20 degrees with a windchill of 14 = winter sunrise at the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon, a Winter Destination.
When we first moved to central Arizona from southeast Texas in 1994, over the following 8 months my brother and I would tag along with my parents and whichever family and friends were in town and wanted to visit the Grand Canyon …including an Easter Sunrise at the Grand Canyon after my parents picked me up during my semester at Northern Arizona University. After about the 7th trip, my brother and I both said NO more. I was 18 and he was 15 and we had enough of the Grand Canyon to last us a lifetime.
So I didn’t visit the Grand Canyon again until July 2013 with my sister and her family when they were in town for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary. Chris and I also went back in summer 2015 for monsoon season, which was amazing and you can see photos of that trip here, and then again we visited last winter.
A part of wanting to go back in the winter was to give my winter gear a test run. I wanted a chance to check out some of my winter gear and see how I would do before heading on my first winter trip and first European trip, in March, to Iceland. Turns out, the Grand Canyon was colder than Iceland at the time I went so it was a good trial run. It was about as windy as Iceland when you got anywhere near the canyon.
Some of my top reasons to visit the Grand Canyon in the winter:
- One of the best things about winter at the Grand Canyon is the lack of tourists. In the summer you will be packed elbow to elbow. Sometimes that is unavoidable at a National Park but visiting in the winter, will really allow you to take in the size and space of how large the Grand Canyon really is.
- Lodging at the Grand Canyon is cheaper in the winter and more readily available. We have stayed both inside the park and outside of the park. It is much more enjoyable staying in the park and near the rim. Staying in the lodges inside the park to cuts down on the time spent driving to the canyon.
- As a photographer, or just an outdoor lover, another awesome thing about winter at the Grand Canyon is the lighting. It’s absolutely beautiful! And with sunrise being later during the winter, and sunset being earlier, you have that lighting for a good portion of the morning and afternoon. It’s a softer light that makes the walls of the canyon glow and if you are lucky enough to be there with snow, it makes the Grand Canyon look like a an absolute winter wonderland.
A few key tips for visiting in the Winter:
- Be prepared for the wind. The wind on the edge of the canyon can be brutal if you aren’t dressed for it. Do your research and look up the weather before your trip and keep an eye on it as it gets closer. I usually plan for it to be 10-15 degrees cooler on the actual rim and expect the wind chill to be colder. Take clothing and gear planning for it to be colder. I recommend this jacket that is wind resistant. With the windchill being 14, we also ended up using face masks and thermals and a fleece vest and we were so glad that we did.
- Be prepared for ice. If it has snowed, they do clear the walkways and roads but still expect icy patches. Take shoes or boots with treads on the bottom and walk with small steps to help prevent slipping. If you can, I recommend traction devices for your shoes. It makes a huge difference. Especially for me when I don’t want to worry about slipping and dropping my camera.
- Know that the winter weather will impact electronic devices. Camera and phone batteries die much faster in colder weather. Carry extra batteries for you camera and carry a battery pack to recharge your phone. I also always take heat packs for your hands and held one under the bottom of the camera where the battery was to keep the camera warmer and also kept them in my gloves on the palms of my hands.
Have you been to the Grand Canyon in the winter? What did you love about it?