Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [188]
the prettiest RV park in the Grand Canyon area. The use of generators is forbidden, so everyone can enjoy the quiet. The campground has two showers ($1.50/5 min.).
Just north of Jacob Lake on U.S. 89A, nestled into rolling hills covered with ponderosa pine forest, Jacob Lake Campground (no phone) is a beauty of a Forest Service campground. Towering pines shade sites only a short drive from Jacob Lake Inn (where you'll find a gas station, store, restaurant, and motel). Sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Note: DeMotte Park Campground (no phone), a Forest Service campground 5 miles north of the park boundary on Ariz. 67, closed for renovations in 2005. At press time, a reopening date had not been set.
Where to Stay
When planning a visit to Grand Canyon, try to reserve a place inside the park for at least 1 night. This lets you savor the twilight hours at the canyon without driving far in the dark.
If you're hoping to spend the night at or near the rim, be sure to reserve well in advance. During busy years, accommodations inside the park and in Tusayan frequently fill up, forcing would-be lodgers to backtrack away from the park.
INSIDE THE PARK
Xanterra South Rim LLC, P.O. Box 699, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 (☎ 888/297-2757; fax 303/297-3175; www.xanterra.com, www.grandcanyonlodges.com on the South Rim, or www.grandcanyon northrim.com on the North Rim), handles lodging inside the park. Book well ahead: The most desirable rooms go a year in advance, and all Grand Canyon lodges sell out from mid-March to mid-October. It is possible to reserve a room up to 13 months in advance. If you're flexible with dates and choices or travel in the fall or winter, you can usually find rooms 1 or 2 months in advance.
Because the concessionaire allows cancellations without penalty up to 48 hours in advance, you can sometimes grab a room at the last minute, even at the busiest times, by calling the Xanterra switchboard (☎ 928/638-2631). This is also the number to call to contact lodging guests on the South Rim. A few rooms become available each day, so you can also try calling or walking in and asking about vacancies at the lodge of your choice. Check-out is at 11am, so the front desks will know by that time whether rooms are available. The hotels do not have street addresses. When you enter the park, you will receive a map that shows all the hotels. Xanterra accepts American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa as payment for lodging. Only El Tovar, Yavapai East at Yavapai Lodge, and Maswik North (as of Apr 2006) have air-conditioning. Children under 16 stay free with their parent.
SOUTH RIM
Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins
☎ 928/638-2631 (main switchboard) or 888/297-2757 (reservations only). Fax 303/ 297-3175. 34 units (14 with bathroom, 10 with sink only, 10 with sink and toilet); 55 cabin units. TEL. $59 with sink only; $65 with sink and toilet only; $77 standard with bathroom; $94 historic cabin; $115–$137 historic rim cabin; $250 Buckey O'Neill Cabin. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Guests of Bright Angel Lodge stay in tightly clustered buildings and historic cabins near the rim west of the main lodge. In the 1930s, the Fred Harvey Co. needed to develop new, affordable lodging for the many visitors who had begun driving to the canyon. At the company's request, Mary Colter designed both the lodge and the cabins alongside it. The cabins were built around several historic buildings, including the area's first post office and the Buckey O'Neill Cabin, the oldest continually standing structure on the rim.
Low-end accommodations start with clean, spare rooms in two long buildings adjacent to Bright Angel