Active Vacation in Las Vegas: Hiking the Grand Canyon
Many of us plan to travel to Las Vegas with only one thing in mind: gambling. Others want to get hitched the Vegas way and some just want to see the shows. And then there are the other travelers, who enjoy an active vacation and plan to get to Las Vegas: hiking the Grand Canyon .
Aside from booking the Las Vegas flights you also need to plan the entire hiking adventure ahead of time. First of all, you need a permit to hike to and camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. You need to plan ahead especially if you want to come during the summer. There are only 13,000 permits issued by The National Park Service each year and typically there are over 30,000 requests registered.
When it comes to accommodation, plan to spend at least two nights at the bottom. It is possible to book rooms but the cheapest option is camping. There’s only one campground and you need to book in advance. The cost is $18/night for up to two vehicles, six people, and three tents.
Ideally you should have hiking experience and you should have some stamina as well to consider hiking the Grand Canyon. The two most popular trails to the bottom are South Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel Trail.
Pack a lot of food and water. If you hike during summer it’s really dry and hot so don’t forget to hydrate. Bring lots of salty treats so that you can replenish the salt you lose by perspiration.
Don’t forget your camera and plenty of memory cards (and batteries). Slow down and stop to take photos. The scenery is breathtaking and you’ll be fascinated.
This is not a trip to plan on the spur of the moment. Not only do you need to get a permit and secure a place to stay but you also need to be prepared for the hike. This is a challenging endeavor and often times the simplest detail can make or break the trip.