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How to avoid spending half of the vacation stuck in traffic5,000 cars entering the park per day + only 3,000 parking spots = Traffic Nightmare! Just because the Grand Canyon is surrounded by wilderness doesn’t mean that it is not plagued by traffic jams! Here are ways to help you get around the park and still enjoy your vacation without pulling your hair out. Here are my top 4 hair saving tips!
Get there early!If you have to bring your car, get there early. Not only does the line at the entrance get very long (I have seen it backed up two miles during the high season) but the later you get into the park, the more traffic and the harder it is to find parking.Get a Parks passAnother way to get into the park quicker is to get a National Park Pass before you get there. At the entrance gates, there are special for people who don’t have to pay at the gate. Residents (like me) or visitors with a National Park Pass can fly on in.You can buy them online, by phone or at some convenience stops near any national park.If you want to save 20 minutes of “Are we there yet?” from the backseat, look into getting one of these. Park the car as soon as possibleUnless you are coming in the dead of winter when visitation and traffic are the lowest, you are probably going to have a hard time finding parking if you wait until later in the day.Or at least, finding parking where you want to park, since that is where everyone else wants to park too! Leave your car as soon as possible. Ride the free shuttleI think this is by far the best way to get around the south and west rims. (Actually, I regularly rode the shuttle from near my house to work and to the grocery store.)The buses stop at the most interesting points and they run frequently. During daylight hours, a bus comes by most stops every 15 minutes or so. And this way, you don’t have to bother with traffic or trying to park your car every time you want to take a picture!
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