Grand Canyon - Travel Trail Sail

I was expecting it to be hot when I went camping at the Grand Canyon in July. It was, but it wasn’t really that bad – as long as you didn’t go into the canyon.

I stayed at the Trailer Village Campground on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is a great location. Walking to the rim trail is short and easy. It is close to the village area with basics like groceries and a post office. A shuttle is provided at the entrance to the campground that takes you to most of the major places in the park.

As for the Grand Canyon itself, words cannot describe the views. It is incredible. And the view changes all day as the light changes. Hiking the rim trail provides easy access to the view. If you are more adventurous, there are hikes like the Kaibab or Bright Angel trails. Just be prepared – the hiking can be a bit challenging.

My favorite part of this stay was the rafting trip at Glen Canyon. It starts with a bus ride to the Glen Canyon Dam. Large rafts travel down a gentle part of the river. Seeing the canyon from the river was amazing. While the air temperature was extremely hot the water was very cold. I dipped my hat in the water and it worked to keep me much cooler. Nets of lemonade were dragged behind the boat and tasted great on a hot day.

The wildlife may be a bit different from other parks like Yellowstone. But, I saw deer and a wide variety of birds including a California Condor. There were some very interesting flowers near the canyon rim.

The Trailer Village Campground is privately operated but is in the National Park. It was quite a contrast from other park campgrounds. Sites were fairly level and a picnic table was provided. There were a few trees in the campground – strategically placed to prevent you from using an awning. Services at the campground were minimal. I saw almost no employees apart from the person at the check in building. It is quite a contrast from campgrounds run by the park services where you can almost always find a ranger. You might imagine that being privately run, the campground would offer more than a park service campground. That doesn’t seem to be the case. So, the campground doesn’t have much to offer – except that it is located right where you want to be for a visit to the Grand Canyon.

My visit to the canyon was fantastic. I highly recommend a visit of two to three days. What has your experience been? Leave a comment and share your story.