A photographer’s dream and a poet’s delight, it only takes one glimpse to understand why Grand Canyon National Park is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Located entirely in northwestern Arizona , the Canyon, incised by the Colorado River , is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. Nestled within are numerous side canyons abundant with greenery, wildlife, waterfalls, raging rapids and calm, glassy pools.

The historic South Rim is open year-round while the more remote North Rim is closed in winter. The Canyon can be explored on foot, or mule, by raft or air. Hikes range from flat, easy rim hikes to rigorous multi-day backpack trips. For a narrated airborne journey, helicopter and airplane tours operate out of Grand Canyon Airport.

For white-knuckle fun in the Canyon, book a rafting trip; the rapids are some of the most exhilarating in the country. Outfitters use rubber inflatable rafts or wooden dories, feed passengers massive amounts of food, and offer hiking trips up beautiful side canyons. Raft trips last from one day to three weeks, depending on whether motors or oars are used. All but the Grand Canyon West trips on the Hualapai Reservation start from Lees Ferry near Page, although some trips offer the option of hiking in and joining midway at Phantom Ranch. One-day trips travel down Marble Canyon Gorge and back. Motorized trips typically take 6-8 days, while oar-powered trips last 2-3 weeks.

Mules carry riders into the depths of the Canyon to Plateau Point on 12-mile day trips or down to Phantom Ranch for overnight stays. Mule wranglers recount historical and geological tidbits during the descent. Grand Canyon National Park Lodges operates seven hotels within the park, including Phantom Ranch, the only noncamping lodging at the bottom of the canyon. Also located in Grand Canyon Village are Park Headquarters and many tourist facilities, including several restaurants, a bank, Post Office, and a general store.

A few miles south of the Canyon is Tusayan, which has a wide variety of lodging options, a general store, air and ground tours and the IMAX Theatre.

Additional Information:

Grand Canyon West / Hualapai Indian Reservation

Located between Grand Canyon National Park and Lake Mead, the nearly one-millionacre Hualapai Indian reservation along the West Rim offers one-day river rafting adventures and the only access to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by automobile.

Currently under construction is a glass walkway that will extend out 70 feet over the rim of the Grand Canyon , 4,000 feet in the air. The new Skywalk will be the highest manmade structure in the world, a sure-bet attraction.

The Hualapais also offer scenic bus tours with guides to remote overlooks and helicopter trips to the bottom of the Canyon. Rafts operate mid-March to late October. Restrooms, food, lodging, groceries, gas and camping are all available at Hualapai Lodge at Peach Springs.

Additional Information:

  • Hualapai Tribe: (888) 255-9550

Havasu Falls / Havasupai Indian Reservation

An eight-mile hike into Havasu Canyon rewards visitors with the Havasupai Indian Reservation, which features four major waterfalls (Navajo, Havasu, Mooney and Beaver) and many minor ones. The mighty roaring falls plunge into travertine pools surrounded by sand beaches. Restrooms, food, lodging and camping are available. Best seasons to visit include late spring, early summer, or early fall. Only use the main trail; side trails are closed to visitors and animals must be on a leash.

Additional Information:

Getting There

  • By Plane
    Commercial air carriers serve Phoenix , Flagstaff , and Grand Canyon Airport (in Tusayan, just south of the park).

  • By Car / Motorcoach
    Grand Canyon National Park (SOUTH RIM) is located 60 miles north of Interstate 40 at Williams via highway 64, and 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff via highway 180. Only ten miles from rim to rim as the crow flies, the North Rim is 215 miles (about 4 1/2 hours) from the South Rim by car. The north rim is 44 miles south of Jacob Lake, AZ, via Highway 67. Visitor services and facilities inside the national park on the North Rim are only open from mid-May through mid-October.

  • Public Transportation
    SOUTH RIM: Grand Canyon Coaches operates the Grand Canyon Eco-Shuttle between hotels and businesses in Tusayan and the Backcountry Information Center in Grand Canyon Village . Call (928) 638-0821 for prices and schedules.

    Shuttle service between Phoenix and Flagstaff , and between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Village is offered by Open Road Tours (800) 766-7117. Call for prices and schedules.

    Greyhound Bus Lines offers service from Flagstaff and Williams to points nationwide.

    Grand Canyon Railroad offers train service between Williams and the canyon, (800) THE-TRAIN.