• The Grand Canyon is popular, so I visited in February to avoid the busy summer months.

• Temperatures were brisk, but I still experienced the stunning views and trails of the national park.

• I loved the peaceful atmosphere, the empty roads and paths, and the offseason hotel pricing.

The Grand Canyon has always been on my travel bucket list, with its sweeping views that warp one's sense of distance, cliff faces that tower over rugged hiking trails, and buildings steeped with history.

But Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States, and it gets especially crowded in the summer months.

When my travel partner and I started planning a February trip to Arizona and Nevada to escape the cold northeast winter, I figured it would be the perfect time to visit the iconic landmark.

By visiting during the offseason, I was hoping to avoid crowds while still getting the Grand Canyon experience. Here's what I found.

The South Rim is the only part of the national park that's open during the winter months. We arrived on a Sunday and got into the park in minutes.

We had no problem finding a parking spot. The parking areas closest to the visitor center were mostly full, but lots further away had plenty of empty spaces.

There weren't a lot of people around the visitor-center area. I imagine that this space gets very busy in the summer.

The Grand Canyon gets snow in winter, but when we visited, it hadn't snowed for weeks. Still, I saw some areas roped off for snow storage.

We took a free shuttle to the trailhead of the South Kaibab Trail. There was plenty of room on the bus.

The trails can get icy in the winter and there were warning signs at each trailhead. We'd brought crampons to add traction to our shoes.

I was in awe as I caught my first glimpses of the Grand Canyon. I'd seen photos before, but the size and depth of the formations were jaw-dropping.

I knew daytime temperatures in the winter could drop below freezing, but we were lucky to have 55-degree Fahrenheit weather for our afternoon hike.

Some parts of the trail were wet and muddy, but others were completely dry. We only encountered a little bit of ice in a shaded area.

We passed people going in both directions on the trail, but it didn't feel busy at all. There were periods of up to 10 minutes where we didn't encounter anyone at all.

We turned around at a scenic point called Cedar Ridge, which was mostly empty, too.

After the hike, we tried to catch the sunset at a lookout point near the visitor center. But more clouds had rolled in, so we couldn't see much.