double click5 Reasons to Choose April for Grand Canyon Rafting - especially as a Photographer

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5 Reasons to Choose April for Your Grand Canyon Rafting Trip - Especially if You Love Photography


The best time of year to raft the Grand Canyon may depend on the lens you’re looking through. (See what I did there?)

Photographers are picky. Cacti are prickly.

But cacti display their true colors in the early season, and photographers love it. Greener slopes and cacti in bloom, which fill an entire wide-angle lens, are only ONE reason to love Grand Canyon rafting in April. Here are four MORE reasons why you should not overlook April trips—even if you’re still snapping the scenery with your trusty iPhone 7:

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1. Better Timed “Golden Hours”

In April, golden hours come later in the morning and earlier in the evening. This means you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the light cascading down the cracks of the canyon walls. In the evening, there’s time to relax after the final rays illuminate the cliffs. Want to photograph the night sky? Stars come out early in the early season. On a Grand Canyon trip in June, it’s often “go, go, go” out of camp because shady campsites quickly transform into hot, sandy desert islands.

Grand Canyon Upper Camp Grapevine

2. Hiking Temperatures Are Primo in Primavera

When you realize that the bottom of the Grand Canyon is part Sonoran and Mojave Desert (think Death Valley), suddenly hiking in April instead of June or July seems like a genius move. For June and July hikers, the cool Colorado River offers respite, but April hikers enjoy comfortably mild temperatures without the scorching heat.

Grand Canyon Upper Nakoweap Granaries Cf

3. Fewer Crowds for Better Photos and Experiences

April trips benefit from fewer crowds, enhancing both your photos and your journey. During peak-season months like June and July, popular waterfalls and pull-ins can become bumper-to-bumper with boats. In April, you’ll find more space to enjoy the stunning scenery and the serenity of the canyon.

Grand Canyon Upper Little Colorado Hikers 2 Cf

4. Campfire Delight

The magical glow of a warm campfire is an early-season exclusive. April evenings can be chilly, but that’s where your fleece jacket, skull cap, and socks come in handy. Hot coffee tastes even better, and the campfire becomes a delightful centerpiece of the evening. While the weather can vary in any month of the year, preparation is key to expanding your comfort zone. Splash jackets are great for riding the front tubes of the J-Rig!

Grand Canyon Upper Grapevine Campfire Cf

5. Green, Yellow, Pink, Red… and Blue Skies

April trips are all about vibrant colors. Green slopes, blooming cacti, and blue skies, possibly sprinkled with April showers, create a palette photographers dream of. It’s a feast for the eyes and the camera lens, offering a unique vibrancy that’s only available in April.

Gary Hart Grandcanyon Rainbow

Conclusion

There’s only one time of year when all these factors align on a Grand Canyon trip—and photographers can’t seem to get enough of it. But you don’t have to be a shutterbug to enjoy the canyon in the early season. In fact, you’re encouraged to step away from the viewfinder and take it all in. After all, who needs a “view finder” in a place like the Grand Canyon? The view has been found. Come enjoy it at the only time of year it looks like this.

Reserve your April rafting trip today and discover the magic of this extraordinary season!

Kam Wixom
Kam began guiding in the Grand Canyon in 1991, met & guided with his wife in 2000, and is the proud daddy of 5 kids. He now works as the Marketing Director for Western River Expeditions.
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