Grand Canyon National Park distributes a free trip planner that should answer most of your questions about the park. To get a copy of the planner, you can call tel. 928/638-7888 or visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon.
Mule Rides--Mule trips to Phantom Ranch can fill up months ahead of time, so it's wise to make your reservations as early as possible, especially if you hope to visit during September or October.
The Grand Canyon's Concessionaire--Xanterra Parks & Resorts (tel. 888/297-2757 or 303/297-2757) is authorized to provide visitor services to Grand Canyon National Park through 2012. As the park's concessionaire (and the largest park and resort management company in the United States), it operates all lodging and dining on both the South and North Rim, as well as motor coach tours and mule rides on the South Rim. Xanterra offers online reservation services for visitors to the Grand Canyon at www.grandcanyonlodges.com or www.xanterra.com, where you can also learn more about the company.
Buying Park Entrance Permits Outside the Park--Vending machines outside the Flagstaff Visitors Center, the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce, and the IMAX Theater in Tusayan sell entrance permits to the park. By using these machines, you can avoid waiting in line at the park entrance during peak hours.
Learning Vacations & Special Programs--The Grand Canyon Field Institute, a nonprofit outdoor education organization cosponsored by the Grand Canyon Association and Grand Canyon National Park, lets you experience the canyon with those who understand it best. Every year it schedules dozens of backpacking trips and outings lasting from 1 to 9 days. Some explore broad subjects such as ecology, paleontology, and archaeology; others hone narrow skills such as orienteering or drawing. Experts on the topics covered, who are intimately acquainted with the canyon, guide all of the excursions. Because the courses vary greatly, the Field Institute assigns a difficulty level to each and attempts to ensure that participants find ones suited to their skill levels and interests. If you love the canyon, there's no better way to pass a few days. To contact the Field Institute you can call tel. 866/471-4435 or 928/638-2485; write to P.O. Box 399, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023; or check out its website at www.grandcanyon.org/fieldinstitute.
