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Grand Canyon Pictures
Activities Photos


North America Tours

 Trek America run a wide range of good value, small group tours in west USA. e.g. Discounts | Best of the West | Wild West
Canyon Adventure | National Parks Walks | Western Highlights

Click on the top or bottom image to see SW USA Pictures

SW USA Pictures

Hiking beside the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
© Brucegrubbs, Dreamstime.com

It's easy to feel that compared to the wild, colourful rocks and varied, fabulous hikes of nearby Zion or Bryce Canyons the attractions of the Grand Canyon may be overrated. However it's true that:
- a couple of hiking trails were closed due to managed burns when the Bugcrew were there.
- fit visitors with time can hike - or mule - down to the canyon base and get all sorts of new angles.
- the South Rim is a lot busier than the North [which we visited], offers a lot more activities including many walks - long and short - and is easier to get to from most places.

Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, USA

Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, USA.
© Henrik Andersen, Dreamstime.com

And by the way, don't consider driving to both North and South Rims unless you're ready for 215 miles of slow roads between the two.
Bottom line is, you've got to see the Grand Canyon but try to leave time to do something other than just looking over the edge...

The best months to visit the Grand Canyon are May and September, not July/August when most trippers go, it gets very hot and rains a lot.

Suspension bridge, South Kaibab hiking trail, Grand Canyon, Arizona

A suspension bridge on the South Kaibab hiking trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
© Uros Ravbar, Dreamstime.com

Of course you could take a white water ride through the canyon that would be wild, but you'd better book it way in advance. In fact the National Park Service permits only one private trip to leave Lee’s Ferry [the nearest launch point above the Grand Canyon] daily, and there is now a 13 year waiting list! Yes, you read it right, thirteen years!
Of course there are several pricey, mega tourist rafts a day that don't have quite the same frisson of thrills, spills and a turbulent death by drowning...

Rafting through the Granite Rapids, Grand Canyon, USA

Rafting through the Granite Rapids, Grand Canyon.
© Anton Foltin, Dreamstime.com

Then there's a stroll onto the Hualapai Indian's Glass Skywalk that projects 70ft [20m] out from the Canyon Rim so you feel you are walking on 4,000 ft[1,220m] of air. Opened in March 2007 visitors have to pay to enter the Hualapai Indian National Park as well as $25 to walk on the scary glass along with a max of 119 others.

SW USA Pictures

The Hualapai's glass skywalk observation bridge.
© Brett Mulcahy, Dreamstime.com

Location: the southwest rim at Grand Canyon West, 55 miles from Peach Springs on Route 66 or 47 miles from Pierce Ferry Road off Route 93.
From: Las Vegas NV, 121 miles; Flagstaff, AZ, 216 miles; Phoenix AZ, 253 miles; Scottsdale AZ 273 miles; Sedona AZ, 249 miles; LA via Hoover Dam, 375 miles

END OF THE GRAND CANYON.

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