The Grand Canyon

There are many ways to enjoy the Grand Canyon.  There are bus tours, train tours, plane tours, helicopter tours, whitewater rafting, hiking, and mule trips, among others.  What you do at the Canyon depends on the time of year you visit, your budget, the duration of your visit and amount of pre-planning you are able to do.  The more time you have to plan your trip the greater your rewards at the Canyon.   Many of the Canyon’s adventures sell out over a year in advance so reservations are recommended.

The Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring.  Photos simple don’t do it justice.  Unless you’re standing at the rim it is difficult to imagine the vastness and beauty of the Canyon.  The Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and 5000 feet deep.  It has been forming for an estimated 6 million years due to the gradual erosion from the Colorado River.

Two of the most famous and adventurous activities in the Canyon are the whitewater rafting trips and the mule trips.  The rafting trips are either commercial or noncommercial.  If you want to raft on a private (noncommercial) trip you’ll have to get a permit.  Permits are distributed for short duration trips one year in advance on a first- come, first- served basis.  Longer trip permits (12-25 days) are distributed through a weighted lottery system. 

Commercial trips are professionally guided trips that also sell out early.  The excursions (which usually  sell-out one to two years in advance) are anywhere from 3 to 18 days in length.  The benefit of a commercial trip is the experience of the guides, as well as, having a preplanned campsite and catered meals.  The half-day and full-day trips require shorter notice and can often be booked a month or two in advance of your visit.

The classic mule trip is synonymous with adventure in the Grand Canyon.  You can enjoy a mule trip on either the South or the North Rim.  The South Rim mule trips run year around, and can be booked up to 13 months in advance (a wait list is maintained for cancellations).  You can partake in a one day (7 hour) ride that departs daily from Stone Corral at the head of Bright Angel Trail.  The cost is approximately $160 and includes a box lunch.  The overnight trip runs approximately $475 and includes meals and a night at Phantom Ranch.

The North Rim mule trips are offered from mid-May to mid-October.  These trips begin with one-hour excursions for children 7-years-old and up (approximately $40) and extend to one day rides to the Roaring Springs on the North Kaibab Trail.   This trip has a 12-year-old age requirement and costs approximately $165 per person.  There is also a weight limit that applies on these trips which varies from 200 lbs. to 220 lbs.

Regardless of your choice of adventure be sure to take your camera.  There are breathtaking views in every directions and an abundance of wildlife.  A trip to the Grand Canyon is a wonderful excursion for the entire family or for extreme adventurers.  Accommodation choices range from tents to the luxurious and historic, El Tovar (see, Retreat to Relaxation).  But again, things book fast at the Canyon so you’ll want to make reservations in advance.    More information can be found at Xanterra Parks and Resorts, tel., 888-297-2757.  Please tell us your story and send us a photo when you visit.  We love to hear from you.