Arizona's Grand Canyon is one of the world's most magnificent places. I firmly believe that everyone should go there at least once in his or her life. But I also believe that after you've been there once, you'll want to go back again and again - maybe during a different season.

Here are some suggestions for what you should wear during a Grand Canyon trip to the West Rim or the South Rim during summer or winter. There are some pretty drastic seasonal climate changes and noticeable differences between the climate at the two rims themselves, so base your clothing on the rim you're visiting and the time of year you'll be there.

General Considerations

Summer is high tourist season at both rims of the canyon. The crowds are much smaller during winter, but the sights are every bit as terrific. The West Rim is much closer to Las Vegas than the South Rim, and it gets a lot of travelers coming from Sin City. It's also at a lower altitude (slightly over 3,600 feet) than the South Rim (around 7,000 feet), so its climate is warmer during summer and winter.

West Rim

The West Rim (also called Grand Canyon West) is the place to go if you're looking for excitement and adventure during your Grand Canyon trip. Whether you go in summer or winter, that's where you'll find the fabulous Grand Canyon Skywalk, helicopter rides down to the bottom of the canyon, smooth-water rafting trips and other thrills.

For a summer West Rim Grand Canyon trip, you'll want to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a wide-brimmed hat or cap to keep the sun out of your eyes, socks, and sturdy shoes or boots. Consider bringing a light windbreaker just in case.

Wintertime visitors should wear long pants, warm socks, a sweater under a medium-weight jacket, a warm hat and gloves, and sturdy, thick-soled shoes or boots. No matter what time of year you take your Grand Canyon trip, make sure you bring sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen (that goes for South Rim as well as West Rim trips).

South Rim

Many people consider the South Rim to be the "real" Grand Canyon because of its spectacular natural beauty and picturesque scenery. That's also where you'll be able to stroll through Grand Canyon Village or catch an exhilarating 'copter ride through Dragoon Corridor, the canyon's widest, deepest area.

Summertime South Rim visitors can wear basically the same type of clothing that I suggested for summer visitors at the West Rim - long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, a wide-brimmed hat or cap, socks and sturdy shoes or boots. Because of this rim's higher altitude and cooler temps, I recommend bringing a light windbreaker.

Winters at the South Rim are definitely colder than at the West Rim. Snow is fairly common and the weather can be blustery. Wear a heavy parka, a warm sweater and pants, insulated gloves, a scarf and a warm hat (preferably one that covers your ears). Make sure you also wear shoes or boots with soles that will help prevent you from slipping on icy areas as you're walking around - the Rim Trail and some of the lookout points can get a bit dicey during the winter.

Reservations

Visitors go to the Grand Canyon all times and all seasons of the year. Indeed, winter is what people in the travel industry call the "low season," but don't let that lull you into the sense that you can delay your booking until last minute. The reasons for this are:

• Tour operators reduce the number of trips. It's the old game of supply and demand, and suppliers know it very well. In fact, they've got it down to the point where they cut daily trips until the ones that are available are full.
• Helicopters only hold six people. This limitation exacerbates what's available in winter as a good percentage of choppers are grounded until spring.
• Airplanes max out at 19 people. Just like helicopters, airplanes have a low maximum occupancy. There are also fewer planes in the sky, too.
• Rafting tours are unavailable from November through March. The lack of these trips during this period escalates demand until they begin selling out weeks at a time.

My rule of thumb is to book canyon trips at least a week or two in advance. The latest I would do it is 72 hours prior to departure, but I think even that's foolhardy. I'm totally against same-day bookings, and I advise friends, family and readers against them for the following reasons:

• You won't get the tour you want
• You won't get the time you want
• You'll pay more (a lot more!)

Best Deals

I get lots of email and phone calls about how to get the best deals on tours. Typically, it's from someone who's spent hours scouring the Internet trying to shave a few bucks off a shifty promotional. In the end, and I know this from experience, these good people end up throwing in the towel and purchasing said "mystery" trip for a few dollars under retail. It's a shame because if you follow these steps you'll get a price you can feel good about:

• Buy online. Avoid calling the a websites #800 as it's basically a direct line to a sales team that's working on commission
• Buy direct from the tour supplier. These are the companies that own and operate the tours and have the authority to set any price they want.
• Don't purchase from "big box" tour brokers. I'm specifically referring to Trip Advisor, Travelocity and Priceline. There's also a whole bunch of middle-tier brokers that you need to avoid as well.
• Do complete your reservation using the online booking form. This means paying for your tour with a credit card and hitting the submit button. I can't understate how important this is. Doing it effectively locks you into the Internet discount that nobody can contest upon check-in.

Wrap Up!

The bottom line is that both rims are beautiful no matter when you time your Grand Canyon trip. Just make sure your clothing is appropriate for the season and the particular rim you're visiting. Oh . bring extra water too! By all means, make sure you book well ahead of time. Then follow that you follow that up with the 4 steps I listed to get the best online price. Now you're officially ready to visit Grand Canyon National Park ;-)

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Make It a Grand Day!