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Airplane flights to the Grand Canyon rank among the most popular day trips from Las Vegas (see Las Vegas Tour and Travel).

If you want a taste of canyon rafting, sign up for a one-day flatwater rafting tour. The tours begin at the Glen Canyon Dam and travel 15 miles (24 km) downstream to Lee’s Ferry, which is the entrance to Marble Canyon (see Marble Canyon, Grand Canyon) and the beginning of the Grand Canyon itself. Along the way, near-vertical canyon walls rise high above the lake-like surface of the river.

Information centers at the North and South Rims of the canyon supply free maps as well as The Guide , which has general park information, The Jr. Ranger Guide, listing children’s activities, and The Accessibility Guide , with information for disabled visitors. The Grand Canyon Railway runs from the town of Williams to Grand Canyon Village, close to the South Rim Visitor Center. Great observation points are near both centers.

Ranking high with South Rim hikers are the South Kaibab, Bright Angel, and Rim trails. Popular North Rim day hikes include those along the North Kaibab, Bright Angel Point, and Widforss trails. Don’t attempt to hike to the canyon floor and back in one day: get an overnight permit.

For the grandest of grand views, head for the Yaki, Grandview, and Moran Points on the South and East Rims. You can see almost to Utah from the top of the 70-ft (23-m) Watchtower. Yavapai Observation Station and Maricopa Point, at the park’s east entrance (Desertview), have marvelous vistas. Motorists can use the Desert View Drive (Hwy 64) along the South Rim, following the edge for 26 miles (42 km). Hermits Road hugs the North Rim for 8 miles (13 km), but is closed from October to May due to heavy snowfall.

Dozens of companies, like Canyon Explorations, offer whitewater rafting trips along the Colorado on the canyon floor. Trips vary in length from 12 to 20 days.

Dark gray with white tails and tufted ears, Kaibab squirrels are found only on the Kaibab Plateau and North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Look out for these pine-cone-eaters in forested areas.

Ruins of rock dwellings inhabited by ancestors of the Hopi Indians around AD 1200 are preserved between South Rim Village and the park’s east entrance. On display at Tusayan Ruins and Museum are artifacts, recreated dwellings, and exhibits of contemporary local tribes. Grand Canyon – The Hidden Secrets is shown on a giant IMAX screen in Tusayan village.

Standing over 3 ft (1 m) tall and with a wingspan of about 9 ft (3 m), the rare California condor may be spotted flying over the South Canyon Rim in summer.

In the fall, the North Rim explodes in a brilliant yellow blaze, as thick stands of aspen trees turn a golden hue.