Winter is well on its way out here in the Southwest. Thus if you plan to take a Grand Canyon helicopter tour anytime soon, make sure you bundle up. For the most part, days are clear and crisp, but at times it can be downright cold.

\”Cold\” is a relative term. Out here in Arizona and Nevada, we\’re talking comfortable daytime highs that hit the 60\’s. Sometimes it freezes at dawn, but it\’s more the exception than the rule.

Having said that, I urge you not to drop your guard. If you are headed over to the South Rim from Las Vegas, do yourself a favor and don\’t come in shorts and sandals. I\’ve seen people arrive like that and all it\’s going to do is cut into the \”enjoyablity\” of your trip.

Instead, heed what your read when it comes to 10-day weather forecasts, and error on the conservative side of things. Even though helicopters can maintain a nice, toasty in-cabin temperature, I still say be prepared.

How prepared is dependent on the rim you visit. The West Rim, which is closest to Las Vegas, is warmer than the South Rim, which is furthest from Las Vegas (it sits at an average elevation of 7,000 feet and can be subject to snow).

Bottom line is pack for comfort. Me, I\’m usually showing up in layers. That means a t-shirt, a sweater and a light or middleweight jacket depending on the rim I\’m going to visit that day. I\’m also bringing gloves, a hat, sunglasses and lip balm. If I\’m feeling functionally stylish, the scarf is coming with me.

Earlier I mentioned sandals. That might work for you in Las Vegas (barely), but you just might rue the day when you check in and make the trek to the helicopter that will fly you to the National Park. The real moment, however, comes when you land and exit the aircraft, which will be either the bottom or top of the West Rim.

Relatedly, you should know that Las Vegas helicopters don\’t fly to the South Rim. It\’s just too far. Thus you have two options: Bus or airplane. The bus takes 5.5 hours to get there. The airplane takes all of 60 minutes. I think you can probably tell which option I\’m going with (the airplane).

Now, like helicopters, airplanes are climate controlled, too. Not as toasty, but comfortable. It\’s when you deplane at Tusayan, home of Grand Canyon National Park Airport, that you suck it up and enter a climate that\’s nothing like Vegas\’. And it\’s here where I recommend you consider packing a nice, tidy pair of pull-on ice cleats, as there could be ice at some of the major lookouts.

As an aside, I was at Mather Point (South Rim) last year. There was ice entering the lookout and actually on it. The National Park Service folks put salt on the ice and it works but for peace of mind, well, let me tell you, I was happy as a clam that I had my cleats with me. I was walking about as if I was barefoot on a sandy beach. Not my greatest analogy but I hope you\’ll humor me – I mean well.

I hope I gave you some idea of what to expect when taking a helicopter tour to the Grand Canyon. Please remember that the West Rim is much different than the South. The former is cold and windier (bring a windbreaker) and the later is much cooler and there\’s always a possibility that there might be some snow on the ground. As for taking a heli, good decision. These aircraft are an excellent way to get up close and personal with the canyon, and I\’m confident you\’ll feel as enthusiastic about them as I do after you are back on terra firma.

Ready to fly? The author recommends going here for Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon and here for the latest canyon flight deals: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Ready to fly? The author recommends going here for Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon and here for the latest canyon flight deals: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Author Bio: Ready to fly? The author recommends going here for Las Vegas helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon and here for the latest canyon flight deals: http://www.grandcanyonhelicopters.org/hot-deals

Category: Travel
Keywords: Las Vegas helicopter