If you're looking for the American holiday of a lifetime, a trip to the Grand Canyon has to be somewhere near the top of your wish list. This impressive natural spectacle is a must-visit for anyone heading to Arizona and there is much to see and do there - including white water rafting.
Numerous operators offer adventure tours that incorporate activities such as rafting into a wider schedule of sightseeing and guided tours, offering a fantastic holiday opportunity for those looking for a getaway that offers more than just the chance to lie on a beach all day.
The facts about the Grand Canyon
There's a good reason why this particular sight has 'Grand' in its name - it is one of the biggest canyons in the world with a length of 446km. It is also 1.6km deep and 29km wide - a scale that's hard to imagine until you actually see the canyon for yourself.
The Grand Canyon has an extremely long history behind it - it was shaped over a timeframe of six million years when the Colorado River - which stretches from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Gulf of California - underwent a long period of geological activity, resulting in erosion.
As a result, experts have examined the horizontal geological strata in the rock of the canyon and found that they cover some two billion years of history in total, including the late Precambrian, Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.
The canyon itself is split by the Colorado River into two rims - the North Rim and the South Rim. When you look down from these rims, you can see mountains - the numerous temples, spires, buttes and mesas within the canyon - rising up from the bottom. Waterfalls and rocky rapids are among the other features of the Grand Canyon. Experts have officially named more than 100 such rapids to date.
Grand Canyon rafting
If you do choose to go white water rafting in the Grand Canyon, you are likely to have the experience of a lifetime. Your tour may well comprise a long trip down the river in your boat, interspersed with scenic walks and tours, sleeping and meals professionally cooked at the water's edge.
As long as you're comfortable with being in and around water, anyone can take part in white water rafting. With the Grand Canyon being as immense as it is, you can imagine the impressive views you'll get when you look up to the top of the rift from your boat - you'll probably suddenly feel very small indeed!
Other Grand Canyon activities
Aside from white water rafting, there is much else to see and do at the Grand Canyon. Guided tours and interpretive ranger programmes take place regularly to educate the public about the wonders of the canyon, while a number of special events are also pencilled in throughout the year.
Perhaps one of the best things to do when visiting the Grand Canyon is check the sunrise and sunset times for the day you go and take in the wonderful views afforded over the rims of the gorge as the sun dips in or out of view.
Because sunrise and sunset times change throughout the year, it's a good idea to double check them on the Grand Canyon National Park's website before you go.
Around Arizona
Once you've had your fill of the amazing sights of the Grand Canyon, there are plenty of other attractions and activities to occupy your time throughout the rest of the state of Arizona.
Near the canyon, you can visit the Hualapai Tribe and Skywalk, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and its spectacular waterfalls, the wilderness of the Kaibab National Forest and the rather creepy rock formations of the Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park.
Elsewhere in Arizona, you can also view the famous Hoover Dam, take picnics alongside one of the several lakes around the region, wander through pretty parks and take a city break in Phoenix, the state capital.
Special events take place during the year and there are many opportunities for shopping, sports and relaxation - you can nearly every kind of holiday you may possibly want in Arizona.
No comments:
Post a Comment