Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [176]
The Yavapai Observation Station, a half-mile west of the Canyon View Information Plaza on Yavapai Point, has an observation room where you can identify many of the monuments in the central canyon. Rangers here frequently lead interpretive programs. Note: The station was closed for renovations at press time but scheduled to reopen in summer 2006.
The Desert View Contact Station, 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village, is small and staffed by volunteers. It sells books and provides information on the canyon.
Located 3 miles west of Desert View, Tusayan Museum has an information desk staffed by rangers in addition to displays on the area's indigenous peoples.
Historic Kolb Studio, on the rim at the west end of Grand Canyon Village, houses a small bookstore and an art gallery with free exhibits.
The North Rim Visitor Center has a small bookstore and information desk staffed by rangers, volunteers, and employees of the Grand Canyon Association.
SPECIAL REGULATIONS & WARNINGS
It's illegal to remove any resources from the park. These can be anything from flowers to broken pottery fragments. Even seemingly useless articles such as bits of metal from the canyon's old mining operations have historical value and are protected by law.
Fires are strictly prohibited except at North Rim, Desert View, and Mather campgrounds. In the backcountry, use a small camp stove for cooking.
Bicycles are allowed on all paved and unpaved park roads and the new greenway trail. However, they are not permitted on other trails, including the Rim Trail. Bicyclists must obey all traffic regulations and should ride single file with the flow of traffic. On the narrow Hermit Road, they should pull to the right shoulder and dismount when large vehicles are passing.
Leashed pets are permitted on trails throughout the developed areas of the South Rim, but not below the rim. The only exceptions are certified service animals.
Weapons, including guns, bows and arrows, crossbows, slingshots, and air pistols, are prohibited, as are all fire-works. If, by chance, you have a hang glider and are considering jumping into the canyon, forget it. It's illegal, and you'll be fined.
SEASONS & CLIMATE
The climate at Grand Canyon varies greatly not only from season to season but from point to point. At over 8,000 feet in elevation, the North Rim is by far the coldest, dampest part of the park. Its temperatures run about 30°F (17°C) cooler than Phantom Ranch at the canyon bottom, more than 5,000 feet below, and 7°F (4°C) cooler than the South Rim, roughly 1,000 feet below. It averages 25 inches of precipitation per year, compared to just 8 inches at Phantom Ranch and 16 inches on the South Rim.
The North Rim doesn't open until mid-May, so your only choice in early spring is the South Rim, where daily highs average 60°F and 70°F (16°C and 21°C) in April and May, respectively. Travelers should be prepared for late-winter storms, which occasionally bring snow to the rim. Spring is an ideal time to hike the inner canyon, with highs in April averaging 82°F (28°C).
In summer, the rims seldom become unbearably hot. Summer highs are usually in the 80s (mid-20s Celsius) on the South Rim and in the 70s (low 20s Celsius) on the North Rim. The canyon bottom, on the other hand, can be torrid, with highs in July averaging 106°F (41°C). Localized thunderstorms frequently drench the park in late July and August, the wettest month of the year, when nearly 2¼ inches of rain fall on the South Rim. On the North Rim, nights can be nippy even