Where to overnight between Page and Grand Canyon South Rim

[Sian Harrison]

We will be travelling from Page to the Grand Canyon South Rim in December.  Where should we overnight between these places? Looking at a map, Tuba City or Cameron seem  logical choices - which would be best and can anyone recommend an RV campground?

Thanks!

Sian Harrison (UK)

 

[SeilerBird]

Tuba City would be out of your way. Cameron is the most logical choice.

 

[Sian Harrison]

Thanks Tom, we'll go with Cameron - anything worth seeing there, do you know?

 

[SeilerBird]

Thanks Tom, we'll go with Cameron - anything worth seeing there, do you know?

Well you can take the grand tour of the Chevron gas station located at Cameron. And if you want to buy Native American arts and crafts you will be in heaven. Other than that it Cameron is really just an intersection.

If you can go without hookups there is a wonderful campground just inside the east entrance to the Grand Canyon. You can walk to the Watchtower from the campground. The Watchtower is just about the greatest man made item on the entire south rim.

 

[Carl L]

Sian,

You do realize that you will be travelling in the winter at altitudes of 5500 to 7000 feet in rather cold, empty* country?  Paige is only about 138 miles -- a 3-4 hour drive in good weather.  Note that good weather.  The Rim road US 180 may be closed by snow.  My recommendation would be Paige to Flagstaff, AZ which has a number of RV parks with full hook ups and then next day to Williams AZ on I-40 and then from Williams to Grand Canyon Village.

[*Note: "... cold, empty.."  Think North Scotland in the winter, just not as folksy.  :  ]


What my REAL recommendation is Las Vegas to Williams and then to Grand Canyon Village,  Overnight at Williams.  You will need full hookups at the Canyon.  Myself I would do the Canyon in the winter by booking a hotel at the Rim and going there from Las Vegas by tour bus.

I have backpacked the Canyon.  One late November, my party emerged from the Canyon to a full scale blizzard at the Rim.  We were all experienced Sierra Nevada mountaineers but we all cheerfulliy accepted a ride from a driver who was curious why in the hell we were hiking down the highway in a blizzard. 

Have you considered my Death Valley recommendation that I made in an earlier post.

 

[SeilerBird]

Carl is correct. Death Valley makes a lot more sense in the winter than the Grand Canyon if you are in an RV.

 

[John From Detroit]

Page (Did you have dinner at the Dam Site Inn?) to South rim is not even a half day drive, I'd not worry about overnighting.

Wife, Friend and I made it from Page to S.Rim and back in one day... Twice.

NOTE: there are campgrounds just south of the park, and one in the park as well.

Page is a fun town... We did take one of the indian land tours (Slot canyon as I recall) was very interesting,  And of coure the inn.

Do you know the story of Page?

 

[Wendy]

I'm pretty sure that Death Valley is already in your plans. If you also want to visit Grand canyon, just be prepared for winter weather, possible snow and cold. We've been there every month of the year and it is beautiful in the snow. We prefer Trailer Village in winter so we have electricity  Also, the campground that TomS mentioned on the east side is closed in winter so don't count on it.

Cameron has a full hookup campground. Flagstaff has several. Flagstaff is colder and snowier. If you stay in Cameron, you can enter Grand Canyon  at the east entrance. If you stay in Flagstaff, there's a good road that runs northwest from Flag to the road into Grand Canyon, no need to go from Flag to Williams. The trading post in Cameron has arguably the best Navajo tacos in the Four Corners.

And remember that everything depends on the weather. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and have alternate plans ready.

And most of all - ENJOY !

Wendy
Cortez CO

 

[PancakeBill]

x2 on the tacos in Cameron.  Williams has a cool campground with a railroad theme.  We stayed there a night before we went to Canyon to work. 

 

[Sian Harrison]

Thank you everyone for your, as always, very helpful suggestions. 

Yes, I do know that it will be cold and possibly snowy BUT our daughter (the Geographer) REALLY wants to see Zion and we ALL really want to see the Grand Canyon.  We COULD miss out Zion, but the Grand Canyon is meant to be the highlight of our trip, so this is our Plan A - unless the weather makes it physically impossible.

Plan B is indeed Death Valley, Mojave/possibly Joshua Tree (too far ???), Grand Canyon.

No, I didn't realise South Rim is only half a day's drive from Page (miscalculated there).  And no, I don't know the story of Page!

Sian

 

[flyfishalso]

We stopped by the South Rim on our way to Louisiana last February.  It was cold and started to snow just after we arrived.  Next morning the sun was shining and it warmed up to above freezing and roads cleared.  Best part was we got to see the Grand Canyon with snow  WOW.

Enjoy your trip and be prepared for cold weather.

Carl

 

[Carl L]

Thank you everyone for your, as always, very helpful suggestions. 

Yes, I do know that it will be cold and possibly snowy BUT our daughter (the Geographer) REALLY wants to see Zion and we ALL really want to see the Grand Canyon.  We COULD miss out Zion, but the Grand Canyon is meant to be the highlight of our trip, so this is our Plan A - unless the weather makes it physically impossible.

Plan B is indeed Death Valley, Mojave/possibly Joshua Tree (too far ??? ), Grand Canyon.

I agree  with the priority  you give to the Canyon.  So lets consider a few things:

You will need to camp in campground that have electrical service available (ie full hookup).  In that season, you will need to run your furnace and its blower 24/7 -- most RVs are poorly insulated.  That will tap your batteries quickly, if you are not hooked up to utility power.  Do NOT attempt to camp where you cannot get electrical service.  You are traveling off season for RVs, you will need to assure yourselves that you can get a  full hookup site in a campground.  You need to reserve in advance. 

There is only one campground with full hookup sites at Grand Canyon -- Trailer Village.  It would be ideal for your purposes.  Their website is http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/Trailer-Village-705.html.    At the Villiage you can use park shuttles to tour.

The next best alternative is to camp at Williams, AZ which is 50 miles south of the Park facilities at Grand Canyon Village.  Williams, which is on I-40, has set itself up as a gateway to Grand Canyon NP -- it even has RR service to Grand Canyon Village.  There are a number of RV campgrounds.  Do a Google search on the term williams az rv parks campgrounds.  Make reservation at a campground that seems adequate.  You can tour the Canyon by renting a car in Williams -- I recommend an Enterprise agency if there is one in Williams.  You can also book a tour -- I would rent a car myself.

Williams is about 5-6 hours from Vegas on US-93 and I-40.  The towns of Kingman and Seligman are worth a coffee break on the way. 

As I said I thoroughly agree with the priority you give to the Grand Canyon.  I recommend omitting Zion and concentrating on the Canyon.  Zion to Page will be off season on lonely secondary roads at altitudes of 6000 feet.  Temperatures at those altitudes will be some 20?F colder than those at Las Vegas.  Snow is a real possibility.  To my mind that is a bit much for a holiday.  More in the line of a survival experience.  :

If you want to pad out the experience, drive back to Las Vegas and then to Death Valley which is about 100 miles from Vegas -- at low altitudes.

 

[John From Detroit]

Page was "Founded" by the construction company that built the Glenn Canyon Dam,  However they decided they did not wish to make another ghost town.. SO. figuring that if instead of just workers, Families came,  And figuring that the wives and kids would come along if there were churches,, The company Sent letters to all the major (And some not so major) churches.. If you come and build, we wil GIVE you the land.. Well, starting with the Catholic church, they came.. And they were granted land and they built..  And sure enough, once there were churches the workers' wives and families followed, and setteled there and thus when the job was done.. Folks stuck around.

We spend an unplanned week in Page back in 2006 when the pin came out of the receiver and dumped my towed.. Well, busted a tie rod (This was Friday EVE) and it was Monday before we could get it fixed.

So we spent some time in Page  Made two trips to the canyon (Returning to page at night) One in a rental, one in my car after we replaced tie rod, tires and headlights.