If you plan on taking a family vacation to the Grand Canyon, it may be a good idea to inquire about Grand Canyon cell phone coverage. There are a lot of things that you'll have on your mind before making the trip to Arizona's natural wonder and the last thing you'd want to have on your worry list is the ability to call home.
Grand Canyon Visitor's Guide
Before we get to discussing the Grand Canyon cell phone coverage, let's have a look at some of the other things that you may want to consider as you are planning the trip to this majestic national park.
The Grand Canyon is located in Northern Arizona, though many people who make the trip to Las Vegas may also make the day trip to visit the Grand Canyon. In addition to bus tours, visitors can rent a car and drive there too. Approximate drive time from either Las Vegas or Phoenix is about five hours. To get closer via plane, you can choos to take a short commuter flight to Flagstaff, Arizona. This is about 1.5 hours from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Some other general tips:
- Book your hotel ahead of time, as last-minute accommodation near the park can be very difficult to attain
- Entrance fees to Grand Canyon National Park are $25 per vehicle or $10 per person if arriving via motorcycle, bus, train, or foot
- Be sure to dress for the weather, checking reports in advance
- Check out the Grand Canyon Skywalk
- Always exercise caution and smart safety practices
How is Grand Canyon Cell Phone Coverage?
When you are shopping around for different providers, it makes sense for you to factor in their respective cell phone service areas. You want to make sure that you get an adequate and reliable signal while you are at home, as well as when you are at work or other places that you frequent.You may not be visiting Northern Arizona on a regular basis, but knowing the Grand Canyon cell phone coverage can be invaluable during your family vacation. Reading most of the reports from both visitors and agencies, it appears that cell phone coverage in the Grand Canyon is spotty at best and you really shouldn't expect to get much in terms of a consistent signal.
That said, looking at some cell phone provider comparisons, there are two cell networks that seem to perform better at the Grand Canyon.
Recommended Cellular Providers
While you may be tempted by the T-Mobile G1 or AT&T's Apple iPhone, if you want to have any cell signal at all at the Grand Canyon, you are largely restricted to Alltel Wireless and Verizon Wireless.
Those are the two main providers that serve the Grand Canyon area, but many visitors have commented that service can be very inconsistent. Some say that Alltel can provide reasonable service in the South Rim Village, whereas others say that Verizon service can depend on the handset.
For this reason, you shouldn't expect to get cell phone coverage in the Grand Canyon. If you do get a decent signal, consider yourself very lucky.
Alternative Forms of Communication
Since Grand Canyon cell phone coverage can result in occasional inconsistencies, it is for the best if you consider alternative forms of communication while visiting the National Park area.
For example, it may be best to provide your hotel phone number to family members in case they need to contact you. For your travel companions, invest in a set of walkie-talkies, as these do not require any cellular service to operate.
If your hotel has a proper broadband Internet connection, you may also consider a wireless network extender that takes advantage of that Internet connection, translating it a cellular signal that can be used with your regular handset. Of course, this will only work while you are at your hotel.
