Though the National Park Service does not keep precise records on visitation, any longtime local will tell you that the crowds are thinner than normal these days at Grand Canyon National Park. As the views remain spectacular, one would have to guess that the global economic slowdown is the primary culprit.
For readers who have stayed away in recent years due to the large crowds, this is your wake up call. Reservations for lodging, meals, and tour packages are in ready supply. I even had a friend from Florida who embarked on the ever-popular mule ride to Phantom Ranch and back last week. He was the only rider besides the wrangler, and reported that they didn’t encounter a single person from bottom to top on the South Kaibab Trail, one of the canyon’s busiest.
So if you like your Grand Canyon heavy on the solitude, grab your bags and make a beeline to the South Rim before the crowds return in mid-March.
