Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [190]
Yavapai Lodge
☎ 928/638-2631 (main switchboard) or 888/297-2757 (reservations only). Fax 303/ 297-3175. 358 units. TV TEL. $97 Yavapai West; $115 Yavapai East. Winter$77–$87. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
The largest lodge at the canyon, Yavapai is a mile from the historic district but close to the post office, a bank with an ATM, and the Canyon Village Marketplace. The rooms are in 10 single-story buildings known as Yavapai West and 6 two-story wood buildings known as Yavapai East. Most rooms in Yavapai West have cinder-block walls; they're compact, but they do afford guests the benefit of driving to the door. Yavapai East's units are larger, with king beds and air-conditioning, and many have forest views. They're worth the extra money. Built between 1970 and 1972, the lodge houses a gift shop and large cafeteria (reviewed later in this chapter.).
CANYON BOTTOM
Phantom Ranch
☎ 928/638-2631 (main switchboard) or 888/297-2757 (reservations only). Fax 303/ 297-3175. 7 4-person cabins, 2 cabins for up to 10 people, 4 dorms for 10 people each. $31 dorm bed; $75 cabin (for 2). Extra person $11. Most cabins are reserved as part of mule-trip overnight packages. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Accessible only by floating down the Colorado River or by hiking or riding a mule to the bottom of Grand Canyon, Phantom Ranch is the only park lodging below the canyon rims, and it often sells out on the first day of availability—13 months ahead. To reserve a spot, call as early as possible. (See directions for Xanterra lodges, above.) If you arrive at the canyon without a reservation, contact the Bright Angel Transportation Desk (☎ 928/638-2631, ext. 6015) for information about openings the next day.
The reason for the popularity? Clean sheets never felt better than they do at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, cold beer never tasted this good, and a hot shower never felt so, well, miraculous.
The ranch's nine air-conditioned cabins are a simple pleasure. Famous Grand Canyon architect Mary Colter designed four of them using rocks from nearby Bright Angel Creek. Connected by dirt footpaths, they sit, natural and elegant, alongside picnic tables and under the shade of cottonwood trees. Inside each cabin, there's a desk, concrete floor, and 4 to 10 bunk beds, as well as a toilet and sink. A shower house for guests is nearby.
Although most of Phantom Ranch was completed in the 1920s and '30s, four 10-person dorms, each with its own bathing facilities, were added in the early 1980s. Used mostly by hikers, these are ideal for individuals and small groups looking for a place to bed down; larger groups are better served by reserving cabins, which provide both privacy and a lower per-person price.
In the late afternoon, many guests and hikers from nearby Bright Angel Campground gravitate to the canteen, which sells snacks when not serving meals (see full review later in this chapter).
NORTH RIM
Grand Canyon Lodge
☎ 928/638-2611 (main switchboard) or 888/297-2757 (reservations only). Fax 303/ 297-3175. 208 units. TEL. $97 Frontier Cabin; $96 motel room; $106 Pioneer Cabin; $111 Western Cabin; $121 Rim-View Cabin. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Although the Union Pacific Railroad built this lodge in 1928, the train never came closer than Cedar City, Utah. After burning in 1932, the lodge reopened in 1937 and now blends almost seamlessly with the landscape. In its expansive lobby, a 50-foot-high ceiling absorbs sound like the forest floor. Beyond it, the octagonal Sun Room has three enormous picture windows opening onto the canyon. Two long