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:: When to come
This page will give you some general information on good times of the year to visit the Grand Canyon. Everybody likes different weather conditions and temperatures, so we won't tell you when you should plan your trip, but we will give you some general Grand Canyon information to help you make an informed decision.


The "busy" season
Somewhere between 5-6 million people a year visit the Grand Canyon. Most of them come during certain months. Summer is the peak season for the Grand Canyon. July is by far the busiest month for Grand Canyon visitors, but the busy season is from mid-May through mid-September.

There are also several busy weeks or weekends. These are primarily during holidays.
* Between Christmas and New Years can be the busiest time at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon staff is often seasonal and this week can be exceptionally frustrating due to the fact that many of them are gone during this busy week which creates long lines at the Grand Canyon National Park entrance.
* Spring Break is a busy week due to schools being out for the week. Many families plan trips to the Grand Canyon during Spring Break.
* Thanksgiving can have a small spike at the Grand Canyon but most of the time, it's slow enough to not be bothersome.
* Any and all summer holidays including 4th of July, Labor Day and Memorial Day, are some of the busiest times at the Grand Canyon.


Solutions to avoiding the crowds
Even during the busiest seasons, you can avoid the long lines and crowds. We will give you some tips on how to do that.

* Book a tour. Booking with one of the Grand Canyon tour companies can be a vacation saving experience. The tour companies have access to better parking and quicker lines at the Grand Canyon National Park. They also know which Grand Canyon viewpoints are the least crowded with the best views.
View Grand Canyon Tour Company Information.

* If you plan on going yourself to the Grand Canyon National Park, here's a few things to recommend:
1. Avoid "Mather Point". It's the first viewpoint everybody stops at when entering the Grand Canyon National Park and it is by far the busiest. Less than a mile beyond Mather Point is Yavapai Point which is just as good of a view with 1/4 of the crowds.
2. Use the East Entrance and avoid the South Entrance. This is only good if you are staying in Flagstaff, Williams or Sedona. The East Entrance will save you anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours in line.
Visit How To Get to the Grand Canyon for information on directions to the East Entrance.
:: Temperatures
Below is some averages for the temperature high in the area. All temperatures are in degrees Farenheit

Month South Rim North Rim Inner Gorge Flagstaff Williams Sedona Las Vegas Phoenix
Jan 41 37 56 43 46 56 57 65
Feb 45 39 63 46 49 61 63 69
Mar 51 44 71 50 53 65 69 74
Apr 60 53 83 58 61 73 78 83
May 70 62 91 68 69 82 88 92
Jun 81 73 101 79 80 93 99 102
Jul 84 77 106 82 83 97 104 104
Aug 81 75 103 80 81 94 102 102
Sep 76 69 98 74 75 88 94 97
Oct 65 59 86 63 65 77 81 86
Nov 52 46 68 51 54 64 66 73
Dec 43 40 57 44 47 57 57 65


The Grand Canyon tends to get the most rain between mid-July and mid-September and the most snowfall between mid-January and mid-March.
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