November is a good time to hike in the canyon, since you avoid the heat and crowds of summer and winter snow (and thus icy trails) have probably not really started yet. Note that if you are planning on spending any nights below the rim, you will need permits (see below).
HIKING AND BACKPACKING
You asked about hiking, so I will start with that:
Grand Canyon National Park is a hikers paradice and there are many trails, but some are much easier and well-maintained than others. Almost all involve significant elevation change and some rough ground. The most commonly used (and best maintained) trails are those in the vicinity of the lodges (this part of the canyon is called the Central Corridor):
South Kaibab Trail - Runs from near Yaqui Point (just east of lodges) to Phantom Ranch at the bottom in 6.9 miles. The trail is steep, but well-maintained. It follows a ridgeline sticking out into the canyon, so views are incredible the entire way. This is probably my favorite trail. Be warned, there is NO water along the entire route (more of an issue in summer). There is an early morning express shuttle from near El Tovar lodge to the trailhead (leaves 7 and 8AM).
Bright Angel Trail - Runs from near Bright Angel Lodge to Phantom Ranch in 9.4 miles with a stop at Indian Gardens campground (on the Tonto Plateau) at 4.6 miles. This is probably the most famous trail in the canyon. There is water and a ranger station at Indian Gardens.
At Phantom Ranch (near the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon) there are dorm rooms, cabins, and a campground for backpackers. Cabin and dorm rooms require reservations months in advance and you may have a hard time now unless you get lucky with cancellations. The campground requires you to mail or fax a permit request at least 3 weeks in advance. However, the backcountry office at the canyon (near Maswik lodge) will also distribute left over permits for the NEXT day to the FIRST people to show up there in the morning (they open at 8AM). This is what I often do for last minute trips.
A popular trip, is to backpack down South Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch and hike back out Bright Angel trail (possibily with an overnight stop at Indian Gardens). Note that if you are planning on backpacking to the bottom and staying the night, you will need to have your own backpacking gear (pack, sleepingbag, tent, etc). You can't rent these at the canyon, although there are places in Flagstaff and Phoenix that rent backpacking gear. Also, if you can't get dinner reservations at the Phantom Ranch dining hall, you will need your own food and cookstove (no fires at the bottom).
If you are not able to get permits to stay at the bottom, there are still other backpacking trips that you can do inside the canyon (which are easier to get permits for). This includes just going down to Indian Gardens and back (if you stay two nights, you could go down to the bottom and back as a long day trip from Indian Gardens). You could also go 3 miles down Grandview Trail and spend the night on Horseshoe Mesa which has old mining ruins (warning: this is a very rough steep trail and there is no water on the mesa itself).
If you do not want to backpack or can't get permits, there are still plenty of nice day-hiking options. Going down South Kaibab as far as Cedar Ridge (1.4 miles) is pretty easy and will give you some nice views and a good sense of being in the canyon. Taking the Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs (3.2 miles) is also a nice day hike (the trail starts near Hermit's Rest to the west of the lodges). Lastly, taking the Grandview trail to Horseshoe Mesa and back can also be done as a very long and tough day hike.
While it is possible to go all the way to the river (Phantom Ranch) and back in one day, it is not recommended by the park service for good reason. It is do-able if you are prepared and in really good cardio-vascular hiking shape, but I still would not recommend it for your first time at the canyon because the canyon is different than anywhere else and you are never quite sure how your body is going to handle it.
MULES
Lastly, if you don't want to hike at all, you can still go down into the canyon as part of a mule ride. There are trips that go half way down to Indian Gardens and also all the way to Phantom Ranch (must have overnight reservations for that). Mule ride reservations can be made through Bright Angel Lodge and often need to be made a long time in advance.
WEATHER
Unless there is a storm going through, days on the rim and upper canyon will be cool (50s f) and nights will be downright cold (below freezing). At the bottom, days will be warm (60s f) and nights cool (40s f). You probably won't get any significant stormstorms this time of year, but you should be prepared for one anyways (ie: warm clothes and some waterproof layer). Having either instep-crampons or 'Yaktraks' in case the trails get icy is a good idea.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
There are a number of lodges in the park itself (ran by Xanterra) and this is definitely the place to stay in the canyon, since all are nice and near the rim. The oldest, grandest, most famous (and also most expensive) is the 1905 El Tovar. Bright Angel Lodge is the cheapest (some have shared baths) and Maswick is the best combination of price, room comfort and good parking. You can make reservations online, but be warned it will be hard to get room if you are going this November.
If you can't get a lodge in the park, there are a number of chain hotels just outside the park bounds at the little tourist community of Tuysan and in Flagstaff (a little over an hour away) there is a broad range of hotels, lodges, restuarants and stores.
POINTS OF INTEREST AT THE CANYON
The biggest attraction is the scenic beauty and sheer size of the canyon. I think this is best experienced by hiking into it a ways, but even sitting on the rim (especially at sunrise or sunset or during a storm) is rewarding. Aside from the area around the lodges, other nice overlooks are at Yavapai Point (can see the river) and Yaqui Point. There are also many old historic building at the canyon, many of which were built by famous Santa Fe Railroad architect Mary Jane Colter. These include the 1905 Hopi House curio shop (shaped like an indian pueblo), Hermits Rest, and Desert View Watchtower.
Just outside the park at Tusyan is a large screen IMAX theater that usually has canyon-related shows. You can also take a train ride to the canyon from the town of Williams (near Flagstaff) which is fun and interesting.
One of the most famous and interesting aspects of the canyon is its unique geology and animal life. The geology is particuarly interesting since there are few places on earth where so many different rock layers are exposed. Most Grand Canyon rocks date to Paleozoic and late Proterozic periods before the age of dinosaurs. In many places along the trails, you can view fossils or other interesting formations.
POINTS OF INTEREST NEAR-BY
Flagstaff is an interesting historic Route 66 town with an old historic downtown of cafes and shops. Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered in 1930) has a nice museum. The Museum of Northern Arizona (just north of town) is also worth visiting. Northeast of Flagstaff (along AZ89 to Page) is Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monuments. One is a dormant volcanic field and the other is a prehistoric indian ruin.
About an hour south of Flagstaff (toward Phoenix) is Oak Creek and Sedona with the famous red rocks (and many art galleries, resorts, etc). Nearby is the old historic copper mining town of Jerome as well as prehistoric indian ruins at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigood.
A note about package tours to the canyon... these are not a bad idea if you only want to spend one day there and need them to provide the transportation. But if you are planning on staying a few days and will have your own car, going by yourself will give you more freedom and a better sense of solitude and contemplation when enjoying the canyon. This is especially true if you are planning on doing a lot of hiking and backpacking, which most tours don't support (and would cost you a bundle if they did).
Have fun!Grand Canyob, Arizona. How can I do the descending and the ascending hiking trail? Where? How long? Season?
For all this information and more on the Grand Canyon :
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What to Do at the Grand Canyon
Hotels %26amp; Lodging
Restaurants
Photos
FAQs %26amp; Resources
Grand Canyon News
Area Weather
Web Cam
See the amazing live views of the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon Calendar
Review of upcoming events in the Grand Canyon area
Maps %26amp; Directions
We get you there. Find the quickest or most scenic routes.
http://www.thecanyon.com/
For weather keep an eye on this link (both links have weather information, but this is more reliable:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/i鈥?/a>
For information regarding the possibility of working at the canyon, this is the link to the National Park Service:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/grandcan鈥?/a>
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