If you’re the active type or want more of an educational experience, consider a trip with the Grand Canyon Field Institute (www.grandcanyon.org/classes-tours; 866/471-4435 or 928/638-2485). Co-sponsored by Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Association, the Field Institute schedules a wide variety of guided educational trips, such as challenging backpacking trips through the canyon (some for women only) and programs lasting anywhere from a day to more than a week. Subjects covered include wilderness studies, geology, natural history, human history, photography, and art.
Jeep Tours
To explore parts of Grand Canyon National Park that most visitors never see, contact Grand Canyon Jeep Tours & Safaris (www.grandcanyonjeeptours.com; 800/320-5337 or 928/638-5337), which offers three different tours visiting the park and the adjacent Kaibab National Forest. Prices range from $79 to $95 for adults and $69 to $80 for children.
Rafting the Colorado River
Ever since John Wesley Powell proved it was possible to travel by boat down the tumultuous Colorado, running the big river has beckoned adventurers. Today, anyone from grade-schoolers to grandmothers can join the ranks of those who’ve made the run. However, be prepared for some of the most furious white water in the world.
Numerous companies offer trips through various sections of the canyon. You can spend as little as half a day on the Colorado (downstream from Glen Canyon Dam; p. 325) or more than 2 weeks. You can go down the river in a huge motorized rubber raft (the quickest and noisiest way to see the entire canyon), a paddle- or oar-powered raft (more thrills and, if you have to help paddle, more of a workout), or a wooden dory (the biggest thrill of all). In a motorized raft, you can travel from Lees Ferry to Lake Mead in 8 days; if you opt for a dory or an oar- or paddle-powered raft, expect to spend 5 to 6 days getting from Lees Ferry to Phantom Ranch, or 7 to 9 days from Phantom Ranch to Diamond Creek, just above Lake Mead. You can also hike in or out of Phantom Ranch for a combination rafting-and-hiking adventure. Aside from the half-day trips near Glen Canyon Dam, any Grand Canyon rafting trip will involve lots of monster rapids.
Most trips start from Lees Ferry near Page and Lake Powell. The main rafting season is April through October, but some companies operate year-round. Rafting trips tend to book up more than a year in advance; some companies begin taking reservations as early as January for the following year’s trips. A few rafting trips charge as little as $250 per day, but most fall in the $300 to $350 per day range; rates depend on the length of the trip and the type of boat used.
The following companies are well established in guiding visitors down the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon:
Arizona Raft Adventures, 4050 E. Huntington Rd., Flagstaff (www.azraft.com; 800/786-7238 or 928/526-8200); 6- to 16-day motor, oar, and paddle trips. Although this is not one of the larger companies operating on the river, it offers lots of different trips, including some focusing on natural history and others that double as yoga workshops. They also do trips in paddle rafts that allow you to help navigate and provide the power while shooting the canyon’s rapids.
Canyoneers, P.O. Box 2997, Flagstaff (www.canyoneers.com; 800/525-0924 or 928/526-0924); 3- to 10-day motorized-raft trips and 6- to 14-day oar-powered trips. Way back in 1938, this was the first company to take paying customers down the Colorado, and Canyoneers is still one of the top companies on the river.
Grand Canyon Expeditions Company, P.O. Box O, Kanab, Utah (www.gcex.com; 800/544-2691 or 435/644-2691); 8- and 9-day motorized trips and 14- and 16-day dory trips. If you’ve got the time, these dory trips are a fine homage to John Wesley Powell’s expedition 150 years ago; they’re among the most thrilling adventures in the world.
Grand Canyon Whitewater, 1000 N. Humphreys St. Suite 202, Flagstaff (www.grandcanyonwhitewater.com; 800/343-3121 or 928/779-2979); 4- to 8-day motorized-raft trips and 5- to 13-day oar trips.
Hatch River Expeditions, 5348 E. Burris Lane, Flagstaff (www.hatchriverexpeditions.com; 800/856-8966 or 928/526-4700); 4- to 8-day motorized trips and 6-, 7-, and 12-day oar trips. All of this company’s trips, except their upper-canyon expedition, end with a helicopter flight out of the canyon. In business since 1929, Hatch River claims to be the oldest commercial rafting company in the U.S. With so much experience, you can count on Hatch to provide a great trip.
Outdoors Unlimited, 6900 Townsend Winona Rd., Flagstaff (www.outdoorsunlimited.com; 800/637-7238); 5- to 15-day oar and paddle trips. This company has been taking people through the canyon for more than 40 years and usually sends them home very happy.
Wilderness River Adventures, P.O. Box 717, Page (www.riveradventures.com; 800/992-8022); 3- to 8-day motorized-raft trips and 5- to 14-day oar trips. The 4-day trips (actually 3½ days) involve hiking out from Phantom Ranch. This is one of the bigger companies operating on the canyon, offering a wide variety of trips—it’s a good place to start if you’re not sure what type of trip you want to do.
For information on 1-day rafting trips at the west end of the Grand Canyon, see p. 280. For information on half-day trips near Page, see p. 330.
Attractions Outside the Canyon
In Tusayan, outside the south entrance to the park, the National Geographic Visitor Center, 450 Ariz. 64 (www.explorethecanyon.com; 928/638-2468) shows a 34-minute IMAX film covering the history and geology of the canyon throughout the day on a six-story screen. Admission is $13.59, $12.50 seniors and military, and $10.33 for children. March to October, there are shows daily 8:30am to 8:30pm; November to February, shows are daily between 10:30am and 6:30pm. The visitor center also
Grand Canyon Field Institute
