have reached almost to the end of the path on the viewing. Further go only shuttles from the park. We sat out in the establishment with ale, Jack Daniels and coffee - it was even noticeably cool - the "jack" was not superfluous. I ran in the downpour to the edge of the cliff and managed to photograph the rain in the Grand Canyon and almost completely soaked. In September, the weather in the Grand Canyon is great for me - there is no terrible heat, at least. Kilometers 3-4 for all time of walk worked up.
At the other end of the observation decks, the kilometers of walking were quickly made up for by a bus that runs the entire length of South Rim. As much as we don't want to, it would still be good for us to get to the city of Page before dark today. We got into the car and drove along the same edge of the canyon towards Page. The road does not turn away from the very edge for a long time, which gives a great chance to stop at the observation decks along the way. Hertz's NeverLost navigator knows almost nothing about these lookouts - but Nokia Drive has all the turns with names - it's very convenient to look a little ahead along the road and not miss the turn to such a site in advance. After rain and temperature changes, the Grand Canyon is covered with fog, which mixes with clouds. I am very glad that I managed to see the Grand Canyon in the bright sun, in rain with a thunderstorm and in such fogs.
Below the Colorado River, fog, clouds and Martian landscapes.
On the road the same fog.
We stop again to take a couple more panoramas of the Grand Canyon.
And on to Page.
The canyon continues along the road. As I understand it, it goes through Arizona and Utah - where it is less, where it is only more.
Navajo Indians sell their trinkets at the lookouts.
Another stop. The Colorado River is following us too. It's getting dark and it's time to go. Closer to Page, completely deserted twilight landscapes. It’s good that they didn’t get fined - if they had traveled the prescribed 65 miles per hour, they would have arrived just late at night.
The Grand Canyon is a must visit anyway. I added to the list of the most unusual experiences in life. Now I'm sure that I want to go to the Grand Canyon again, I want to hike along the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a few days with backpacks. The word "beautiful" is not a good description of the experience. Even if there is no time to travel by car - there are plane / helicopter tours from Las Vegas and other cities in the vicinity - I would use every chance, including air trips.
On the Colorado Plateau, which is located in Arizona, there is an amazing place - the Grand Canyon, where nature appears before the eyes of tourists in all its grandeur. This canyon is not the deepest or the largest in the world, but due to the harmonious combination of depth, color and forms of the canyon, which were formed due to soil erosion, the Grand Canyon is considered the most unusual place on earth, and has been rightfully inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1979. UNESCO.
Panorama of the Grand Canyon in the USA
The beauty of the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is located on the territory of the Grand Canyon National Park, the area of which is about 5000 km2. The canyon itself stretches for 446 km in length, and its maximum depth reaches 1800 m. The history of the Grand Canyon began more than 100 million years ago, when the Colorado River flowed slowly across the plain. But after 40 million years, the earth's crust began to move, the slope of the river changed, the speed of its flow increased and the river began to erode first the upper limestone, and then shales and sandstones. It was at this place that the Grand Canyon arose, which still continues to grow due to incessant erosion.
Observation tower at the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is so large that climate conditions, fauna and flora differ in different places. At the bottom of the canyon, the climate is desert, the air temperature there rises to +400C, which is why only cacti, yuccas and agaves grow there. But the higher the tourists rise from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the more temperate the climate, and even snow can fall at the very top of the canyon. Therefore, there you can already see a completely different flora - pines, oaks, arborvitae, junipers, aspens and willows. And the fauna of the Grand Canyon is diverse - 355 species of birds, 47 species of reptiles, 89 species of mammals and 17 species of fish live here, frolicking in the Colorado River, which still flows along the canyon.
The breathtaking nature of the Grand Canyon
In addition to the diversity of flora and fauna, the Grand Canyon is beautiful for its waterfalls and rapids, which are formed due to tiny streams flowing into the river. The most picturesque of these waterfalls are Mooney Falls, Havasu Falls and Beaver Falls, whose clear waters are so favorably set off by the brown and black-maroon soil of the rocks.
Beaver Falls Waterfall
And the beauty of the gorges, cliffs and walls of the canyon, which, as a result of landslides, took on the most incredible forms, cannot be put into words at all. Depending on the time of day, sunlight and shade, they can change their color and become black, purplish brown, pale pink and even light blue. Depending on the viewing angle, in the walls of the Grand Canyon, you can see the outlines of pyramids, fortress walls, pagodas and towers, many of which have already received their own names - Vishnu Temple, Wotan's Throne, Shiva Temple and so on.
Unusual Geological Formations of the Grand Canyon
Tourist Attractions in Grand Canyon Park
Every year, about 4 million tourists come to the Grand Canyon National Park, who are eager to see the Grand Canyon. Those who want to get the most out of the experience go hiking through the southern part of the canyon, fans of extreme recreation can try to repeat the route of the Powell expedition by rafting through the turbulent waters of the Colorado River on a raft, and those who want to see the beauty of the Grand Canyon from a bird's eye view can go on a helicopter tour.
Hoover Dam in Black Canyon
Among the attractions of the Grand Canyon is the Hoover Dam, which is considered one of the most beautiful dams in the world ever created by man. Bukans Stone also looks unusual - a black cone of ash formed due to a volcanic eruption 10,000 years ago. You should definitely look into Fern Glen Canyon to admire the amazing exotic flowers that grow only there because of the unusual microclimate, and North Canyon Bosch, which is famous for its many transparent lakes lying at the foot of majestic rocky mountains.
Ancient Indian rock structures in the Grand Canyon
In addition to the enchanting nature, tourists who want to learn about ancient American history go to the Grand Canyon, because it was in the walls of the Grand Canyon that the ancient Indians, the Anasazi, as well as the Paiute, Havasupai, Hualapai and others lived many centuries ago. And until now, tourists, passing along the walls of the canyon, can see hollowed-out square windows of granary caves in them.
Grand Canyon Skywalk
But still, the park's most famous attraction is the glass-floored Grand Canyon Skywalk overlooking the abyss, which offers the most breathtaking view of the entire Grand Canyon.
Is there a person who does not know what the Grand Canyon looks like in the USA? This natural creation enchants with its scale and attracts extreme hunters to commit another madness. Millions of tourists come to the limestone highlands to feel the spirit of this ancient place and take beautiful photos.
General information about the Grand Canyon in the USA
The Grand Canyon is one of the deepest in the world. It is located in the state of Arizona on the Colorado Plateau, spread over a distance of 446 kilometers. In fact, it is part of the national park of the same name. The canyon is eroded by the Colorado River, and in some places its width reaches 29 kilometers. As a rule, slopes widen as the height increases. The depth of the Grand Canyon is 1800 meters. 
From the point of view of geology, the Grand Canyon is of considerable interest, so scientists are still studying it. It is interesting that the rocky terrain, like an open book, can tell about the four geological eras of our planet. The rocks are so diverse that a lot of time will have to be spent to classify them into groups. In addition, this is the place where there are a huge number of caves. From the point of view of archeology, the canyon is very curious, because such an ancient plateau can hide real treasures. 
Due to the high height of the rocks, climatic zones change in accordance with the depth, while their boundaries are very blurred. However, you can see the difference in temperature and humidity, as well as get to know the inhabitants of the canyon, descending lower and lower along its steep slopes. The flora of the Grand Canyon in the United States is very diverse. Tall trees such as fir, yellow pine and spruce are found here. These forests are home to a unique species of squirrel. True, there are also large animals, for example, black-tailed deer. There are many bats and rodents in the forests. 
The history of the formation of a natural masterpiece
Many are interested in how the Grand Canyon was formed, because it takes not even thousands, but millions of years to create such a natural masterpiece. It is assumed that the Colorado River has flowed through the plain since the appearance of land, but the movement of the plates provoked the rise of the plateau. From this, the angle of inclination of the river bed changed, the speed of the current increased, and the rocks began to wash out faster. 
The top layer consisted of limestones, which were washed out first. Deeper were sandstones and shales, but they could not resist the turbulent current that washes the plateau for many millions of years. Thus, approximately five million years ago, the Grand Canyon took on the appearance that it can be seen today. However, soil erosion continues to this day, so after another few million years, this natural landmark can change significantly. 
Exploring the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon was inhabited by Indians long before Europeans arrived. This is evidenced by numerous rock paintings that appeared thousands of years ago. Despite the relief of this area, the indigenous people still live on the plateau. Here are the reservations of several tribes of Indians. 
Spanish soldiers first encountered the Grand Canyon in 1540. They traveled around the mainland in the hope of finding gold, which is why they decided to go down to the bottom of the canyon. True, they could not cope with this task, since they were not prepared accordingly. After them, no one set a goal to go down. Only in 1869 did a scientific expedition to the Grand Canyon in the USA take place, during which it was possible to describe its features. These merits belong to Professor John Weasley Powell. 
Interesting and incredible about the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a unique place, so many events of historical significance are associated with it. For its exclusivity, it was added to the UNESCO list in 1979, but there are more interesting facts related to the natural attraction. 
Previously, many airliners flying over the Grand Canyon made several circles over it so that passengers could appreciate the beauty and scale of the plateau. The spectacle, of course, is impressive, but such actions were inherently dangerous due to the fact that the planes could collide while gliding over the rocks. This is what happened in 1956, resulting in the death of 128 people. The country's government reacted immediately and banned the visual flights of civilian aircraft on the airways. 
30 years later, there was another plane crash over the Grand Canyon as a result of a collision between a sightseeing plane and a helicopter. Then 25 people on both ships died. It was not possible to find out the causes of the collision. 
In 2013, a risky action took place in the Grand Canyon, which deservedly got into the Guinness Book of Records. The famous tightrope walker Nicholas Wallenda crossed the chasm between the rocks of the canyon without safety harnesses. This event became the sixth in the list of his most extraordinary accomplishments and deserved worldwide recognition. 
Many tourists are wondering how to get to the Grand Canyon in the USA, because it stretches for quite a long distance. Today, special tours are organized here, and observation decks are equipped on the rocks. It is difficult to give their exact address, but with the help of a map and pointers, you can quickly navigate the area. Rafting on the river, as well as descents on mule rides, are more popular among visiting guests.