Need Suggestions for 2023 Trip to Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks (Page 7): I was talking about the West Rim in my post, but since you brought up the North Rim, this photo...

therwol Loc: USA

larryepage wrote:

The North Rim is a wonderful place. But I think a really unwise choice for young kids, unless they are experienced with the outdoors. Very little of the right kind of stuff to keep them interested in constructive pursuits for very long.

I was talking about the West Rim in my post, but since you brought up the North Rim, this photo was taken in 1975 on Kodachrome film. I used to get around.

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Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

therwol wrote:

So you're flying into Las Vegas. There has been ... (show quote)

The crowds look like they were last year in Acadia; not bad. I didn’t realize you could visit the Western Rim; thx for the idea. I had herd of a glass walkway but not where it was in the GC; rest of the family can consider as my stomach would never tolerate it. Thx for all the photos and this alternative GC location.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

larryepage wrote:

The North Rim is a wonderful place. But I think a really unwise choice for young kids, unless they are experienced with the outdoors. Very little of the right kind of stuff to keep them interested in constructive pursuits for very long.

It looks like bn the Spring weather and need for safety for young boys, that we will pass on the North Rim till they are older. Thx

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

Architect1776 wrote:

Make the best of it then and have fun regardless.
Are you going to north or south rim of the Grand Canyon?

I think definitely the South or Western Rims. Too risky with weather in April to try the North Rim. More activities that might appeal to all, on the South Rim. Thx

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

therwol wrote:

I was talking about the West Rim in my post, but since you brought up the North Rim, this photo was taken in 1975 on Kodachrome film. I used to get around.

I’ve heard that the photography there is more exacting and timing is important to catch really good light. I like your shot. Thx for sharing.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

I understand that the glass walkway is very expensive. I know you couldn't pay me to walk out on it.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

David in Dallas wrote:

I understand that the glass walkway is very expensive. I know you couldn't pay me to walk out on it.

Looks like it's $55 per person to get into Grand Canyon West, then another $29 to go on the Skywalk. No cameras on the Skywalk, but someone in your group not on it can take your photograph, or the Hualapais will snap your picture and sell it to you. Must be popular, because these prices are substantially higher than in the past. I'll have to wait for a sale.

therwol Loc: USA

Mario22 wrote:

More activities that might appeal to all, on the South Rim. Thx

Absolutely. The views are more spectacular. It's more "civilized." The down side is how it is overrun with people during popular times. The West Rim is definitely a day trip. There isn't any place to stay. If you go when it's crowded, then you might wait a long time to get into the one restaurant, and the food isn't so great. But if you think of it as a day trip from the start, it's a decent place to visit.

therwol Loc: USA

Mario22 wrote:

I’ve heard that the photography there is more exacting and timing is important to catch really good light. I like your shot. Thx for sharing.

The only thing I did to that photo was increase the color saturation a bit to bring out the blue in the sky. Sometimes I go back and look at pictures I took that many years ago, and I'm amazed by what I managed to capture.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

larryepage wrote:

Looks like it's $55 per person to get into Grand Canyon West, then another $29 to go on the Skywalk. No cameras on the Skywalk, but someone in your group not on it can take your photograph, or the Hualapais will snap your picture and sell it to you. Must be popular, because these prices are substantially higher than in the past. I'll have to wait for a sale.

Wow, they charge per person to enter the park when we have lifetime passes? It used to be that pass covered a car full of folks. I’ll take the photos. No way am I ever getting near that thing! Thx

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Mario22 wrote:

Wow, they charge per person to enter the park when we have lifetime passes? It used to be that pass covered a car full of folks. I’ll take the photos. No way am I ever getting near that thing! Thx

GCW is owned by the Hualapai Nation rather than the US government.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

larryepage wrote:

GCW is owned by the Hualapai Nation rather than the US government.

Ahh! That explains it. Thx again!

barrytex

It can be windy in the spring. You are in a wide open area so I would limit the number of lens changes. The telephoto and wide angle lens would be my choice. If you are planning to hike the trails you will not want the extra weight of carrying multiple lenses. I have been to all 3 and the North and South rims of the canyon. Bryce is my favorite. As mentioned the North rim of the canyon is much more remote and not as developed which is good and bad.

Another suggestion is that you will not be far from Sedona (about 2 hours from the south rim) a great place to photograph with good hiking trails, accommodations and restaurants. You could then fly back home from Phoenix.

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

barrytex wrote:

It can be windy in the spring. You are in a wide o... (show quote)

The suggestion to visit Sedona and fly out of Phoenix is an excellent one; or start there and end up in Las Vegas! As long as we can turn in the rental vehicles. Thx

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

Gallopingphotog wrote:

You'd have enough time to hit the highlights of Zion and Bryce and the Grand Canyon South Rim. Forget the North Rim. It is only open mid-May to mid-October, weather permitting. Snow in spring and early fall is not unheard-of. There are not as many overlooks and viewpoints as on the South Rim, and no developments other than the visitor center. (That being said, we are hoping to visit the North Rim for the first time on our way home from Vegas in May. It'll totally depend on if the road is open; if not, we'll probably alter our route slightly and visit Walnut Canyon and Petrified Forest instead.)
Myself, I'd prefer just hanging at Zion and Bryce and exploring those areas, but it does seem strange to come all that way and not get the Grand Canyon in as well. At Acadia everything is pretty close together and you can see/do a lot in one day. In the West, not so much.
Whatever time of year you go has plusses and minuses. Summer is hot and shoulder-to-shoulder tourists (not such a problem on the North Rim as it is everywhere else). Rest of the year you are always taking a chance on rogue storms but even with storm clouds those canyons are magnificent.
You will want a wide-angle lens (nothing too extreme like a fish-eye!) and a walking-around multi-use, a zoom maybe 70-200. Even without shooting any wildlife, you will want to get some close-ups of rock formations. Be sure to have waterproof covering for your gear; a sunny day can turn to pouring rain in a snap.
Having a split neutral density filter will help handle the difference between bright skies and the darker portions of rock below the rim. Also if you want killer sunrise/sunsets or wide panoramas, a tripod helps a lot. The viewpoints of all these parks are usually close to the road/parking lot, so it isn't like you'd have to lug a tripod through the backcountry.
I like to look at Trip Advisor for ideas on places to stay. Their reader reviews are usually pretty accurate on average.
Most importantly is for everyone to have fun and enjoy the experiences. Take time to savor what you are seeing, not just snap a quick shot and off to the next point.
You're making some wonderful family memories!

You'd have enough time to hit the highlights of Zi... (show quote)

Good information.

Be aware that in the high country, you never know what the weather will be, sometimes even hour to hour, much less day to day. Camping in the High Sierras, I have observed bright sunshine in one canyon while it was raining in the next canyon over. Fishing opening day at Lake Crowley for 17 years running (weekend closest to the first of May), one year it was no-shirt weather, while another, trout thrown into the bottom of the boat froze in 30 minutes. Another year, the wind was blowing so strongly that gravel was flying through the air, and several hundred boats either beached or at docks were totally destroyed. And a couple of years, I was skiing at Mammoth Mountain on the Fourth of July! One never knows!!!

Being affected by elevation - or not - is very much an individual thing! I don't recall that I've ever been over about 10,000 feet, but never have suffered any kind of ill effects. On the other hand, my parents, and my then older teen-age son did - breathing. My parents just took it easy, and didn't do anything strenuous. My son would hike with me, but had to stop a lot at that elevation.

I suggest you do not want to miss the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, but to see the beauty - and the grandeur - you don't need a lot of time - or mule rides to the bottom of the canyon, though that's OK if you're up for it and have the time allocated. Zion and Cedar Breaks are beautiful, but the lesser experiences in my opinion. The outstanding one is Bryce Canyon - both as to magnificent color and incredible rock formations - and is NOT to be missed. (The first time I visited Grand Canyon, I was disappointed, as I had expected much more color. On later visits, I came to appreciate it much more - for what it is, not detract for what it is not.)

I never had the opportunity to see the slot canyons, always wanted to, but now will not have the chance. It apparently is not too easy to do now, and must be planned (reserved) well in advance - as apparently everything these days!!! Pictures I have seen are incredible.

It seems apparent that ANYWHERE you wish to vacation these days, reservations many months in advance are required, and in some areas, only achievable through luck in a lottery! So get everything lined up as soon as possible!!! It's been six years since I last was at Grand Canyon (I was living in Phoenix), so I suspect things are even more restrictive than at that time.

All the best with your plans and trip, take lots of pictures - and let us see them, please.

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City