The Top 20 FAQ's About The Grand Canyon - Part I

No offense, but if you’ve got a question you’re just dying to ask about Grand Canyon National Park, chances are pretty good that it’s been asked by hundreds, probably thousands of people before you. Karlyn Bunting, president of Grand Canyon.com, should know; he and his staff have spent two decades answering them.

So here, in no particular order, are five of the 20 most freqently asked questions about Grand Canyon National Park:

1. Where is it? Northern Arizona.

2. How do you get there?

If you fly:

There are four international airports located within 5 to 8 hours drive of Grand Canyon. In order of proximity to the South Rim, they are: Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Salt Lake City, Utah.

There are also three municipal airports located closer to the park: Flagstaff, Arizona (with connecting flights through Phoenix); Page, Arizona (with connecting flights through Phoenix or Denver); St. George, Utah (connecting flights through Salt Lake City).

If you drive:

Phoenix, Arizona is 230 miles South, approximately 4.5 hours from the South Rim; Las Vegas, Nevada is 280 miles West, approximately 5 hours from the South Rim; Los Angeles is 500 miles West, approximately 9 hours from the South Rim;

Albuquerque, New Mexico is 400 miles East, approximately 7 hours to the South Rim; Page/Lake Powell is 150 miles Northeast, approximately 2.5 hours from the South Rim;

Flagstaff is 85 miles South, approximately 1.5 hours from the South Rim; Williams is 60 miles South, approximately 1 hour from the South Rim.

3. Can you get to the Grand Canyon without doing all that driving?

By train: AMTRAK offers service to Williams, Arizona, where you can then connect with the Grand Canyon Railway to Grand Canyon South Rim.

By bus: day tours to the South Rim are offered from Phoenix, Las Vegas, Flagstaff and Sedona. Overnight bus tours offered from Phoenix, Los Angeles.

By plane: scheduled air service is offered to the South Rim from Las Vegas. Charter service is available from other cities.

Once you get to the park, you’d have to get around using shuttles or taxis.

There is no train, bus or airline service to the North Rim.

4. South Rim? North Rim? West Rim? What’s the difference?

Grand Canyon South Rim: the “quintessential Grand Canyon,” open all year, the South Rim is the most visited side of the canyon. Average altitude 6,500’-7,000.’

Grand Canyon North Rim: the “connoisseur’s Grand Canyon,” open from mid-May to mid-October only; cooler, more scenic, less crowded, supports more plant and animal life. Average altitude 7,000’-8,000.’

Grand Canyon West: the “alternative Grand Canyon;” open all year; located East of Las Vegas on Hualapai Indian Tribal Lands, the future site of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, average altitude 4,500.’

5. What’s the best time to come to Grand Canyon?

Karlyn’s employees, who all reside in the Grand Canyon area, are partial to late April-early May, but their absolute favorite season is late September-early October. Fall foliage at the North Rim is an incredible sight to behold.

So there you have the "Top 5" of Grand Canyon.com's "Hit Parade of Grand Canyon Questions." Didn't see the answer to yours? Stay tuned for Parts II, III and IV of Grand Canyon.com's "Top 20 FAQ's About the Grand Canyon."