Grand Canyon National Park Activities

By sheer size, range of colors and awesome beauty, the Grand Canyon has something for almost any visitor. Regardless of age, interests, or physical skill level. Some popular activities include, backpacking, camping, cycling, visiting museums, taking nature hikes, picnicing, enjoying ranger-led programs, river rafting, stargazing, and wildlife-viewing.

SIGHTSEEING HIGHLIGHTS

THE SOUTH RIM

Grand Canyon Village

As you walk along the Rim Trail there are several historic buildings to admire. Lookout Studio, built of stone in 1914, appears to grow right out of the canyon's rim; you can peer into the depths of the canyon from the observation deck. The halls of Kolb Studio currently house a collection of art. Previously (until 1976), Emery Kolb would share the experience of river-running with tourists through his movie and tales. The Bright Angel Lodge, built in 1935, has its own worthy sights with a history room, Hopi murals, and it's lobby of rustic timber. Just to the east is the grand hotel of the South Rim, the El Tovar which has been welcoming visitors since 1905. The best collection of Native American souvenirs in the canyon is at the Hopi House, built with influences from Hopi architecture.

Hermits Rest

There are many fine viewing points from the time you leave the edge of Grand Canyon Village, along Hermit Road which winds west along the rim for eight miles. At its end is Hermits Rest, an atmospheric stone building. There is a shuttle that you can hop on and off allowing you to enjoy the views, the Rim Trail, and Hermits Rest without expending all of your energy.

Tusayan Museum

A visit to Tusayan Ruin and Museum will provide a glimpse of Pueblo Indian life at Grand Canyon some 800 years ago. The museum, located three miles west of Desert View, is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with free admission.

A self -guided trail leads through the adjacent 800-year-old ruin. Ranger led ruin tours are offered.

Yavapai Observation Station, located less than a mile east of the Visitor Center, featuris panoramic views of the Canyon through the building's large windows. Open daily.

A fossil exhibit, The Changing Tides of Time, is on display in this historic building. Travel back in time when trilobites swam in ancient seas and prehistoric lizards walked on giant sand dunes.

Desert View Drive

With Grand Canyon Village at the west and the magnificent stone Watchtower at the east end, Desert View Drive is 25 miles of one jaw dropping, awe-inspiring view after another. There are plenty of viewpoints along the way, so focus on the driving while on the road. The Watchtower, patterned after those found in the early Southwest, is a lofty perch ideal for viewing the eastern end of the canyon. Inside walls are covered with replicas of ancient petroglyphs; Hopi artwork displays and some touristy items are housed within.

THE NORTH RIM

Bright Angel Point

Your North Rim adventure can begin here at road’s end. A short trail with some steps continues out to the very tip with an amazing view down the long and deep Bright Angel Canyon. The South Rim lies just beyond, and the peaks of the San Francisco Volcanic Field break the horizon. On the way back, turn left on the Transept Trail for more views into this tributary of Bright Angel Canyon. Climb up the steps into the spacious Sun Room and lobby of the 1937 Grand Canyon Lodge, a magnificent log and stone structure. The North Rim Visitor Center is just north of the lodge.

Cape Royal Scenic Drive

This paved drive leads to lofty viewpoints, short hiking trails, a prehistoric pueblo, and a huge natural arch. There’s enough to see and do for an entire day. Point Imperial, on a side road to the left, commands a view of the eastern Grand Canyon from an elevation of 8,803 feet. It’s the highest viewpoint of the Grand Canyon, and it will take you a while to absorb the spectacle.

Continuing out to Cape Royal, you’ll pass viewpoints, Wahalla Glades Pueblo, and several short hiking trails. A .6-mile round trip trail at the end of the road continues past Angels Window to a fantastic panorama at Cape Royal above a great curve of the Colorado River.

Point Sublime

With a sense of adventure and a high-clearance vehicle, you can drive out to this aptly named viewpoint 17 miles west of Bright Angel Point. Here you’ll see a Canyon panorama that’s unsurpassed! Geologist Clarence Dutton and artist William Holmes came here in the 1880s; you can read Dutton’s description of this spot and see Holmes’s three-part Panorama from Point Sublime in the book Tertiary History, reprinted by the University of Arizona Press.

Toroweap

Sheer canyon walls drop nearly 3,000 feet from rim to river at the overlook here. It’s not a place that you’ll ever forget! Volcanoes and lava flows at Toroweap recall the Canyon’s fiery past. Toroweap lies far to the west of Bright Angel Point (145 miles) and you’ll have a long drive on unpaved roads (about four hours). Bring all supplies, including water. It’s best done with a high-clearance vehicle, but cautious drivers can make it in a car.

Extreme Activities

Aside from casual sightseeing from the South Rim (averaging 7000 feet (2100 meters) above sea level), whitewater rafting, hiking and running are especially popular. The floor of the Canyon is accessible by foot, muleback, or by boat or raft from upriver.

Hiking down to the river and back up to the rim in one day is discouraged by park officials because of the distance, steep and rocky trails, change in elevation, and danger of heat exhaustion from the much higher temperatures at the bottom. Rescues are required annually of unsuccessful rim-to-river-to-rim travelers. Nevertheless, hundreds of fit and experienced hikers complete the trip every year. A one-way trip (rim-to-rim) takes place in around five to seven hours, or a round-trip (the rim-to-rim-to-rim or "doublecross") in around 11-14 hours.

River Trips & Rafting Guide

Rafting Guide

Commercial whitewater trips through Grand Canyon begin at Lees Ferry (just six miles from Marble Canyon, Arizona) and vary from three days to three weeks in length. Some companies offer partial trips ending at, or starting from, Phantom Ranch, which is accessible only by trail from Grand Canyon Village or the North Rim. Partial trips are also available from other points along the river. Food, portable sanitation facilities, some or all necessary camping equipment and guide services are provided by the river companies. Rates vary depending on trip length and transportation costs. Reduced family, children, group, and off season rates are sometimes available. Most offer private charter trips in addition to their regularly scheduled trips. You must make reservations for these trips well in advance. Commercial river trips through Grand Canyon operate April through October.

There is a one-day smooth water raft trip on the Colorado River outside of the park from Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona to Lees Ferry, Arizona (where Grand Canyon begins). Call Aramark-Wilderness River Adventures for reservations and information. You may also make arrangements through Grand Canyon National Park Lodges for transportation from the South Rim to Page. Call: 303-297-2757 for more information.

River Trips

Whitewater rafting trips through the canyon last from one day to 30 days and require reservations well in advance.

There are three types of river trips on the Colorado River through Grand Canyon.

1. Commercial River Trips. These are open to the public and are often reserved far in advanced.

Commercial outfitters offer a variety of trips. Most trips take 7 - 18 days involving a variety of craft-paddle rafts, motorized rafts, and dories. Please contact Grand Canyon National Park for more details.

2. Private River Trips. These are also called non-commercial river trips.

To Contact the River Permits Office - You may call them directly toll free at: 1-800-959-9164 or outside the U.S. at: 928-638-7843. FAX number is: 928-638-7844.

You may also write to:

Grand Canyon River Permits Office
Grand Canyon National Park
PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Since the River Permits Office is not set up to receive and answer requests by Email, questions and comments should be made by phone, fax, or regular mail.

3. Other Trips. These are one-day trips on the Colorado River but are not within Grand Canyon National Park.

Whitewater trips launch from Diamond Creek roughly a 4-hour drive from the South Rim are also offered. Reservations are required. Contact the company directly for prices and availability at:

Hualapai River Runners
PO Box 246
Peach Springs, AZ, 86434
Phone: 800-622-4406