Grand Canyon 2009 ? (1 Viewer)

Hello,

for spring of next near I have no really idea.
One possibility is
- fly to Las Vegas ( begin or middle of march )
- visit Grand Canyon
.
- no idea
.
- Salton Lake
- San Diego

I will use car and camping equippment.
A friend told me camping places are very busy in Grand Canyon and should booked long time before. How is the expirience, how long booking in advance are needed ?
Are there good birding spot recommended in Grand Canyon are and in direction to Salton Lake ?


Best regards
Dieter

I suggest you take a loop trip from Las Vegas. First south and west (don’t fail to stop at the Hoover Dam) to the spectacular Grand Canyon NP and its hoards of visitors. Even the trails are crowded there. If you don’t reserve a camping space well in advance, forget staying there. When you tire of the crowds, head north to one of the most beautiful parks in America, Zion, in Utah. It is likely to be less crowded, especially earlier in spring, and isn’t very far away. It will be cold, probably there will be some snow still in shaded spots. After a side trip to Bryce Canyon, head back south through St George (famous for its polygamist Mormon groups). Stop a bit at lake Mead and Valley of Fires State Park before you return to Las Vegas.

You might consider flying into Phoenix, Arizona instead of Las Vegas. You would see many Saguaro cactuses on your way north to the canyon, and could stay overnight in Sedona, a wealthy resort town with excellent grocery stores and bakeries to fill up your camping stores. There is a cheap campground just out of town, Oak Creek Canyon.

Grand Canyon

Hello Beeswing,

thank You very much for the informations.
I get some informations from a friend. He told me in early spring it could be warm or still cold.
So I doubt now that weather of Grand Canyon fixed to Salton lake.
Maybe start in Las Vegas and via Death Valley, Joshua Tree NP to Salton lake ?
Or fly to Phoenix and combine southern Arizona with southern California ?


Best regards
Dieter

I’m afraid I haven’t been to Death Valley, Joshua Tree or the Salton sea since I was a teenager—a very long time ago. Not sure I could give you anything useful on them.

I’ve not been birding in southeastern Arizona, but I think the normal time to go there to see Mexican species would be in summer. But I am not sure about that.

It would likely be sunny and mild in the day, and quite cold at night in northern Arizona in March.

I just got back from the Grand Canyon south rim-saw about 24 CA Condors in 3 days;
and a lot of black birds, crows, ravens.

edj

Hi Edwin

Very interested in your reports of so many Condors at Grand Canyon!

I may be going to las vegas for a few days in early to mid September, and if so will certainly try to do an overnight trip to GC specifically for this bird.

I would greatly welcome any advice you could offer for optimising my chances of seeing this bird - any particularly good viewpoints?, and special time of day? etc

Many thanks,

GRUFF

Went there last summer. You might want to take a look at my blog

http://huronriverbirding.blogspot.com/2008/11/trip-report-12-grand-canyon-june-july.html