One of the best parts about going on a vacation is the chance to get to experience something that the vacationer has never seen before. Travelers in the United States are very lucky in that there are a number of fabulous and worthwhile attractions and places to go that are very easy to access. One of the most beautiful and interesting natural places to visit in America is the Grand Canyon, located in Arizona.
The Grand Canyon is an enormous network of canyons and cliffs that was carved out of the Arizona desert by the Colorado River. The canyon is over 275 miles long and is as narrow as four miles in some places, and eighteen miles across at its widest point. The canyon was a special place to Native Americans who resided in the area and there is evidence of some settlements actually on the canyon floor. Early explorers and settlers also were attracted to the beauty of the canyon and found it hard to put what they saw there into words. The Grand Canyon can be reached from a number of different locations including Tucson and Phoenix to the south and even from the north from the Las Vegas, Nevada area.
There are a number of things that can be seen in and around the Grand Canyon that can add to the experience of a vacationer coming there for the first time. The Colorado River still flows through the canyon and is visible from a number of viewpoints. There are a great many interesting plants found in the canyon area including everything from moss and low ground cover plants to ponderosa pine trees. The Grand Canyon is also home to an amazing wildlife community and features a number of animals that cannot be easily found elsewhere. Some of the wildlife it is possible to see when visiting different areas of the canyon include bats, raccoon, gray fox, weasel, bobcat, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and more. Bird watchers will have a field day spotting the many different types of birds that soar through this amazing scenery, including the fantastic Bald Eagle.
There are a number of ways to experience the Grand Canyon too, each way offering a completely different experience that can only add great memories for a traveler to take home with them.
By Air
There are a number of different companies that offer air tours of the Grand Canyon by either helicopter or small plane. This is an incredible way to get up close and appreciate the many different areas within the canyon itself. Small plane tours allow for visitors to see large sections of the canyon in one trip. One of the many benefits of a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon is that many tours will often land their guests on the canyon floor and allow them time to have a meal inside the canyon, as well as giving them the chance to explore a bit of the canyon floor.
By Water
Rafting trips down the Colorado river and into the heart of the Grand Canyon are another great way to see and experience the massive beauty of this must-see location. Visitors seeing the canyon this way will gain an appreciation for how it was carved as they will be riding on the very water that made the canyon what it is today. This is a wonderful way to get an up close look at the cliff walls where much of the evidence of the passage of time is still visible in the form of the different types of rock and the many colors of the canyon walls. These trips often also allow visitors time for a quick meal at the end after the boats are removed from the water or at a suitable place along the way.
By Trail
For those that are in good physical shape or experienced in the outdoors, there are also many places in the canyon that allow access via hiking trails. While the climb down into the canyon be difficult at times, it is nothing compared to the climb out. This is one of the best ways to be able to enjoy the solitude and remoteness that comes with a Grand Canyon experience. This is also a great way to appreciate the natural beauty as the traveler will have a good amount of time to look at and examine different features of the canyon as they will be traveling somewhat slowly. Regardless of where the hiker has hiked before, there is nothing quite like hiking into and out of the Grand Canyon.
By Skywalk
One of the more recent additions to the Grand Canyon scenery is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The skywalk is a glass bottomed viewing platform that hangs out over the edge of the canyon wall allowing for views into the canyon that couldn’t have been enjoyed from the rim. The glass walkway lets visitors look down to the canyon floor which is over 3,500 feet below. The Grand Canyon Skywalk is owned and operated by the Hualapai Indian tribe which is native to the area. An admission is charged to venture onto the structure and the views that can be had from there are stunning.
By Pack Animal
Many of the experiences that can be had hiking into the Grand Canyon can also be had by taking a pack animal trip there too. In this way though travelers can enjoy the trails and scenery on the way into and out of the canyon while the animal does all the work. This method of travel also allows the visitor to see and experience more of the canyon as the animal can cover more ground than most humans can. This also allows for a number of extras to be brought into the canyon including more food and water for longer trips as well as camping equipment for overnight excursions. There are a number of different outfitters that provide for horse and mule ride tours of the Grand Canyon and this is easily one of the more memorable ways to see and experience this wonderful piece of natural beauty.
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While it is common knowledge that the Grand Canyon is by far one of the more visually stunning places to visit in the United States, many people don’t know that there are more ways to see it than just from the rim of the canyon itself. By allowing access via trail, air, and water, the canyon allows itself to be more than something that is merely looked at, but instead makes itself something that can be experienced. A trip to the Grand Canyon is one trip that everyone should try and take at least once in their lives. The scenery seen there and the experiences experienced will stay with the traveler for the rest of their life.
