If you get to Mather Point early in the morning or during the off season you can park within 100 feet of the canyon viewing area. You can really enjoy Mather point in a few hours or spend all day. I've done both. The visitor center is across the street and is an easy walk from the parking area.

$20 fee per person to walk in, bus in, bike in, boat in. $35 per car to drive in. Parking is free. Plenty of parking. There are free days, see their site.

A friend of mine back east threatened to "kick my butt" if I spent three months in AZ and didn't go see the Grand Canyon. So I took off long before sunrise, driving 5 hrs to get there early in the morning. It was SOOO worth it. OH My GOD YES. It is one of the most beautiful natural wonders I have seen. Mt. McKinley/Denali right there with it. Put up with the drive and GO. I've been to Mather Point and Desert view and all the stops between. Then did it all over again about a month later. Loved both trips. Hope to visit again someday.

Desert view Tower is worth seeing and easy to get to. Good for a short visit. The Mather Point area is a great place to spend an entire day.. In addition to the canyon views, the visitor center museum is very good as is the Village. There are reasonable priced restaurants and a supermarket. Very family friendly and reasonable if you are on a tight budget. You can get groceries and pick-nick. I went for two days and never paid for a tour. At one point there was a ranger giving a history talk, but it wasn't a paid for tour. I listened and got to ask questions. He had some great rescue stories. People do fall in. Watch the kids. Many places don't have railings, it is a mile deep. Don't get too close to the larger wild animals.

Winter is my favorite time to camp. NO Bugs, snakes, less crowds, less bears etc. I bought a great 0 Deg. Colman Sleeping bag at Walmart while in AZ, I've used it into the 20's and have always been comfortable. Use a good ground pad. The cold ground will pull heat from you. Your tent should be able to handle wind and possible snow. I've had tents get mostly buried in snow and it's very cozy. Snow is an insulator and blocks the wind. Most cheap tents are made for summer camping, if that's all you've got cover it in a light weight tarp and stake that down well. Will block wind, protect from snow and add a bit of insulation. There will be air trapped between the tent and the tarp. Have good warm cloths for when you are not in your sleeping bag. If you're married get sleeping bags that zip together,(share body heat). A very old trick is to make a "mattress" out of pine needles. The last time I did this, I made a pile of long pine needles about the size of a single mattress and wrapped it in a cheap space blanket. Put my bag on top and got a great night sleep. You can spread a few inches deep of needles and put your tent on it. This can help with rocky ground or if there tree roots everywhere. Eat hot food and drink hot beverages. The more fat the better, it helps you produce body heat(camping is not dieting time). Go light on the alcohol, it sends the blood to your skin which can make you loose body heat. You also want your wits about when winter camping. I believe most of the Grand canyon south rim campgrounds are open year round and if you just can't get warm enough you can probably get a good deal on a hotel room, as it's not peak season. Have fun.

You can tour on your own. But the hotel reception desk may be able to help with a local company