Click here for a gallery of images from the Grand Canyon

by Holden Frith

The Grand Canyon is an incredible sight, but the grandeur of it can be lost amid the crowds if you have to jostle scores of fellow tourists to get a clear view.

Most of the five million people who see the Grand Canyon each year visit the easily accessible South Rim during late spring, summer and early autumn. It’s warm, the roads are clear of snow and ice and tour groups arrive at the viewpoints by the busload.

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BACKGROUND

• Getting to know the Grand Canyon

• America's world beating attractions

• Raising Arizona

• Go on, gorge yourself in Arizona and Utah

Related Links

• America's most colourful state: New Mexico

Multimedia

• Slideshow: winter at the Grand Canyon

Those seeking a more tranquil encounter with the canyon can head to the much less accessible North Rim, which attracts fewer tourists, or brave the chill of the winter. Hotels and roads remain open all year at the South Rim, and while the nights plunge well below freezing in January, the days are not unbearably cold. Midday sun lifts temperatures above freezing on most days, although they dip again sharply during the afternoon.

Many are put off by the snow and ice, but about half of the 13-mile Rim Trail is kept clear of snow, and the paved surface underneath is no harder to negotiate than the average urban pavement. Shuttle buses link look-out points along the route, providing an easy way out for over-stretched walkers.

The unpaved, unmaintained stretch of the Rim Trail, and the other trails that lead down to the canyon floor, are much more treacherous. They are passable by experienced walkers, but the park authorities recommend the use of specialist ice-walking equipment. These paths are steep, slippery and close to the edge of a mile-high drop.

For those who stay on the easy paths at the top, the snow is less of an obstacle than an embellishment. The national park becomes a gloriously empty winter wonderland, and since the air is clearest during the cold, dry winter, the deep blue skies and rusty red rock of the canyon look better too.

Need to know

Getting there: Flights by helicopter or small plane from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon cost about £100-£150. Driving from Las Vegas takes about five hours.

Where to stay: Xanterra Parks and Resorts runs seven hotels and campsites on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The rustic but comfortable Bright Angel Lodge offers double rooms (with shared shower/bath) from $66 per night in January, while at the grander El Tovar Hotel prices start at $166. Rooms fill up very quickly in the summer but most hotels are quiet in the winter. Accommodation is also available outside the national park, in the town of Williams.

What to eat: Some of the restaurants shut down for the winter, but hotels offer tasty and reasonably priced meals. If you’re planning longer walks, stock up on supplies in Williams.

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