Annually, millions of tourists travel to Arizona to witness one of the world's most overwhelming natural wonders. The Grand Canyon is inevitably awe-inspiring because of its immensity - 277 river miles (446km) long, 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. This majestic gorge will certainly astound you.
Things to Do
You don't land on the Grand Canyon, take a look, and then leave. Because of its vastness, a day is hardly enough to make the most out of this natural wonder.
You might want to start your tour with sightseeing at the South Rim, where the Canyon is not the only sight to see, but also the many historical buildings that stand in the area. 242 miles away from the South Rim is the Grand Canyon Skywalk which can give you an extreme view of the magnificent gorge. The Skywalk extends beyond the edge of the Canyon, and is glass-bottomed, giving tourists an amazing view.
There are other spots famous to give particularly breathtaking views. The Lipan Point on the South Rim gives a magnificent view. The trailhead of the Tanner Trail is also located at this point. Before taking a hike on the trail, spend a few moments on Lipan Point to marvel at the view of the Grand Canyon. The Toroweap Overlook is another viewing spot which is said to give the best view out of all the others. But to get to this Overlook, you must endure miles of dirt roads, making it not such a popular site for all tourists.
If you're the daredevil type, sightseeing will most likely be not enough for you. Well, you can get closer to this natural beauty through plenty of activities. Firstly, the vast gorge invites the public for a great hike. You can reach the bottom of the Canyon by riding a mule, but if you plan to get active, then you might as well hike your way down there! Though the Grand Canyon may look incredibly dry, whitewater rafting is a common activity. So if you don't mind getting wet, you may reach the bottom of the canyon through rafting the Colorado River.
Transportation
There are others who really want to get an overwhelming view of the Grand Canyon. Helicopter rides usually cater to this particular desire. From Las Vegas, Phoenix and the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, people can take a ride on aircrafts that will give them a bird's eye view of Arizona's prided wonder.
Others who prefer to hike may take the bus to the Grand Canyon.
Tips to the Traveler
Save up some energy. You may have the misconception that all you'll do in the Grand Canyon is sightseeing. The Grand Canyon is vast so you'll need to hike. You'll be needing energy especially if you're going down to the floor of the gorge. Climbing back up to the rim from the bottom of the Canyon can be tiring and the heat in the area may aggravate fatigue. Unless you're incredibly fit and accustomed to heavy activities, you can go down and climb back up in one day. But there are plenty of attempts to travel rim-to-river-to-rim that ended up with the tourists calling for a rescue team. So to escape exhaustion, you might as well spend some time at the bottom and climb back up to the rim the next morning.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
