Attractions Niagara Falls Niagara Falls Top Ten Niagara Falls Attractions

Niagara Falls, Ontario, is perhaps the most visited destination in Canada. There is something for everyone here, but there are some attractions that receive more attention than others. This article will list the more noteworthy attractions, but this is not to say that those that don’t make the top ten list are not worthy of any attention at all. The best attractions for one visitor may not be the best for another because it is basically a matter of individual taste.

  1. The Falls

The most popular attraction in Niagara Falls has to be the Horseshoe Falls. The thundering sounds of the waterfalls as it cascades down over the sheer cliff face sends the spray high into the air so that you may even get a little wet if you are standing across the river from the falls.

  1. The Maid of the Mist

There are two boats named the Maid of the Mist that takes tourists up under the falls during the spring and summer. Dressed in a rain cape that you can keep, this is one 30 minutes that will be a thrill of a lifetime. The departure point is located at the north end of Queen Victoria Park, and you depart at the Maid of the Mist Park, a two-level shopping center with restaurants and souvenir shops.

  1. Fallsview Water Park

This is the newest tourist attraction in Niagara Falls, where young and old alike can have a fulfilling day. It is located directly across the street from the falls so that you have a wondrous view as you enjoy yourself one or more of the sixteen water slides. The park spans an area of three acres and is adjacent to the major hotels in the Falls area. In addition to the water slides, there is an indoor wave pool, an outdoor sundeck that is open year-round, an activity area, and a huge Beach Play House for the children.

  1. Bird Kingdom

With the huge numbers of free-flying birds, this venue is sure to be a hit with all visitors. You will see amazing birds and other creatures from different parts of the world. A typical visit takes about an hour in which you have a chance to feed the Lorikeets, see the many displays and gain valuable information about all the birds from the keepers of the aviary.

  1. Go Behind the Falls

Have you ever wondered what it is like behind the sheet of water that tumbles down a giant waterfall? At Niagara Falls, you have this opportunity with the Beyond the Falls experience. The journey takes between 30 and 45 minutes, and due to the spray of the water during spring and summer, you will have to wear a giant rain poncho, which is yours to keep as a souvenir. On this exciting trip, you take an elevator down 150 feet to the tunnels that lead behind the sheets of water. The elevator then starts upwards to the observation decks at the upper and lower portions of the Falls.

  1. Clifton Hill

Located only a block away from the Falls, you will find Clifton Hill in the midst of the beautiful Queen Victoria Park. This is a playground extraordinaire. Tee off at Dinosaur Mini-Golf, where all the characters are famous dinosaurs. Nightmare’s Fear Factory is designed to be the scariest experience of your life, and many visitors do chicken out before they can get to the end of the trail. Adult visitors delight in the opportunity to take in their favorite sporting action at the Sports Zone Bar and Games in the interactive games and outdoor patio. At Movieland Wax Museum, you will see all your favorite movie characters preserved for posterity in colorful wax creations. This is just a sampling of what awaits you at this venue where you can literally spend days.

  1. Oakes Garden Park

Take a stroll after dinner in Oakes Garden Park, which is located in Niagara Falls directly across from the American Falls. Here the beautifully landscaped grounds will delight you in the changing colors during every season of the year. There is no admission fee for these gardens, allowing you the chance to simply relax and savor the view. There is a restaurant adjacent to the park where you will enjoy the delectable delights on the menu.

  1. Skylon Tower

You can’t visit Niagara Falls and not have a meal or a snack in the Skylon Tower. This structure is a landmark in the city just steps away from the Falls. The revolving restaurant close to the top of the tower will provide you with a 360 view without having to even turn your head.

  1. Queen Victoria Park

Queen Victoria Park is another venue that is popular with visitors because of the spectacular views of the falls that it affords. It is located along the side of the Niagara Gorge and extends to Oakes Garden Park. By choosing to start at this park and make your way to Oakes Garden Park, you can get in your walking exercise for the day in a breathtaking setting.

  1. IMAX Theatre

Learn the story of the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls with the multimedia presentations of the Imax Theatre. Here you will also learn stories of those who have gone over the falls in the past, both deliberately and accidentally, at the Daredevil Gallery.

A Guide To Viewing Niagara Falls Without Leaving The United States

Niagara Falls, New York, has one of the most breathtaking views in the world of the famous Niagara Falls. Where would you go to find the best view? In addition, what would you do after you enjoy the majesty of Niagara Falls? Beyond the waterfall, there are some other fun and interesting places to go and things to do in Niagara Falls.

Any trip to Niagara Falls should begin at the oldest state park in the United States, Niagara Falls State Park. Dating back to 1885, Niagara Falls State Park was created to keep the area surrounding the Falls free from exploitation and free to the public. There are many winding trails along the river on Goat Island, Luna Island, and the Three Sisters Islands on the Upper Niagara River, and there are serious hiking trails into the Niagara Gorge for more avid nature lovers.

Niagara Falls State Park is home to some great attractions. The Cave of the Winds is an attraction where you can experience the power of Niagara Falls up close and personal by taking an elevator down to a walking tour on the “hurricane” deck only 20 feet from the Bridal Veil Falls. This is an experience like no other as the mighty wind and mist from the Bridal Veil Falls blasts you with hurricane force.

The Visitor Center at Niagara Falls State Park offers a place to buy souvenirs, a snack bar, maps and information, restaurants, and houses the Niagara Adventure Theater, which shows a 40-minute movie on a 45-foot screen with Dolby Digital surround sound technology. Niagara: Legends of Adventure by Academy Award-winning producer Keith Merrill and tells the story of the history of Niagara Falls.

The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center is where you can learn about the rich history of Niagara Falls through wonderful, exciting exhibits that are great for the whole family. You can climb a 26-foot rock wall modeled after the walls of the Niagara Gorge, view a movie in the 180-degree theater, or take a ride on the virtual elevator ride down into the gorge.

The activity that gives the absolute best view of Niagara Falls is The Maid of The Mist, which is a boat ride on the lower Niagara River, which takes you into the basin of the awesome Horseshoe Falls. The power and the beauty will overcome you as you get closer and closer to the wondrous cataract.

There is so much to do and experience in Niagara Falls. It is no wonder that millions of people visit it from all around the world every year. The Cave of the Winds and The Maid of the Mist is the best way to experience the power and the majesty of the mighty Niagara Falls.

A Guide To Family Fun In Niagara Falls Canada

Are you looking for a fun, family-oriented vacation that will offer something for everyone? If so, pack your bags, and head to Niagara Falls, Canada.

If you don’t mind heights, there are two fabulous ways to see the Falls. You can see a breathtaking view from 175 feet in the air on the Niagara Skywheel, a Ferris wheel that has climate-controlled gondolas for visitors to ride in. From the sky wheel, you will have a fabulous view of the falls, either day or night. It seemed that they were more beautiful at night when the falls were lit up with all of the colorful lights.

Another way to see the falls would be to take the Niagara Helicopters Limited tour. On this tour, you will fly over the falls and have a really fantastic view of the falls no matter what season it is. Also, it doesn’t matter what time of the day that you take the tour as the falls are always beautiful and the view from the sky is amazing.

There are the Niagara boat tours that take you under the falls. Of course, you will get very wet, and it may be cold if the temperature is not extremely warm. This tour gives you an up-close, personal glimpse into the majestic falls and the amazing power of the water. You will need to have a jacket with a hood or a poncho for this tour.

Of course, there are the many breathtaking views that you can see from almost anywhere in Niagara Falls and the overlooks that you can walk to. If you just take a walk along the sidewalk that is in front of the falls, you can just tell how beautiful nature is and the power that is behind the force of the water that comes over the falls. Be sure that you see the falls at night when there are colored lights on it as it completely astonishes you as to the beauty that is Niagara Falls.

For family fun, there are many shops, museums, and family fun centers located within walking distance of most of the hotels. If your children enjoy water parks, you can enjoy an indoor water park that is located atop a hotel near the falls.

Wax museums abound throughout the area and are well worth the money that it will cost to visit them. Wax figures of rock stars, Elvis Presley, Elvira, many celebrities, movie stars in scenes from some of their most famous movies, and even a famous acrobat that is walking a tight rope over the actual street that the museum is sitting on, along with sports figures as well.

For the kids, there are many activities to keep them busy. The family fun centers are arcades with plenty of games; one of the best is the Great Canadian Midway, which offers over 250 games and rides. The biggest thrill is Ghostblasters, which is an interactive dark ride through a haunted house where you get to blast ghosts with laser-style guns.

If putt-putt golf is your speed, visit Dinosaur Park, an 18 hole golf course in a dinosaur-themed environment. This is great for the boys in the family. There are several other putt-putt courses in the area so that if the children aren’t into dinosaurs, they will still have a place to play.

For the small kids, there is Brick City, which is a land full of Legos. They will have a chance to see all of the fun things that can be built out of Legos, such as trains, towers, boats, people, etc. In the City, the children will also have an opportunity to explore and build on their own. Let their imaginations run wild and see what inventions that they will be able to build.

Families could also visit the Fun House. This is the place where the family can roll, tumble, climb, and crawl together. Play with giant balls, walk across a rope bridge, try to get through the rolling tunnel, and you are sure to laugh all the way to the end. Don’t miss out on visiting the Rain Forest Cafe’. Even if you aren’t interested in eating there, be sure to at least walk near it so that you can see the front of the cafe and their gift shop. It is a site where the kids will be able to really see what a rainforest is like.

These are just a few of the many fun and exciting thrills that await you in Niagara Falls. Shopping, food, and fun make Niagara Falls, Canada, the trip of a lifetime.

Leave No Trace When Visiting Yosemite National Park

Comprising nearly 1,200 square miles that’s more than 94 percent wilderness, Yosemite National Park is one of California’s best-known national parks. Yosemite Valley is the main point of access to the park. Nearly 4 million people visited Yosemite in 2019, according to the National Park Service, and many of them spent all or part of their time in Yosemite Valley. Such heavy recreational use in this relatively tiny area of the park has enormous potential to damage the valley ecosystem, harm local wildlife, and scar the landscape for future visitors.

Leave No Trace is an international stewardship initiative that focuses on helping people enjoy the outdoors responsibly by minimizing their impact on natural areas, thereby protecting and preserving local plants and animals and keeping the area undisturbed for others to enjoy. Leave No Trace is a set of guidelines for all visitors to follow – they’re not just for the pristine Yosemite wilderness. In many ways, Leave No Trace ethics are most important for visitors to Yosemite Valley because careless actions by even a fraction of the millions of visitors there become readily apparent.

Leave No Trace and Yosemite Hiking

Most Yosemite Valley visitors plan day hiking trips on the many Yosemite trails that start in the valley. Although Yosemite Valley is a developed area, day hikers don’t even have to walk a mile off the main roads to reach areas that are designated wilderness. Leave No Trace for day hikers visiting Yosemite means packing out all trash. Hikers should be mindful of the items they bring and avoid dropping or leaving behind tissues, food wrappers, clothing, plastic bottles, or food.

On many Yosemite Valley trails, hikers have limited or no access to facilities once they leave the trailhead. In trail areas where no restrooms are available, Leave No Trace ethics directs visitors to pack out toilet paper and sanitary products. Visitors should bring a small shovel, toilet paper, and a small plastic bag on Yosemite hikes and dig cat holes for solid human waste 100 feet from water and trails. Nothing is more unsightly or unsanitary than waste and toilet paper along trails.

Hikers should also follow designated trails – single file if necessary – and avoid cutting through switchbacks and creating “social trails.” Hikers should wear durable shoes so they can stay on the trail even if it’s muddy or wet. Another Leave No Trace ethic for hiking in Yosemite is respect for others’ Yosemite experiences. By yielding to others on trial, using hushed voices, and taking breaks off to the side of the trail, hikers allow one another to enjoy the sounds of nature and the solitude of Yosemite. The maximum hiking group size is 15 people on Yosemite trails.

Leave No Trace and Yosemite Camping

Leave No Trace ethics direct campers to choose durable surfaces for campsites and camping activities. In heavily used and popular areas like Yosemite Valley, this guideline means that campers should set up camps in designated or developed sites only and keep vehicles, tents, and equipment in these areas as well. Campsites shouldn’t be altered by cutting down trees or digging up plants or earth, and campers should restrict activities like picnicking and playing to graveled areas and spaces without vegetation. Yosemite Valley campers should keep their campsites tidy and avoid littering, spilling food, or allowing trash or plastic bags to blow away.

Yosemite Valley campers who build campfires should minimize their impact by making small fires and restricting them to fire rings or pits that are already present at their campsites. Leave No Trace ethics to discourage – and Yosemite Valley regulations prohibit – cutting firewood, including pine cones and pine needles, from living or dead trees. Campers can purchase firewood in Yosemite Valley or in small towns on the way to the park. An important part of Leave No Trace ethics is avoiding the spread of non-native species and forest pests. For a Yosemite trip, this guideline means that firewood should be procured within 50 miles of the park.

All wood should be burned to ash, trash should not be burned in campfires, and fires should be extinguished completely when unattended.

Leave No Trace and Yosemite Wildlife

A Yosemite vacation is enhanced by the presence of a wide variety of wildlife that calls Yosemite Valley home. Leave No Trace ethics to highlight the importance of respecting wildlife by keeping distant and not disturbing local animals, especially during sensitive times when they are mating, nesting, or raising young. Visitors should obey posted speed limits in Yosemite and watch carefully for wildlife, especially juveniles who are still learning the dangers of vehicles.

Visitors should never feed Yosemite wildlife, even inadvertently, by spilling or discarding food or trash on the ground. They should also leave pets at home or make sure that they are leashed and supervised at all times to protect wildlife. Pets are permitted only on paved trails in Yosemite Valley.

Visitors to Yosemite Valley must be particularly mindful of black bears. Once habituated to human food, Yosemite bears will break into cars, coolers, and campsites to get it. Yosemite Valley visitors must store food and scented items properly in provided food lockers and discard trash and recyclables in bear-proof receptacles; these items must never be left in vehicles or unattended at a campsite or in a backpack. Although negative encounters with Yosemite bears are decreasing in Yosemite Valley, human carelessness continues to endanger the lives of bears and set the stage for bear–human conflict.

Practicing Leave No Trace in Yosemite Valley

Just as collective carelessness in Yosemite Valley can lead to habitat destruction and damage to wildlife, thoughtful practice of Leave No Trace ethics can make a noticeable difference in the valley’s appearance and wildness. If every individual visiting Yosemite Valley uses the area responsibly and carefully, it will remain a natural and beautiful place for generations of plants, animals, and humans alike.

Hiking Trails In Grand Canyon National Park

Backpacking, hiking, and camping are some of the many activities that visitors at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona may participate in.

There are several popular hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park. Starting from the canyon’s south rim, where most people access the park, there are dozens of miles of trails that may be explored and several places that allow campers to spend the night. Following is a description of a top outdoor hiking trail in the park.

Bright Angel Trail, a Popular Hiking Trail With Campgrounds From South Rim to River

The Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park is the most commonly traveled path in the park. It runs from the south rim, near Bright Angel Lodge and the famous overlook to the Colorado River, where it hits the North Kaibab Trail. The North Kaibab Trail leads to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, allowing the rim to rim travel via the Bright Angel and North Kaibab hiking trails.

Bright Angel Trail Hiking and Camping Specifics

To follow the Bright Angel Trail from the south rim to the river, backpackers and hikers must be prepared to travel 7.7 miles. The Bright Angel Campground, located just across the Colorado River, is 9.3 miles from the south rim, and Phantom Ranch, a small lodge and resort near the river, is 9.8 miles down from the south rim, about half of a mile north of the campground, and also across the river.

For those who do not wish to travel as far, there is a campground about halfway down Bright Angel Trail, at Indian Gardens (4.6 miles from the south rim), where water fountains and restrooms are also located. The use of either of the two campgrounds on this trail requires a permit from the National Park Service.

Gear for Hiking Trails in the Grand Canyon

Depending on the duration and season of a hike, various supplies are recommended. First of all, water is key, but so is food. A large bottle or canteen, which may be filled every couple of miles at rest stops, is imperative. Most people do not underestimate the importance of keeping themselves hydrated, but many overlook the necessity of food. Small snacks, especially those with salt and sugar (pretzels, peanuts, cookies, crackers), are also essential.

As many cases of hyponatremia (basically, the opposite of dehydration, which can occur when someone drinks way too much water and does not replenish sodium that is lost or overwhelmed by water intake) have been reported on outdoor hiking trails in the park, small snacks, to be eaten every few miles are also important for health reasons.

Hiking gear also includes appropriate clothing for the season, as well as socks and comfortable shoes or hiking boots. Sandals often cause blisters and sore feet, especially when following steep outdoor hiking trails, so they should not be worn. Sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses also help protect hikers from the sun, and should not be forgotten, particularly in the warmer months.

Camping and Hiking the Bright Angel Trail

When camping at one of the park’s campgrounds, basic camping supplies are sufficient. A permit is needed to camp in the park, and people planning on camping should be sure to bring tents, like rain and winds causing dust storms to occur at times. Backpacks to keep supplies in, sleeping bags, and flashlights, as well as food and drink, should be brought as well. Black lights are great for locating scorpions, as they appear bright when UV light shines upon them, and these poisonous creatures are very common in the canyon.

Although some are up for the challenge, hiking from rim to river and back up to either rim in a single day is strongly discouraged by the National Park Service, as this can cause fatigue. For those who cannot pair hiking and camping, shorter trips not exceeding half of the length of the Bright Angel Trail are more suitable.

Hikes In Yosemite National Park

There are many things to do in the park, but hiking is among the most favorite with locals and guests alike.

Yosemite National Park has some of the most scenic hikes in the world. There are both easy and difficult trails throughout the park. Some hikes are easily done in just a few minutes or hours, while others require some planning and can take several days. Yosemite has over 800 miles of trail for visitors to enjoy.

There are lots of camping, lodging, and dining options in the valley, but in the high country, there are very few of these. Being prepared for long hikes is the safest and best bet.

Short Walks in Yosemite Park

There are many short walks in the valley. There are many that are so popular it can be difficult to get there through the crowds during the busy season. Some of the short walks are paved and are wheelchair accessible, while others are on more rocky terrain. These are some of the most popular short walks in Yosemite.

 Lower Yosemite Falls: This walk is one-half of a mile and takes about 20 minutes round trip.
 Bridalveil Falls: This walk is one-half of a mile round trip and takes about 20 minutes.
 Glacier Point: From the parking lot at the point, this walk takes about five minutes.
 Sentinel Dome: This trail is two miles and can take about an hour or two round trip.
 Mariposa Grove: This trail is a six-mile loop and can take three to four hours or one hour to Grizzly Giant.

Day Hikes in Yosemite Park

The day hikes in the valley are endless. All day long, visitors are walking from one end of the valley to the other. There are also many day hikes that require some drive time to get to the trailhead in the high country. These hikes offer amazing scenery and photographic opportunities.

 Vernal Falls: This hike takes about three hours and is three miles round trip.
 Nevada Falls: This hike is seven miles and can take six to eight hours round trip.
 Dog Lake: This trail is almost three miles round trip and can take about two hours.
 Cathedral Lakes: This hike is seven miles round trip and can take up to six hours.
 Upper Yosemite Falls: This trail is a little over seven miles round trip and can take up to eight hours.

Overnight Hikes in Yosemite Park

Hikes that last overnight in the park require a permit. These can be obtained at the visitors center in Yosemite Valley. According to the visitors center, they use the permits to regulate the number of hikers that are starting out from each trailhead.

There are certain areas that do not allow campfires and can be researched at the visitors center in Yosemite Valley. The permits will help park service find an individual if they become lost, injured, or just don’t report back in time. These are some of the best overnight hikes in the park:

 Half Dome: This hike is 17 miles round trip and can take up to 12 hours or more.
 Tuolumne Meadows to the Valley: This hike is 23 miles one way and can take over 12 hours.
 Vogelsang: This hike is almost 16 miles and takes eight to 12 hours round trip.

Remember when hiking to wear proper footwear, bring water, sunblock, snacks, and do not litter. Yosemite has bears, mountain lions, wolves, and other wildlife that can be dangerous, so respect the area, don’t travel alone if unfamiliar with the area, and carry a bear canister for all overnight excursions.

Grand Canyon National Park Usa In Fall Spring

A visit to northwest Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park in autumn or spring affords amazing scenery and views into an abyss in the earth’s crust without summer crowds.

Accessible by plane from Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona, or Las Vegas, Nevada, the Grand Canyon features a magnificent array of rock layers, buttes, and side canyons in shades of orange, red, purple, and tawny beige. Carved by the Colorado River over millions of years, two billion years of the earth’s interior is exposed in this grandest of canyons.

The Grand Canyon is one mile deep, 277 miles long, and averages 10 miles in width. With more than a million acres of land, Grand Canyon National Park includes ponderosa pines, juniper, several varieties of hawks, California condor, and bighorn sheep. Enter the Grand Canyon by train from nearby Williams, Arizona; by tour bus from Flagstaff or Phoenix, Arizona; or by car to the canyon’s popular South Rim or less traveled North Rim.

Grand Canyon South Rim’s Overlooks, Museum, Music, and Art

Open year-round near the park’s south entrance, the South Rim’s Canyon View Information Plaza is a logical first stop for information on hiking, programs, maps, and weather. Free shuttle buses frequently run from the plaza area to overlooks along the South Rim. Nearby, Yavapai, Mather, and Yaki Points offer panoramic views and observation stations as well as geological displays.

Near the park’s east entrance, the Tusayan Museum traces the development of the canyon’s Native American culture, including exhibits and displays. Adjacent Tusayan Ruin is a prehistoric pueblo inhabited by two generations of Anasazi. Further east, Desert View Watchtower, modeled after ancient Puebloan architecture, affords magnificent vistas of the river, canyon, Painted Desert, and Kaibab National Forest.

Arts and culture flourish at the Grand Canyon. Take in a music concert each September during the Grand Canyon Music Festival. The 3-week series of evening concerts are held indoors at the Shrine of the Ages auditorium. Art exhibits change every three months at the historic Kolb Studio, focusing on art related to the canon.

Hiking at and into the Grand Canyon

Spring and fall are the best time of year for extended hikes around the Grand Canyon when temperatures aren’t too hot. In autumn, watch for several varieties of hawks migrating through the park on their way south. Hikes range from the easy South Rim trails to steeper Bright Angel Trail or South Kaibab Trail down to the Colorado River.

Appreciate the Grand Canyon’s magnitude and antiquity by hiking or taking a mule-back trip to the bottom of the canyon. Temperatures in the inner canyon are usually 20 degrees warmer than the rim, so spring and fall are ideal times to take this trek. Descending gradually into the canyon affords up-close views of rock layers and the geological story they tell. Take a whitewater river trip down the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry.

Grand Canyon North Rim’s Views, Hikes, and Programs

215 miles and 5 hours by car from the South Rim, the less-visited, higher North Rim is accessible by road via the north entrance. Winter snows usually close the road into the North Rim. Views from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim differ considerably from the South Rim. The North Rim Visitor Center features exhibits, activities, and programs.

Bright Angel Point affords spectacular views of the Grand Canyon on the North Rim, as do Point Imperial and Cape Royal. Take the North Kaibab Trail into the canyon to Roaring Springs. Bright Angel Point Trail, an easy self-guided hike, leads to canyon views. Mule-back trips range from one-hour trips along the North Rim to excursions into the canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park Lodging and Dining

Choose from three historic hotels and four motel-style lodges at Grand Canyon National Park. El Tovar Hotel, known as the architectural crown jewel of the Grand Canyon, offers the canyon’s most deluxe accommodations. Commanding the South Rim, El Tovar affords spectacular views of the canyon. Bright Angel Lodge, designed by architect Mary Jane Colter, is named for a dramatic thunderbird hanging above the mantelpiece of the lobby’s huge fireplace.

Kachina, Thunderbird, Maswik, and Yavapai Lodges offer more modern accommodations on the South Rim. The North Rim’s Grand Canyon Lodge, originally designed by the same architect as Yosemite National Park’s Ahwahnee Hotel, offers commanding vistas of the canyon. Phantom Ranch, another of Colter’s designs, offers the only lodging on the canyon’s floor.

Dining options at Grand Canyon National Park range from fine dining to snack bars. The El Tovar Dining Room affords an extensive menu, service in the tradition of the celebrated Harvey Girls. Bright Angel Lodge’s Restaurant and Arizona Room, the Yavapai Canyon Café, Maswik, and Desert View Cafeterias offer more dining options on the South Rim. The Grand Canyon Lodge Dining Room is an elegant experience on the North Rim.

Visiting Grand Canyon National Park in spring or fall allows travelers to take in its enormity, geological wonders, unique plants, and animals without crowds. Hiking, touring, museum-going and rafting are a few of the activities available.

Grand Canyon Hiking Adventure

Looking down into the Grand Canyon from the top is no match for hiking to its floor, camping out, and swimming in pools beneath majestic waterfalls.

The new glass-floor Grand Canyon Skywalk is bringing a lot of attention and interest to the West Canyon area, which has attracted few visitors until now because of its remoteness in the northwest corner of Arizona.

The real adventure, though, is hiking in and camping out.

Havasu Canyon is one of more than 600 side canyons that form the 280-mile long Grand Canyon and one of the few places to hike down to the bottom. At the bottom, there’s a thriving village of several hundred members of the Havasupai tribe (Pai means ‘people’ and Havasupai means ‘people of the blue-green water’).

This is the most remote village in the U.S. and the only place where the mail is delivered by mule train. The mules also carry camping gear for visitors, using the same path as hikers, who have to step to the side to avoid being run over.

Arizona Outback Adventures has the only private base camp in the Grand Canyon, alongside Havasu Creek, which runs through the canyon on its way to join the mighty Colorado River. Trips are 3-5 days, with a choice of hiking, horseback, or helicopter.

Hiking takes 4-5 hours, the chopper just five minutes.

It is a grueling ten miles from Hualapai Hilltop to base camp. Beautiful but grueling, with a 2,800-foot elevation change that ranges from barren switchbacks to shaded forests of cottonwood trees and broad meadows of wild grapevines.

On our way in last May, we often stopped to cool our feet in the many streams and pools along the route. On the way out, we started before dawn to reach the top before the sun got too strong. In between are daily hikes to the canyon’s waterfalls and overlooks.

Havasu Falls is a picture postcard 100-foot torrent into a huge pool of blue-green water and a sandy beach. It is just a five-minute walk from camp, close enough for the sound of the rushing water to lull you to sleep in your tent.

Mooney Falls is taller, 200-feet, and famous for the treacherous climb down the rock face next to it. For much of the climb, you hold onto chain-link ropes or ‘handles’ of metal piping sticking out of the rocks. As each of us made it down, there was a huge cheer from those already there.

Just beyond Mooney is Beaver Falls, a series of cascades and pools of clear turquoise water invite jumping into.

Hiking trips to Havasu Canyon are year-round AOA supplies modern tents and sleeping bags and lots of enthusiasm and also operates hiking and biking trips elsewhere in Arizona and in British Columbia.