Grand Canyon: How to have a National Park Adventure Today

The Grand Canyon is a great destination during the winter with the least amount of visitors. All of the South Rim lodges are open and if you are lucky, you might have snow shower. Make 2016 the year to Find Your Park and discover the wonders of the Grand Canyon.

The carful of kids visit the Grand Canyon every time we're driving along Interstate 40 in Arizona. This trip we spend the night in a historic Bright Angel Cabin along the rim and wake up to a snow-kissed canyon that delights the carful of kids. I didn’t think you could improve upon its beauty until I saw how the snow transformed the Grand Canyon into a winter wonderland.

 History of the Grand Canyon

The Colorado River carved out the Grand Canyon; presently it measures 18-miles wide, one-mile deep and 277 river miles long. Human artifacts that date back 12,000 years have been discovered in the Grand Canyon. 

The Kolb Studio on the South Rim started as a photography studio and now houses a book store. 

Protected as a Forest Reserve in 1893, Grand Canyon was proclaimed a national park in 1919. The Fred Harvey Company, a NPS concessionaire, defined the look GCNP. It was responsible for the El Tovar Hotel, the Bright Angel Lodge, the Phantom Ranch, the Hopi House, Hermits Rest and Desert View Watchtower.

Mary Colter, the lead architect at the Fred Harvey Co., designed buildings that blended seamlessly into the environment by using local materials. In the Bright Angel Lodge, she designed a Geologic Fireplace that displays the layers of the Grand Canyon rock as they are found on the canyon wall. Her buildings are registered National Historic Landmarks and the majority are located in the Historic Village. 

The Buckeye Cabin: built by one of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders is right next to the rim.

The Civilian Conservation Corps worked in the Grand Canyon during the 1930s. They worked on improving the Rim Trail and the trails to the bottom of the canyon. 

Your First Visit to Grand Canyon

If you are exploring for a few hours, start your visit at the Grand Canyon Visitors Center (open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), grab a Junior Ranger booklet and watch the Grand Canyon introductory movie. Outside you will find the Rim Trail and Mather Point, both must-dos on your first visit. If you have time attend a ranger program or tour the Historic Grand Canyon Village.

The Rim Trail is a must for every visitor. It's a 12-mile long paved trail great for everyone in the family. 

If you are spending the night, park your car near your lodge and use the shuttle bus to get around. Since the majority of the lodging is located around the Historic Village, check in at Verkamp’s Visitor Center (open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Walk the Rim Trail and tour the El Tovar Hotel, the Hopi House, Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio—all along the Rim Trail.

If you are in the Grand Canyon near sunrise or sunset, the best spot is Yaki or Mather Point, I have seen visitors moved to tears at the beauty of this experience. If you have time, visit Hermits Rest or Desert View.

For the Kids

The Junior Ranger Program is a great way for kids to learn more about this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's free and takes about two hours to complete. 

The carful of kids learn about the Plague in the park. 

The Grand Canyon Junior Ranger Program is divided by age. The Raven Award is for kids aged 4 to 7, the Coyote Award is for kids 8 to 10 and the Scorpion Award is for kids 11 and older. For the Junior Ranger badge, you will be required to attend a Ranger Program. A list can be found at the Visitors Center.

There is a special Junior Ranger Program for kids 4 to 14 that hike or ride the mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The Phantom Rattler Junior Ranger badge is completed and awarded at Phantom Ranch, a 10-mile journey, one-way.

The carful of kids discover sights they have never seen.

The trip down to the bottom is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, taking about five hours each way. Lodging and meals are provided at the Phantom Ranch. Reservations are required. 

Winter Lodging at the Grand Canyon 

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon features more than 900 rooms or cabins. There are several options ranging from the historic suites to family-pleasing cabins and modern hotel rooms. 

El Tovar Hotel, built in 1905, is the premier property on the South Rim and built of local limestone and Oregon timber. Each room is individually decorated and there's a restaurant downstairs. 

The carful of kids romp around the El Tovar before the snow gets shoveled.

Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins, built in 1935, is a family-friendly option. It features locally sourced materials and colorful Southwestern motifs. There's a restaurant in the lodge and it sits along the Rim Trail as well.

Inside of the Bright Angel Cabin you will find a modern bathroom, a mini-refrigerator, in-room coffee, an iron, a TV and one queen bed. Roll-aways and pack in plays are permitted but it's a close fit. There's a fan but no air-conditioning.

The Phantom Ranch, built in 1922, is at the bottom on the Grand Canyon floor and you must hike in or take the famous mule train.

Inside the Bright Angel Lodge are painted doors with Southwestern motifs that Mary Colter saw in the area.

The Kachina Lodge and the Thunderbird Lodge were both built in the 1960s along the Rim Trail with modern travelers in mind. The Maswik Lodge and the Yavapai Lodge were built at the same time, though aren’t on the Rim Trail.

Getting to the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon is located 59 miles north of Williams, on Highway 64. The South Entrance is the most popular gateway taking visitors through Tusayan, a tourist town full of food and lodging.

The carful of kids could not wait for the snow plow to clear the path.

For the East Entrance, drive north from Flagstaff on U.S. Route 89 to Highway 64. This route is a great alternative to the South Entrance and provides a scenic drive along the rim from Desert View Watchtower to the Grand Canyon Village.

Williams (WMA) is an Amtrak destination and a stop for a regional bus service. The closest airport with commercial flights is Flagstaff, Arizona (FLG), 80 miles away.

Arrive in vintage style with The Grand Canyon Railroad.

For a unique experience, visitors can take a historic train into the park with the Grand Canyon Railroad (GCRR). The GCRR has daily departures from Williams, with several excursions and lodging options. You arrive at the historic Grand Canyon Train Depot, located across from the El Tovar Hotel. The Grand Canyon Train Depot is a log building train station, the only one in the U.S. still in operation.

Getting Around Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon is open 365-days a year and 24-hours a day. Admission is $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass or you can use an America the Beautiful annual pass ($80.)

Bright Angel Cabin is in the background as the carful of kids walk to breakfast on a snowy morning.

The Grand Canyon Visitors Center has the most parking with four large lots. There is another lot in the Market Plaza. The lot near the Backcountry Information Center allows unoccupied vehicles to park overnight.

There are several free shuttle buses that run along the south rim. The Village Route (Blue Route) runs from the Grand Canyon Visitors Center through the Historic District to the Backcountry Information Center and back. The Kaibab/Rim Route (Orange Route) runs from the Yavapai Geology Museum to Yaki Point. Both routes are year-round.

Other routes operate during the spring and summer including the Tusayan Route (Purple Route) and Hermits Rest Route (Red Route). Please check with GCNP for all current routes and times.

Know before you go: 

•  Make reservations for lodging and tours as soon as possible. Lodging reservations can be made 13 months in advance.
•  For the Phantom Ranch Mule ride, riders must be 4’7” and weigh less than 200 lb.
• The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is closed from October 15 to May 15 due to seasonal road closures.
• Be prepared for winter weather including several inches of snow.
• The roads in GCNP are not plowed as frequently as the highway leading into the park.
• The Market Plaza features a general store, ATM, post office, amphitheater, laundry and pay showers.
•  There are year-round campgrounds for those prepared for winter camping and a full-service RV park.

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Death Valley National Park: A Hidden Oasis Ripe for Winter Family Fun

After some glorious skiing in Lake Tahoe, the carful of kids have to drive back to Texas. It's a long haul so we need some cool spots along the way to keep it interesting.

The boys have been begging me to take them to Death Valley National Park, just for the name; it's a boy thing. With temperatures above 100 F for months on end, I couldn't make myself stop during the summer. I leave Texas to escape the heat, I'm not heading to places that are hotter!

To my surprise, Death Valley is a glorious winter destination with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Even better, there's resort in the middle of the desert, complete with palm trees and swimming pools.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley is the largest national park outside of Alaska, with over 3 million acres. Within it's boundaries is the lowest point in North America. That's not the only record. The hottest temperature ever recorded happened here in 1913 (134 F/56.7 C). Not Africa, like I assumed but Southern California. 

At 282 feet below sea level, the Badwater Basin hike is a kid-pleaser.

Death Valley is an International Dark Sky Park and you can see the Milky Way here. Park rangers host star gazing programs from the fall to the spring and there's even a special Junior Ranger patch.

The History of Death Valley

The Tisbisha Shoshone have called Death Valley home for thousands of years. Though it was a group of lost pioneers stranded during the winter of 1849-1850 that named it. First came the gold miners in the 1850s and then borax mining in the 1880s. After the mining moved on, a resort was built to help support the infrastructure. 

There's a Death Valley Junior Ranger badge along with a special Night Explorer patch.

Surrounded by the Amargosa and Panamint mountain ranges, Death Valley is 140 miles long. The peaks surrounding Death Valley can reach 11,000 feet. This makes for some epic desert landscape photos.

Death Valley was first protected as a national monument in 1933. In 1994, it became a national park. It's part of the UNESCO's Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve. 

Death Valley's Harsh Conditions

It's hot in the summer. Sure people will tell you it's a dry heat but so is my oven. During the summer, the park rangers almost shutter the park and suspend programming just to keep visitors safe. 

The boys take turns doing their best impression of dead in Death Valley.

Why is it so hot? The surrounding mountains are tall and the two mountain ranges are close together. They essentially trap the heat. The valley floor doesn't help with its lack of vegetation; it just reflects the heat.

Where to Stay in Death Valley

For the carful of kids' adventure in Death Valley, I found a room at the family-friendly The Ranch at Furnace Creek. It's centrally located and Badwater Road is minutes away where you will find several must-dos.

The standard room with two queen beds features a TV, mini-refrigerator, in-room coffee, iron, hair dryer along with complimentary WIFI.

The Pacific Coast Borax Company built this area in 1933 to support the railroad after the mining stopped. It has expanded over the years and now includes 224 rooms in several buildings. Everything is within walking distance from your room including two restaurants, a general store and the horse corral. 

The Ranch at Furnace Creek has a kid-pleasing western theme with plenty to keep the kids occupied. Among the buildings I find an outdoor, spring-fed pool, a tennis court, a playground and a sports court. The pool is older but it's well-maintained and boasts a constant temperature of 82 F. 

There are two restaurants at the entrance of the Furnace Creek Resort that are family-friendly, including a kids' menu.

For the adults, there's a golf course within walking distance. The Borax Museum is open daily (Free, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) if you want to learn more about Death Valley's mining history. For kids into science, Furnace Creek Resort has a solar facility with a viewing platform.

The Ranch at Furnace Creek also has cabins for rent, a RV park and campground. For those wanting a little more glamour, there's the Inn at Furnace Creek. It's a four-diamond 66-room resort that was built in 1927; it's a great choice for adults.

There's another developed area closer to the western entrance of Death Valley. The Stovepipe Wells area features a hotel with a pool and camping. 

What to do with the kids

The carful of kids do a Junior Ranger badge at every national park we visit. It takes a couple of hours and requires the kids to attend a ranger program and recycle trash. A drive down Badwater Road is a kid-pleaser and Artists Drive is another one not to miss. 

The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a family favorite. The overlooks at Zabriskie Point and Dantes View are great stops for families too. There are several ghost towns around Death Valley, like Rhyolite outside Beatty, Nevada.

Getting to Death Valley

Death Valley is in a desolate part of California and Las Vegas is the closest city, 125 miles east. Interstate 15 at Baker, California, is 84 miles south of Death Valley Junction.

Winter is a great time to hike in Death Valley. 

California Highway 190 transects Death Valley from Death Valley Junction on the east side to Panamint Springs on the west side. The majority of the services in the park are located in the Stovepipe Wells Village or the Furnace Creek Resort area.

There's an airstrip in the Furnace Creek area in Death Valley. No public transportation is available into the national park.

Getting around Death Valley

Death Valley National Park is open 365-days a year, 24-hours a day. The admission is $20 per vehicle for a 7-day pass or you can purchase an annual America the Beautiful Pass for $80 to gain entry into the majority of national parks and monuments.

Don't feed the animals for your safety and theirs. 

There are close to 1,000 miles of roads in Death Valley National Park though the majority of them are unpaved, four-wheel drive roads unsuitable for most vehicles. Please read the map carefully.

Note for 2016 Travel

Scotty’s Castle is closed until further notice according to the NPS. A flash flood destroyed the road and infrastructure servicing Scotty’s Castle; the building was unharmed.

Know before you go: 

• Make reservations for lodging and tours as soon as possible. Lodging reservations can be made 13 months in advance.
• Don't enter mines shafts or tunnels.
• Carry extra water year-round. Water is only available in the developed areas of the park.
• Don't rely on technology for directions. Get a map at the visitors center.
• The summer season is May through September. The park suspends popular programs like ranger programs and horse trips.
• Don't hike at the lower elevations during the summer.
• Don't leave kids or pets in vehicles in the summer. Temperatures can reach 160 F in the car.

Up Next: More Desert FUN.