Internet can provide what you need to know to visit the Grand C

What, you haven't been to the Grand Canyon yet?

Just a few Web sites will show what you've been missing, and help you find most of what you need to plan your visit.

When you drive in from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix or Albuquerque, you can ditch the car at Williams and take the Grand Canyon Railway -- www.thetrain.com/ -- to spend the last 50-odd miles concentrating on the scenery instead of traffic. When you arrive, the canyon's South Rim and the landmark El Tovar Hotel are just a short walk from the station.

Whether you drive or ride the train, you need to consult Grand Canyon National Park -- www.nps.gov/grca/index. htm -- for maps and basics. Then click on inDepth for more information and a library of scenic and historic photos (look for General Photos and dig the 1914 shot of a car on the rim).

Click on Trip Planning for information on hiking, camping and backcountry treks, and the weather (the South Rim's elevation is 7,000 feet).

Read through the privately run Grand Canyon National Park Web site -- www.grand. canyon.national-park.com/ -- for even more information, including history and geology and hiking. And Grand Canyon Explorer -- www. kaibab.org/ -- has tour guides, visitors information and, under Learn More, a set of links to volumes of photos.

Interested in some serious hiking? Check out Grand Canyon Treks -- www.grandcanyontreks.org/ -- for detailed information on trails and climbing.

A breathtaking setting requires breathtaking music. Try to take in this summer's Grand Canyon Music Festival -- www.grandcanyonmusicfest.org/ -- although the schedule isn't available yet. While you're at it, glance at the festival's spectacular posters.

If you can make reservations well in advance, you can stay inside the park at Grand Canyon Lodges -- www. grandcanyonlodges.com/ -- including the century-old El Tovar.