Ease of getting into GCNP in July

We were planning to stay at the Squire Inn in Tusayan for 2 nights from Friday to Sunday in July. How easy is it to drive in and out of the park at this time of year and to park up to use shuttles. We are travelling with 3 reluctant teens who will not want to spend as much time as us walking around, is it feasible to make journeys to and from Tusayan to drop them back at the hotel etc. I would like to either go to the park early or late to see sunset or sunrise. How much is a 2 day pass?

Ease of getting into GCNP in July

Youu will pay $25 for the car when you arrive at the park and you can enter and return as often as you like for a week.

Tusayan is advertised as being 5 minutes from the park gate. But then it%26#39;s another 5-20 minutes (depending on traffic and time of day and destination) to get to wherever it is that you intend to park to pick up the shuttle. Most likely places would be the visitor center or the GC Village. Then you%26#39;ll have to wait for the shuttle (5-15 minutes) and then for the time it takes the shuttle to get you to where you want to go (5-45 minutes). So these junkets that you are contemplating to appease your potentially reluctant teens could take hours to go out and then back into the park.

I would advise you to expect your teens to be awed by the Grand Canyon and want to stay inside the park. And if that%26#39;s not the case, then you should exercise your parental authority and insist that they stay with you. We%26#39;re only talking about 2 days of a family vacation. Your kids will most likely find much more to see and do inside the GCNP than they will at your hotel in Tusayan.

Ease of getting into GCNP in July

From what you say I agree the teens should stay in the park. Is there anything much for them to do in Grand Canyon Village, eg. cafes etc, if they decide to wait there for us if they get bored ';being in awe'; and walking round the rim?

I%26#39;m a high school teacher and mom of a teen, so I know how ';fun'; they can be, lol! There are places to sit along the rim and there will be many other teens there that are visiting with their families, many just as reluctant!

Some ideas: Have them make a video of the trip, each of them documenting what they like, dislike etc, add music to it, then they can post it online. Also check with their teachers to see if they can get some kind of credit next school year for taking photos, writing journals etc on their summer trip. If all else fails, MP3 players, Nintendo DS and a good book.

Some books.. ';Over the Edge, Death in the Canyon'; may keep them on their toes! ';The Man Who Walked Through Time'; ';The Diary of John Wesley Powell'; ';Desert Solitaire'; by Edward Abbey

Last summer there was a free shuttle from the park to Tusayan. Hopefully these will be running again this summer.

I can also identify with the reluctant teen. I have 2 teenagers. One is ready to get up early and experience all that nature has to offer and other would prefer sleeping in and going to a 6 flags amusement park. One thing we have tried to do is plan a few activities that will appeal to each child. While there will be hikes, there will also be the excitement of a Pink Jeep tour and a Diamondbacks/Braves baseball game. Even though I would prefer being out in nature over a city, we will spend the last 2 nights in Phoenix.

Last summer, the reluctant one ended up having fun taking pictures in the Badlands NP, spotting grizzlies and wolves in Yellowstone and having fun hiking to Inspiration Point in the Tetons. This summer, one will reluctantly be dragged along on our hikes and end up having a good time, while the other can%26#39;t wait to round the next bend in the trail.

Good luck with your trip. I would bet that even if they act bored, a few years down the road they will appreciate the opportunities you are giving them.

Thanks for your support, if they can%26#39;t appreciate am all expenses paid (by mum and dad) trip of a lifetime them they will just have to settle to be bored with an MP3 player! I will check about the Tusayan shuttle as that might be a good option if they don%26#39;t want to stay for the sunset.

Actually there is more for them to do at the GC Village along the rim than they will find in Tusayan. The town of Tusayan is just a motel strip along the road outside of the park. Meanwhile there%26#39;s the Grand Canyon inside the park. They%26#39;ll have deer and elk wandering around them, condors flying over head, interactive visitor centers near Mather Point and also at Verkamps near the El Tovar hotel. The Kolb brothers photo studio and book store and Hopi House are all there. The mule barns and GC Railroad is nearby. It%26#39;s a much more active and interesting place than Tusayan, to be sure.

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