Grand Canyon Activities

Grand canyon activities

It's a 277-mile long tour. A one-mile plunge. A never-ending river current. And acres and acres of Indian reservation. You plan your own adventure.

No matter what your heart desires to do, the numerous Grand Canyon activities will keep you going day in and day out. Consider it a privilege to be among the millions who set foot on one of the Seven Wonders of the World each year. Grand canyon activities could either be an ordeal or a revelation so make sure you prepare your backpack and you braze yourself.

Among the most popular Grand Canyon activities, and notably the most arduous, is hiking from the rim down to the Colorado River and back in one day. Many attempt this task but not everyone succeed. Every year, an average of 250 hikers gets rescued from the bottom of the canyon in attempting to complete it in a day. Surprisingly, among those rescued are able-bodied males between the ages 18 – 40.

The canyon also holds many secrets of the primordial past, which you can uncover yourself by going on a fossil-hunt on the south rim where the Kaibab formation is most prominent. Collecting fossils, however, is not allowed anywhere within the canyon but it's probably one of the Grand Canyon activities you and your family will find enjoyable and educational.

The Colorado River hosts its own type of Grand Canyon activities. Either go on white water rafting along the calm banks or rush your adrenaline on rocky portions of the river. Either way, you can stop over at the famed Phantom Ranch near the bottom of the gorge along Bright Angel Creek where you and your family can experience an overnight's sleep in a rustic 84-year-old facility. The phantom ranch is likewise accessible to backpackers and mule riders.

Bus tours from rim to rim and mule trips are available all year round. These Grand Canyon activities provide a great chance for visitors to view the canyon's grandiose formations in any direction. Mule trips and hiking let's visitors witness closely the different rock strata exposed on the walls of the canyon or be one with nature and its wildlife hovering in their natural habitat. There are rangers-led hikes, too.

You will have other reasons to bring along your binocular or telescope in the Grand Canyon. The remoteness of the Grand Canyon offers a perfectly dark night sky where stargazers can take a glimpse of the Milky Way belt and other celestial wonders.

Before you can engage in these Grand Canyon activities, however, make sure reservations have been made within months (and that could mean 13 months in advance). The world's biggest gorge is visited by around 4 million people each year so expect a tight competition.