Our first trip to the Grand Canyon back in 2016 was quite a different trip altogether. This time around, instead of 115 degree heat in July, we braved a massive snowstorm in March. My brother, Kessler, visited us for a few days in Phoenix last week, as Dan was finishing up his most recent travel nursing contract. We knew that one of our adventures during his visit would have to be the Canyon. Leading up to his visit, we saw that there was some strong winter storms coming in that would hit northern Arizona, but we were hopeful they’d pass by the time we would go to the Canyon. Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the case, but we still had an amazing trip and such magical winter views of the Canyon.

Originally, we were planning to make just a day trip to the Grand Canyon, but Dan was able to change his schedule up a bit to allow us time to spend a night there. In the end, with the horrible weather, it’s a good thing too! We wouldn’t have been able to do the trip at all. That said, it was quite a short trip, but I think we made the most out of it. We arrived to the Canyon around 3pm Wednesday, March 1st and left to head back to Phoenix the following day around 2/3pm.

the drive from Phoenix

Our drive to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix took about four and a half hours. All in all, I think we made pretty great time considering the weather we drove through. The day that we made the trek north, we took the I-17 up to Flagstaff, then west on the I-40, and finally straight up the 64 to South Entrance Road to Grand Canyon Village. We ran into plenty of snow, accidents, traffic, and bad stretches of road, but no road closures. Flagstaff was flooded with snow, just over two feet within about twelve hours that day. Thankfully the Canyon didn’t see that much snow, at least not at the South Rim. I think the Village got probably 8 or so inches that day.

On our way there I got an update from some friends who we had been planning to meet up with at the Canyon. They were coming in from the West and ultimately weren’t able to make it in that day because the I-40 heading east was closed due to the storm. I didn’t even think about how this would affect us, not then on our way to the Canyon, but tomorrow on our way back to Phoenix. From our experience living in New Hampshire and Quebec, it’s pretty unheard of for an interstate to shut down like that, especially for a whole day, so I probably would have dismissed the thought anyways.

moose or elk?

We made it to the Grand Canyon in the late afternoon and were starting to feel doubtful about whether or not we’d be able to actually see the Canyon or not. When we arrived at the gate/entrance to the national park, the park rangers said they hadn’t been able to see ten feet from the gate just a few hours before, but by the time we got there visibility was much better. So, things seemed to be improving, but clouds and fog tend to settle in the Canyon.

On our way in we spotted probably a dozen or more elk laying in the snow and eating the pine needles off of the trees by the road. Later on in our trip, when we were walking the Rim Trail, multiple tourists mistakenly told us that there were a bunch of moose up ahead. I was so excited until Dan and Kess expressed their doubt and correctly guessed that the people had no clue the difference between an elk and an moose. Looking back, I probably should have guessed this too because I’m pretty sure there are no moose at the Grand Canyon period…

where we stayed

Once we arrived in the Village, we made our way to Maswik Lodge where we had rented a room. Parts of this lodge were recently redone and it was a very nice hotel-esque room. Just one building over from where our room was, is the main building where you can find the gift shop, cafeteria & pub, and check-in area. The cafeteria and pub had great food and we honestly should have just eaten all of our meals there.

Instead, for dinner Wednesday night we made our way over to El Tovar, the beautiful hotel that sits right on the rim of the Canyon. We explored a bit there and then had some drinks and appetizers in their lounge. Unfortunately, the food was surprisingly quite sub-par and way overpriced for the quality. After we finished eating, we made our way back to the lodge and grabbed some cheesy bread from the pub in case we got hungry later. We were much more impressed with the food there and at the cafeteria in Maswik Lodge. Make sure to try the prickly pear cider at the pub and the taco bowl in the cafeteria!

Grand Canyon in the winter

On our way over to El Tovar, we made our way to the head of the Bright Angel Trail, where Dan and I hiked down from into the Canyon back in 2016. Our suspicions were proven right as we approached the rim and got a view of…nothing at all. It was honestly pretty funny and we sent our family some joking texts and pictures about the incredible view. We were confident that by the morning the fog would lift and we’d get to see more of the Canyon, so it wasn’t too disheartening.

The following morning, the fog had lifted revealing a gently snow-laden canyon. The snow only stuck to the edges of the Canyon where the elevation was higher which was interesting to see, but I suppose it makes sense as it’s warmer and more insulated in the canyon. We had never seen the Canyon quite like this. As I think it always does, it looked like a painting, the most epic and awe-inspiring painting ever. It’s honestly so off the charts in terms of it’s magnificence and beauty that I don’t know how anyone could rate which is “better,” the Grand Canyon in the summer or the Grand Canyon in the winter.

trails to hike

Depending when you go, and whether there’s a foot of snow on the ground or not, there are plenty of options when it comes to trails you can hike at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We ended up walking part of the Rim Trail from the Bright Angel trailhead to the Yavapai Geology Museum. That stretch is just about two miles and ended up taking us about two hours because of the snow and our very frequent stops to appreciate the views, and the elk! At one point, a group of elk were actually right in the path blocking the way forward. No one seemed to mind though 🙂

Alternatively, hiking down the Bright Angel Trail to the first mile and a half rest house is a great little hike, though for us it wasn’t an option due to the snow. If you’re looking for sightseeing without all of the hiking/walking, then taking the shuttle along Desert View Road or Hermit Road is a great option. Again though, this wasn’t an option for us because of all the snow. We loved hiking the Rim trail though; it offered some incredible views. It seemed that every 20 steps you took you got a slightly different view of the Canyon that was newly stunning and mesmerizing.

our drive back to Phoenix

Thursday morning we woke up and I decided to see Apple Map’s estimate for how long it would take to drive back to Phoenix. Kessler was actually flying out of Phoenix to head back to New Hampshire that night, so we had a strict deadline that we needed to be back by 8pm at the very latest. It was then that I realized I had made a mistake when we heard that the I-40 had closed heading east… That was the way we needed to go. Not just that, but both sides of the I-17 were also closed for quite a stretch south from Flagstaff.

The GPS was estimating that it would take us about 6 hours I think it was, to get back to Phoenix. We’d have to drive down to Prescott and head back from there. Unfortunately, the I-40 was also closed heading west too so we’d have to take backroads for a little while, apparently some of which the GPS thought might be unpaved. The panic set in a bit, though Dan and I were hopeful that we could wait it out and the interstates would reopen before we had to leave. For those who don’t know, we drive a little Ford Fiesta and, as we’ve been living in Phoenix, don’t have snow tires on it currently.

Thankfully the interstates reopened around 10/11am and we made it back to Phoenix with about an hour and a half of extra time before my brother’s flight. It would have been a story had we gotten stuck at the Canyon, but I think our parent’s were glad my brother was able to make it home on his scheduled flight. All in all, it was another Grand Canyon adventure for the books! Dan and I are hoping that our next trip to the Canyon will be to hike rim to rim (maybe with my brother)!