April 12, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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Vast. Sublime. Inconceivable. Superlatives fall flat in consideration of the Grand Canyon.
Six million years in the making, the US contribution to the Seven Wonders of the Natural World is nothing short of extraordinary.Â
The Empire State Building and Hollywood Sign may be the defining landmarks for starry-eyed visitors to the US. But while their mortal architects are more than deserving of their plaudits, they pale in comparison to the Colorado River’s slow, incessant work, carving miracles through two billion years of America’s geological DNA.
Plus, with National Park Week kicking off on April 22nd, there’s no better time to explore.
Welcome to the Grand Canyon.
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| PACK. SCRAMBLE. SLEEP
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Your guide to the best of the Grand Canyon
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🎒Â Pack
Assuming you intend to venture further than the viewpoints, the Grand Canyon is no place for unpreparedness. Wildly varied temperatures, flash floods, and precarious ridge trails can make it a dangerous place, and planning a necessity. Check out our Grand Canyon packing list to ensure you’re ready
for anything.
🥾Â ScrambleÂ
Don’t be the person standing at the lookout spot, content to hop out the car, grab a selfie, and leave. Pull on your boots and explore this staggering natural wonder. From heart-racing ridgeline trails to pleasant cliffside meanders, there’s a Grand Canyon hike for everyone. Here’s our list of the
best trails in the National Park.
😴 Sleep
Unless you live close by, a pilgrimage to the Grand Canyon shouldn’t be a one-day-and-done effort. Stay a day or two, explore the trails, and take it in at your own pace. To help narrow down a home base, take a peek at the best hotels in and around the National Park.
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| MONEY MOVES
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Get there for $11.20 using points
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As an intrepid adventurer exploring one of Mother Nature’s finest creations, you deserve to be cut some slack on the travel cost front. Thankfully, it’s remarkably easy to get to the Grand Canyon using just one credit card. Here’s how to travel hack your way to the Grand Canyon.
Let’s assume you live in New York and want to visit the Grand Canyon in four months' time.
Get there and back for $11.20
Open the Capital One Venture X Card
Meet the spending requirement of $4,000 in three months to earn 75,000 points.
Transfer 26,000 points to British Airways.
Book a return flight from JFK to Phoenix for 13,000 + $11.20
You’ll even be able to hang out in a swanky airport lounge thanks to your Venture X
Only pay for your rental gas
Search for a car rental using Capital One’s travel portal
Find a three-day car rental
Purchase it using your Venture X
If it’s under $300, Venture X’s $300 travel statement credit will cover the whole thing.
Stay
Transfer 42,000 Capital One points to Wyndham Rewards
Buy three nights at The Ramada by Wyndham Williams Grand Canyon
Voilà . You just covered your entire Grand Canyon trip for $11.20 with 7,000 points to spare.
Grab the Capital One Venture X.
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| READY TO ROAD TRIP?
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Time to start planning your Grand Canyon adventureÂ
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Ready to explore one of most iconic National Parks? Escape Campervans are upgrading your next road
trip.Â
Escape Campervans is the largest campervan rental company in the US and with over 16 years of experience, they know how to make your next road trip comfortable and affordable. They have over 600 custom-built vans across 11 convenient rental locations in the US and Canada.Â
Whether you’re off on a long weekend getaway, touring the Grand Canyon, or traversing the entire country on a bucket list trip, they have the perfect van for you.Â
Their modernized vans come with 24-hour roadside assistance and each of them includes a sink, refrigerator, and stove. The new Del Mar pop-up campervan model is the ultimate package for travel enthusiasts. In addition to the standard amenities of a kitchen and queen-sized bed, the Del Mar includes updated interior features, extra storage space, and an additional double bed in the interior pop-up addition of the camper van!Â
Pick your own adventure with round-trip and one-way options. Bring the whole family or make your friends take the trip out of the group chat. You can add up to four drivers for zero additional charges.Â
Go the extra mile with Escape Campervans and book your next road trip today. Escape Campervans already offers up competitive rental rates but as an added bonus, DFC premium members get an additional 15% off by clicking here.
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| KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
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Keep an eye on the weather
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The Grand Canyon is massive. In fact, it’s big enough to influence the weather.
While we’ve offered you a packing list already, it’s important to understand what you need to look out for.
The most notable weather-related anomaly is the stark difference in temperature between the rim and the canyon floor. Temperatures on the bottom can be as much as 20 degrees hotter than the rim. That means you need to be dressed and ready for both climates.
Flash floods are a terrifying natural occurrence in the canyon and one of the biggest causes of death in the National Park. Keep an eye on approaching rain clouds to avoid immediate danger, but be wary of those further away, too. It’s not uncommon for a light rain 12 miles away to cause floods way down the canyon.
Despite its desert aesthetic, the temperature drops in the winter months. It’s often cold enough to snow, so don’t go in expecting a warmer getaway.
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Start early; stay late
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Grand Canyon National Park is the second busiest in the US, luring six million visitors annually. While it’s great that it’s driving so much interest in the natural world, it’s not so great for crowds.
Make sure you pack your patience as well as your sunscreen. Popular trails are often congested, while viewpoints are chaotic rabbles of selfie-seeking tourists. The best way to beat these situations is to arrive as early as possible or stay as late as possible. Beating the masses to the trails and viewpoints mean you’ll only have to deal with the crowds on the way back.
Camping in the park or staying at one of the in-park accommodations gives you the obvious upper hand for this strategy, so definitely consider staying as close as possible or in the park.
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Plan in advance
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Piggybacking on the previous suggestion, planning well in advance is crucial to your enjoyment. Spots in nearby accommodations fill up quickly, permits are
required for multi-day hikes, and parking can be chaos.
Most locals suggest booking accommodation as much as six months in advance. This might seem excessive, but it’s far better to be safe than sorry. Leaving it to the last minute might see you staying much further away, forcing you to arrive even earlier to grab a coveted parking space.
It’s also helpful to know which trails you anticipate hiking. With over 500 miles of them, it’s a tough call, but heading there with no bearings is a recipe for disaster. Check back through our list of the best hikes in the national park to help you park in the right place, and plan your time effectively.Â
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| FUN FACTS
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Grand Canyon fast facts
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The Grand Canyon is larger than the state of Rhode Island
It was carved over a period of 6 million years, unveiling rock that’s 2 billion years old
Rock squirrels are the most dangerous animal in the park – seriously, don’t get too close
The North and South rims are only ten miles apart – but it takes five hours and 215 miles to drive between them
The Hopi Native American tribe believe it’s the gateway to the afterlife
The most remote community in the US lives in the canyon – population 210
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE GRAND CANYON
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*This link is sponsored
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