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At the Grand Canyon, you can do a lot of fun things.
You can ride a mule from the rim to the bottom. You can paddle a raft down the Colorado River. There are places to hike, bike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski. You can take a tour bus or a jeep tour. You can also tour the canyon in an antique railroad car! You can even take a tourist flight. Sit back and enjoy the views as you learn about the canyon.
▲ The 440-foot-long Kaibab Bridge seems to stitch the sides of the canyon like a thread. Its floor is solid, not slats. That’s so mules won’t look down and refuse to cross. Mules get scared, too.
◀ No matter how you get there, you must take a trip to the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It’s in a remote area, outside the National Park Service’s control. The reservation is centered around a village in Havasu Canyon. It’s called Supai, and it has four beautiful blue-green waterfalls. Many people photograph the 100-foot Havasu Falls. However, you can only get there by horseback, on foot, or in a helicopter. In 1919, the Grand Canyon became a national park. The Havasupai were only allowed to be on 518 acres then. In the 1970s, the government gave back 188,077 acres of their land. The tribe’s population is around 640.
▲ Hiking is one of the best ways to see the canyon. Choose from 400 miles of trails that go down from both rims. Maps tell you which routes are easy, hard, short, long, flat, and hilly. They also show which paths are closest to water, and which are most scenic. You can choose the kind of path you like! If you hike into desert areas, bring lots of water and protection from the weather. It can mean the difference between life and death.
◀ Mule-riding is a popular way to explore the canyon. One of these sure-footed creatures can be with you for a full day. They’ll stay overnight too. You can rest at the Bright Angel campground at the bottom of the canyon.
▲ Do you like mountain biking? Try riding in the hills on some of the canyon’s trails. The steep slopes are a challenge for even the best bikers.
▲ In the winter, the North Rim is the place for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Both are great exercise. They also let you enjoy the beauty in peace and quiet.
◀ Fishing is popular in the canyon. Large rainbow trout are among the most plentiful fish there.
▲ You can also take a white-water-rafting trip down the Colorado River. More than 23,000 people do that each year. At night, you sleep in tents or out under the stars. On a boat with no motor, the trip takes between 12 and 21 days. There are over 150 rapids along the way. Many of them are class IV and V. That means they’re some of the hardest ones. Also, you can take side trips. Some include hikes to ancient ruins and hidden waterfalls you can’t reach from the rim.
