Late September/Early October

I realize this is quite a ways away, but I%26#39;m planning our return trip to Sedona/GCNP for the fall of 2009 and am curious if there%26#39;s really any difference (crowds, weather, etc.) between going the last week in Sept. vs. early Oct.? Any recommendations for either?

We%26#39;re planning on trying to get something at Phantom Ranch (and obviously hiking all the way into the canyon) if that makes any difference. I%26#39;d like to spend a total of 4 nights at GCNP South Rim and another 3-4 nights in Sedona.

Thanks!

Late September/Early October

Hello---I don%26#39;t know if there is much difference, weather- or crowd-wise, between late September and early October. but if Phantom Ranch is one of your goals, getting reservations there should be the determinative factor. Those weeks in late fall are prime rim-to-rim hiking season, and the Phantom reservation process, always highly competitive, is especially so then.

I suggest you try first for late September reservations at Phantom---call Xanterra on September 1. If you do not succeed, then you can try again for October on October 1. Once you have your Phantom reservations, you can plan the rest of your trip around that date.

Late September/Early October

Try for 2 nights at Phantom. It is like another world there.

Thanks for the tip-that%26#39;s what I%26#39;ll do (try in Sept., then in Oct. if it doesn%26#39;t work out). And yes, I want to try for 2 nights at Phantom Ranch with stays up at the South Rim on both sides of that stay.

Thanks again. :-)

Do you know the drill for getting the reservations? Call at 7:00 am (mountain time) on the first day of the month. If busy, hang up and dial again immediately. (Some people use speed dial and/or have 10 people trying). If you do connect, hang on and wait through the music and announcements. When you get through, it helps to have some alternative dates. If they only have one night, take it, and try again for dates in October. You can always cancel the first one.

One night at the rim before and after is what we do too. Good luck.

Sounds good! I%26#39;ve done a similar drill for snagging Cinderella%26#39;s table at the Magic Kingdom. :-) Thanks again for the tips!