|
|
Best Prices • Easy Booking • Safe • Reliable •
Guaranteed Reservations
Why pay more? No hidden extras - Guaranteed! Tax, Insurance, fees
all included |
|
|
Travel Channel Feature
|
|
| Majestic America |
|
 |
| The Scoop |
Where:
Located in the northwestern region of Arizona
Phone: (928) 638-7888
Web Site: http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Rates: $10 per person for a seven-day
pass; $20 per vehicle for a seven-day pass; $40 per year for
an annual Grand Canyon pass
Hours: The South Rim is open 24
hours a day, year-round. Visitor services and facilities on
the North Rim are open from mid-May to mid-October.
Activities: Hiking, backcountry
exploration (permit is required), mule trips, river trips, air
tours, horseback riding and biking; Ranger programs include
geology walks, fossil walks, rim walks and condor talks
Getting there: Las Vegas, Phoenix,
Flagstaff and Grand Canyon airports are nearby.
More information: Check out the
book America's
National Parks. |
Grand Canyon National Park,
Arizona
By Valerie Conners
It may be one of the world's most impressive and perfect examples
of erosion, but what leaves visitors breathless at its edge is not
always the science lesson implicit in the wonder we call the Grand
Canyon. Standing alongside the rim, soaking in the vast cliffs and
colors, and finally recognizing nature's immense power over humankind
has helped put the lives of countless visitors in perspective. The
canyon is by definition a void of land, yet it has become a tangible
"thing," filling people with hope and wonder, and the itch
to explore.
The landscape is rugged and raw; jagged walls of canyons are striped
with rainbows of ever-changing mineral colors. Juniper trees and ponderosa
pines cling to the sides of the canyon, and it isn't unusual to see
a banana yucca sprouting defiantly along its rim. Even the native
animals seem rugged -- mule deer, bobcats, coyotes, and the occasional
scorpion or rattlesnake lurk in the canyon's niches. Ideally, two
days are needed to experience both the North and South rims of Grand
Canyon National Park, but it is possible to see some of the main attractions
in one day. Starting with the South Rim, Park Loop Drive or either
West Rim or East Rim Drive promise exceptional lookout points. Rim
Trail is partially paved and provides an easy hike along the canyon's
edge, where stops at various historical sites like Hermit's Point
can be made along the way. The canyon's North Rim is seen by a mere
10 percent of visitors because it is a bit farther to reach, yet many
hikers claim it offers some of the best views. Transcept Trail (three
miles round trip) meanders along the rim of the canyon and ends at
the North Rim campground and general store, while Cliff Springs Trail
(one mile round trip) -- though a bit more arduous -- passes ancient
dwellings and leads to another fantastic view of the canyon.
Geological History
Carved by the power of the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon is possibly
the world's, well, grandest example of erosion. Other forces of erosion
shaping the canyon include running water from rain, snowmelt and tributary
streams that enter the canyon. The wildly rugged shape comes from
the response of rock layers in the canyon walls to erosion. The varying
layers erode at different rates, forming slopes and cliffs. The canyon's
beautiful colors are a result of different minerals in the rocks.
Park Activities
The Canyon View Information Center is a great starting point for park
visitors. Information, maps, books and rangers offering suggestions
are at your fingertips. Hiking and driving are the most popular ways
to explore the Grand Canyon and its environs. There are a few "must-see"
stops and trail heads visitors will want to explore. Bright Angel
Trail is the most popular route and descends to the Colorado River.
Desert View and the Watchtower allow hikers to take in views all the
way to the Painted Desert and Utah's Vermillion Cliffs. And Mather
Point and Grandview Point offer sprawling vistas as well. Visitors
will also want to explore Village Loop Drive and East Rim Drive, which
are sprinkled with many of the canyon's most scenic lookouts.
Where to Stay
A surefire way to fully experience the glories of the Grand Canyon
is by camping under Arizona's twinkling night sky, sleeping just steps
away from the canyon rim. Nestled amid ponderosa pines, the North
Rim campground is more tranquil and less crowded than the popular
South Rim campgrounds and offers better views of the canyon.
Side Trips
Though it might have been tame for the likes of Billy the Kid, a mule
trip down the winding trails of the Grand Canyon lets you live out
your Old Wild West fantasies (minus the shootouts and ponchos, of
course). Two-day trips to the Colorado River and a one-day trip stopping
at Bright Angel Trail or Plateau Point are available to visitors.
Plan ahead -- trips fill up nearly two years in advance. For more
information, contact Amfac Parks & Resorts at (303) 297-2757 or
on the Web at www.grandcanyonlodges.com.
|
|
| Feature courtesy of Travel
Channel |
|
|
Airplane
Tours