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If you visit the Grand Canyon, you can do all sorts of fun things.
You can sit on a mule and ride from the rim to the bottom. You can paddle down the Colorado River on a raft. You can hike, bike, snowshoe, and cross-country ski. You can take a tour bus, a jeep tour, or an automobile tour. You can tour the canyon in an antique railroad car. Or you can even take a tourist flight and 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 so that 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 jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The reservation is centered around a village in Havasu Canyon, called Supai, which has four beautiful blue-green waterfalls. Many people photograph the 100-foot Havasu Falls. However, you can only get there on horseback, by foot, or in a helicopter. In 1919, the year the Grand Canyon became a national park, the Havasupai were only allowed to be on 518 acres. 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 park. It has 400 miles of trails down both rims of the canyon. Maps tell you which routes are easiest, toughest, shortest, longest, flattest, and hilliest. They also show the paths that are closest to water, and most scenic. If you hike into desert areas, bring plenty of water and protection from the elements. It can mean the difference between life and death.
◀ Mule-riding is one of the most popular ways to explore the canyon. One of these sure-footed creatures can be your companion for a full day. They’ll stay overnight too. You can rest your weary bones at the Bright Angel campground at the bottom of the canyon.
▲ Do you like mountain biking? Take to the hills on some of the canyon’s trails, where steep slopes challenge even the most experienced bikers.
▲ In the winter, the North Rim is perfect for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Both offer great exercise and the chance to enjoy the beauty in peace and quiet.
◀ Fishing is another popular pastime in the canyon. You can catch many fish, especially the large rainbow trout, which is one of the most plentiful.
▲ 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 raft, dory, or kayak with no motor, the trip takes 12 to 21 days. There are over 150 rapids, and 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 that can’t be reached from the rim.
