Thinking of taking a family trip to the Grand Canyon.
1) When is the best time of year to go?
2) How far in advance do you need to make reservations?
3) Where is the best place to stay?
4) What are some other things to do/see?

We went last June and the weather at the GC was beautiful (cool enough that I didn't break a sweat while hiking, but didn't need a jacket, either). We stayed at Yavapai Lodge and I made the reservation about this time last year. It was the only lodging option onsite that had any availability by the time I was ready to book, and I literally got one of the last rooms available for the night we wanted to be there. The hotel was fine (about $200/night) but not all rooms have A/C ( we didn't even need it when we were there, though)

We flew into PHX and drove to Page, AZ (in the NE corner of AZ) to do a rafting trip at the Glen Canyon Dam. It was absolutely fantastic and I would highly recommend it. It's a very gentle trip on calm waters on an inflatable raft. The canyon is gorgeous and you even stop at a "beach" and can go for a swim (in 40 degree water). It's about a 5 hour drive from PHX and hotels are kind of expensive considering Page is kind of a crappy little town, but it's worth it. We stopped at the GC on the way back from Page.

About an hour north of PHX, right off the highway, is a safari park. We stopped there for a few hours and watched their tiger show (trainers actually get in a pool with the Tigers). It was also great and worth stopping for a few hours. I can look up the name of the park if you're interested.

We spent the night at the GC, but weren't even in the park for 24 hours. We did one short hike on the main Bright Angel trail, did the California condor talk (which was very good), and watched the sunset. The next morning we did the family hike on the hermits rest. The trail is the furthest out and is left more in its natural state, but it's a beautiful hike that not many people do. It's not strenuous at all. Before we left, we hit some of the scenic spots along the rim trail.

There is also a park called Slide Rock Falls near Sedona. We drovein the area but didn't go to the park because there were fires last year and some areas were closed. I really wish we had been able to go to Slide Rock Falls, though. The little bit of sight-seeing we did in that area was just beautiful.

Thanks. Also how many days do you think would be good to stay at the canyon, 2,3?

Came here to ask some of the same questions. I am planning a Spring Break trip to the Grand Canyon and reserved a spot at the Mather Campground. From what I've been told, we should be prepared for very cold nights, but we will have the equipment for that. We will be spending 3 days in Grand Canyon National Park, any suggestions of things to do or trails we should definitely hike?

I would have preferred to have 1 1/2 to two full days, with one overnight stay, for our visit. There are a lot of guided hikes, informational sessions, and even an IMAX movie to enjoy. I would have loved to walk more along the rim trail, too (we were only able to take the bus and stop at a couple of the overlooks). Unfortunately, because of our schedule and the route we took to get there and get home, we didn't arrive until late afternoon and had to depart about lunchtime the next day. The GC is kind of remote and has limited accessibility. If you are not from the area, I wouldn't recommend driving at night. But, if you also plan to spend time in Flagstaff or Sedona, it would be much faster to get to/from the GC than using PHX as a base.

As I mentioned above, I recommend the trail at the Hermit's Nest, simply because so few other visitors take the time to do it. Obviously we didn't hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon, but if you have three days and the weather is good, that is definitely something I would try to plan for. The Bright Angel Trail and the South Kaibab Trail go all the way to the bottom.

Also be sure to go out to one of the overlooks to watch the sunset. The GC puts out a newspaper that gives all the times/locations for daily activities, so you will know the time/place for things like guided tours, info sessions, and sunrise/sunset.

If you plan on camping overnight on the trail or at the bottom of the canyon or want to stay at Phantom Ranch, you have to make reservations well in advance (sometimes a year or more) and there is often a long waiting list. The National Parks Service tries to keep a log of people who go down in the canyon so they know when someone is missing and can better respond to emergencies. IIRC there are signs strongly discouraging people from trying to hike down and back up in the same day, but I don't believe it is expressly prohibited. You can also do mule rides into the canyon and back up.

Note: all of my comments are related to the South Rim, which is where is visitors center and most of the accomodations are. The North Rim is even more remote/difficult to access (7 hours from PHX) and is closed from Oct to May. Other than a day visit or camping, there is only one lodge inside the North Rim park.

Go up to Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ, as well.

We went in April '12 and stayed four full days. We also stayed at the Yavapai Lodge, which was fine for me and my husband. We were in one of the dorm-like lodges and the amenities were pretty basic, but we aren't really five-star hotel people anyways. There were nicer hotels, but they fill up quick. We also reserved our hotel a year out. It is a National Park, so prices are fixed.

The food in the national park is basically cafeteria food. You can eat in the little town outside the park, but you are going to pay a pretty, pretty penny. I think we paid $20 at McDonald's for something that be $8-10 in Austin. If you want to buy groceries, do it in Flagstaff on the drive in. A 2 liter of soda was like $5 at the convenience store. They know they are the only thing for miles.

We did one of the bus tours, three of the easier hiking trails and explored all the little museums they had on site. Each activity took about half a day. On our last day, we said eff it, drove around to Williams, Bedrock City/the little Flintstones town, and went into Flagstaff to watch a movie. Unless you plan on doing major hiking, I'd plan two and a half days tops.

All in all, I loved the trip. I'd had a blast and there's something to be said for going somewhere remote enough that forces life to move a little slower. But I probably won't go back until my kids are older and it'd be passing through to somewhere else.

Edit: if you are going over SB, check their website for what will be open. We went the first weekend in April and we couldn't rent any animals since those services were shut down for the winter still. They won't open usually til the beginning in May. There's also some of the trails that were still closed and the one to the Watchtower had just reopened that weekend.

Will you be flying or driving? If flying, summer at the North Rim is awesome but a little harder to get to. This results in basically no crowds at all though. No international tours go there for the most part unlike the South Rim. The lodge there is outstanding. You can fly into Vegas and drive there. It is a great trip to hit up Bryce Canyon and Zion if you are on that side of the canyon. The North Rim is only open in the summer.