Best Month to Visit Grand Canyon

When you are safe and prepared, any month is the best time to visit the Grand Canyon. It is always majestic, never disappointing.

Those who have lived nearby enjoy the chilly, windy spring, the bustling summer fun, an awe-inspiring August thunderstorm, the perfect weather of autumn, and, maybe especially, the gorgeous snow on the winter canyon after the crowds are gone.

No matter when you visit, Grand Canyon will be its astonishing self. So, what is the best time to visit the Grand Canyon? You decide.

SPRING MONTHS

At 7,000 feet altitude (2134 meters), the South Rim doesn't feel like spring until mid-March. Even then, three inches of snow can fall. Now the first wildflowers peek out from bare patches: wild candytuft, stemless daisy, and tiny purple filaree.

Seniors like Canyon Dave must watch their step--morning paths and sidewalks can be icy.

Now the spring breezes begin and persist through June. A forceful wind might draw you indoors or behind a grove of ponderosa pines. But it is ever there beside you--the fathomless mystery of the Grand Canyon. Its complexity beckons your eye, makes you forget the wind.

Suddenly the sun comes out. In April and May the weather is still brisk, but crisp, clear, and dry. There is excitement in the air as spring break brings families, their energetic kids, and winter escapees of all ages. Often some snow lingers, giving lovely views--white on the red rocks.

In Grand Canyon Village the restaurants are full, but the east rim drive to Desert View awaits with its many famous viewpoints. Surely a few waysides will be uncrowded; it is well worth while to stop at each. Your Canyon Dave Tour guide will stop at these points to explain the geology, history and wildlife. A Clark's Nutcracker might startle you with its insistent calls--a jay with no blue!

SUMMER MONTHS

Grand Canyon and most of Arizona has five seasons, with summer broken in two. First comes hot, dry June to early July (it varies) and second comes the summer monsoon thunderstorms from mid-July through August and sometimes into early September. All this varies a lot, so come and join the congregation. The odds are great for nice days throughout any month.

June is the first month that feels like summer. Starting in July, on any given monsoon day, you might experience the memorable sight and sound of a far-away thunderstorm creeping up the canyon. But at the rim, you are warm and dry in the sun! If and when the rain finally reaches you, duck inside a shop, hotel, visitor center, or museum. After the usually-brief rains, the sun comes out and the rain-washed day is relatively cool for your evening stroll.

A bit of warning, though, about the lightning. In a storm (or waiting for one), stay back from the canyon's edge--the rim. Lightning tends to strike there first. If you see someone delighting in the look of all their hair standing on end, tell them to run, not walk, away from the rim.

Almost every monsoon day has hours of nice weather, usually in the morning. The storms tend to be localized, so you can drive along the South Rim until you find an opening in the clouds. Take your camera for this!

FALL MONTHS

You will like the fall weather at Grand Canyon! It is usually less windy than in the spring and besides the crowds are smaller. Most of the families and kids are back at school. Summer temperatures progressively ameliorate, now averaging in the low 80's to mid-70's at the South Rim.

This is a good time to walk along the paved South Rim Trail or down an inner-canyon trail. The Kaibab Trail is steep but has a wondrous viewpoint, aptly named Ooh-aah Point, less than a mile down. A half-mile further, you are in the rust-red sandstone and shale ledges of the Hermit Formation. There is a restroom and an exhibit of fossil fern leaves that grew here 280 million years ago.

A mule train might pass you on the trail. They request that you stand quietly to the inside of the trail while they pass.

The other easy, well-maintained trail is the Bright Angel Trail. It also has a restroom at a mile-and-a-half and another at three miles down. Views are majestic. At the rest stops you might take off your shoes and let your socks dry out while you gaze down at Havasu Gardens, which is a total of 4.5 miles down the trail.

Is it permitted for anyone to take a day hike down the trails on any day, in any season? Of course, and you will be glad you did, if you don't overdo it. Don't forget the uphill return trip!

WINTER MONTHS

Visiting Grand Canyon in December is wonderful around the holidays. Sometimes the snow comes as early as late October, but usually November or December. The Grand Canyon Winter is mainly December through mid-February. Some say this is the best time to come--still and beautiful, never crowded.

If you will be visiting Grand Canyon in December through February, there are usually a few days when the drive along the east rim to Desert View is closed for ice and snow. But the National Park has snowplows. The road will be cleared soon. If there is any danger, it is after a snow on the drive north to the park from Williams. Check the weather report.

In the town of Sedona, the weather is a bit warmer, with less snow if any. Staying in Sedona in winter makes sense despite the rather long 2.5 hour drive to the Grand Canyon. On a day of blizzard, you can find plenty to do down in the red rock country of Sedona. Save that sketchy drive to Grand Canyon for safer driving weather.

What is the Best Time to Visit the Grand Canyon?

Timing a Grand Canyon visit for the weather is simply a gamble that you are likely to win. By far, most days are tolerable to perfect, weatherwise. However, the wind and rain are capricious. There are even a couple of days per year when a temperature inversion causes a white-out below the rim. The canyon itself will be filled with clouds and completely hidden from view. You won't see it at all!

If you are wondering how to tour the Grand Canyon, consider the size and complexity of this park. If you visit for at least three days, exquisite views are practically guaranteed any time of year. Besides, it takes at least three days to do everything you should do: exploring the Grand Canyon Village and the free shuttle buses to Hermit's Rest, the precious drive east to Desert View (preferably as part of a fun and educational Canyon Dave Tour), and a hike into the Grand Canyon or strolls along the level Rim Trail.