Grand Canyon is alllll about the view! Just to look out and see God’s creation with your own eyes is the definition of “breathtaking”. Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. What happens if you get to the Grand Canyon and it’s raining? And even worse filled with fog?? Don’t worry because I have a plan on how to visit the Grand Canyon in the rain.
Day 4 of our Arizona road trip and we are excited. This is the Main Event y’all, the whole reason we ventured out west. On the day lodging opened for Grand Canyon Village, I was there entering my credit card info. That’s how long I’ve been waiting for this!
Jump Ahead…
Grand Canyon National Park
- Verkamp’s Visitor Center
- Hopi House
- El Tovar
- Bright Angel Lodge
- Lookout Studio
- Kolb Studio
- Yavapai Geology Museum
- Grand Canyon Visitors Center
5 AM alarm….rise and shine people! Come on family we must get a jump on this day so we can do all the things and see all the sights! It was gonna be epic and my meticulous planning was perfect.
Side note: Even in all my planning I never did grasp the scale of this National Park. It’s its OWN dang city! Fire station, medical center, all the things.
As I was saying, we were bebopping along like The Griswolds. We followed our GPS toward our hotel and were able to grab a parking spot in the lot between Hopi House & Verkamp’s Visitor Center. SCORE!! Just like I planned.
We parked and rushed over to see this amazing view, it was crazy to finally see it with our own eyes.
We had a good 2 hours and then it quickly became this…
Well Poop!…and to add a cherry on top, the rain came within hours and stayed for the ENTIRE day!! Double Poop!! What do we do now?
For a lot of people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Your initial thought can easily be, WHAT A WASTE, but don’t stress because there is plenty to see and do.
Lodging
If you are staying in the village, go ahead and check-in. Your room may not be ready but if it does open up early they are very accommodating and will call you. While you wait let’s explore!
Hours
We visited in September and most of the following places kept 9a-5p hours, give or take an hour, and vary by season. Please check before visiting!
Weather
If you haven’t already heard, Arizona weather is on CRACK! We’ve had 90s in Phoenix, 70s in Flagstaff, & now 50s here at the canyon.
Make sure you pack warm socks, a poncho, a wet bag to put it in (the rain was off and on at first), & a small jacket for wind and chill. These are some of my favorites from Amazon that I love.💜
Parking
There is no reserved parking available at the park but there is plenty of parking available. The real question is is just how far you will be from your destination. Luckily there are shuttles that will take you anywhere if you don’t get there early enough to grab a convenient spot.
Verkamp’s Visitor Center(South Rim)
This is the closest VC for folks arriving on the train and staying in the village. Start collecting your Passport Cancellations here, this VC alone has two.
Hours: 9-5 (September); varies by season
Location: East of Hopi House, and a “short” walk from the Shuttle and the Train Depot. For me nothing is short when you are walking in cold, torrential downpours.
Parking: Parking lot to the East, next to Hopi House. Lot fills up quickly, by 2 pm, and doesn’t empty until after sunset.
Things to do:
- Passport cancellation
- Small walking tour Museum
- Shop Bookstore & Museum
- Restrooms
- Park Ranger staffed Information desk
- Seating on a covered porch to relax and people-watch.
Hopi House
Hopi House gives strong Native American Vibes and for good reason. It opened in 1905 and was specifically designed to resemble an adobe pueblo and is a historical landmark. It also offers Native American arts & crafts.
Hours: 9-5 (September); Varies by season
Location: Entrance faces west towards El Tovar
Parking: To the East of Hopi House. Available but fills up fast(the park says by 2) and usually doesn’t start to clear out until just after sunset. This is prime parking for El Tovar, Kachina, & Thunderbird lodges.
This is one of those lots where people are creeping, waiting, and watching for you to make a move towards your car. All I want to do is grab my poncho from the trunk, I’m sorry, but no I’m not leaving! Aghh
Things to Do
- Shop authentic Native American, handcrafted items
- Explore art gallery
- Artifact viewing
- Request Hopi stamp
I searched everywhere for the cancellation station, and eventually, I gave in and approached the desk. The clerk kindly dug it out and stamped my book. Ummm, OK that was weird, but whatever.
Well, come to find out Hopi isn’t even on the list. Well dang, but on the plus side my incompetence won me an EXTRA cancellation! Alright. Alright.
El Tovar Hotel & Gift Shop
El Tovar is the definition of LODGE, it gives old-world, cigar, hunting room vibes. It’s cool just to nose around but not a whole lot to do.
Location: West of Hopi House and to the East of Kachina Lodge
Hours: 7a-10p (Gift Shop-September); Lobby doesn’t close
Parking: East of Hopi House
Things to Do:
- Relax on the porch
- Explore or relax in hotel lobby
- Shop for souvenirs in the small gift shop
- Check-in for lodging
- Dining room – requires reservations
- Restrooms
Bright Angel Lodge
Bright Angel Lodge is very rustic and holds the most, so it seems. Whether you’re staying in the village or just visiting for the day this is a one stop shop. Coffee, food, gift shop, alcohol, and a museum.
Location: West of Kachina Lodge, East of Lookout Studio
Things to do
- Explore gift shop
- Explore Bright Angel History room – history on the bright angel girls and a shop for souvenirs.
- Check-in for lodging
- Dine at Fred Harvey Burger – we were able to walk up and get a table with just a short wait.
- Dine & Drink at Fred Harvey Tavern
- Dine at Arizona Steakhouse – reservations recommended
- Soda fountain and Coffee Shop
Everywhere you turn you will be reminded that water needs to be conserved. A pipe busted and no one could tell me when it would be fixed. It didn’t affect our visit much but they do use all disposable items to cut down on having to wash dishes.
Lookout Studio
Another building that Mary Colter designed, apparently she did it all! This is a small souvenir shop that fouses on books and photos. The shelter from the rain made it worth the stop, but the hotspot here are the two balconies.
As you can see from one of my pics the balconies are worthless during fog. I highly recommend visiting when the fog lifts. Check out our selfie above …amazing! Minus red shirt dude who kept walking in & out.
Hours: 9-5 (September)
Parking: Walk from lot east of Hopi House, or get lucky and find a spot lining the streets between Bright Angle Lodge & the railroad tracks.
Location: on edge of rim west of bright angel Lodge and east of kolb studio
Things to do:
- Lookout Balconies
- Shop souvenirs
Kolb Studio
Kolb Studio sits on the edge of the rim and bright angel trailhead. If you hike the trail (I stressed the whole dang time) you will see an awesome view of the studio as you come back up the trail. For me, when I laid eyes on the studio, it gave me hope of survival.
Location: West of Lookout Studio & East of Bright Angel Trail Trailhead
Hours: 8a-6p
Things to do:
- Collect Cancellations
- Shop souvenir shop
- Kolb Brothers exhibit – not sure how but we completely missed this, I was so concerned with collecting my cancellation that I didn’t walk around the corner. Don’t make the same mistake! There is a 3D tour available online if you do.
This book is CRAZY! My oldest purchased this at Kolb and enjoyed reading it during out trip.
If you want to take your anxiety up a notch, skim through just a few of the freak accidents that took place here.
Yavapai Geology Museum
The Geology Museum was my surprise favorite. As you walk in you gain access to panoramic window views. In the middle is a large 3D topographic map of the canyon, just stand and study how amazing the canyon really is. Notice in one pic the points in the middle in the canyon, who is crazy enough to get to those?!
As you continue through you will find a very small souvenir shop & a museum that explains the geological wonder you are visiting.
I’m not obsessed with rocks but this place will inspire you to be a geologist.
Location: ~1.6 miles East of Verkamps Visitor Center by way of Rim Trail
Parking: Has it’s own lot; walking is possible from the west side of the village if you enjoy long walks in the rain
Hours: 8a-6p (September ); varies by season
Things to do:
- Take in views from panoramic windows (if possible)
- Study 3D Topographic map
- Learn about the geological wonder that is the grand canyon
- Shop for souvenirs
- Collect Cancellations
Grand Canyon Visitor Center
There is a very LARGE & impressive topographic map that makes this stop worth the visit.
Location: ~.9 miles East (by way of rim trail) of Yavapai Geology Museum
Hours: 8a-4p (September); varies by season
Parking: Has its own lot; Due to the layout there is no quick way to the door, if you don’t like getting wet…RUN!
Things to do:
- Study Topographic Map
- Park Ranger staffed information desk
- Collect Cancellations-there was only one cancellation stamp available at the time of our visit, but according to guides there should be an 2
- Walk across the way to the Park Store and shop for souveniers
- Walk across the way to the Cafe for espresso and to-go style meals
Other Things to Note
- Everything East of Bright Angel Trail, which is also the Red Shuttle line, is only accessable by foot or the shuttle. Therefore Hermits Rest is NOT on my list. The shuttle can be frustratingly slow, so I feel like this part of the Grand Canyon is better explored in good weather. This part of the rim trail focuses on view so if you are visiting on a foggy day, it will suck!
- Desert View Watchtower is definitely worth a visit, but most of what you can get out of this part of the park is a view. So I would only make the trip if visibility is good. IMO the West side of the park has the best views. There are several pulloffs on the way and wildlife is more likely, in our experiance, on this side of the park.
- Tusayan Museum is closed, possibly permanantely. Park Rangers didn’t seem to know why at this time. So no Tusayan Cancellation, dang it.
I hope this post gives you a better understanding of the grand canyon village. Hopefully sunny days are in the plans for every visit but if not let this be your guide to get the most out of your visit. And Until next time Keep Adventuring…💜
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