Seven Reasons To Raft The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular destinations in the world yet few people invest the time and energy needed to experience its real majesty. Most visitors casually gaze down at the canyon from one of the rims, or probe small areas by day hiking on easy trails, never getting far from the tour bus stops.

The Grand Canyon is huge. To really experience it you need to ride the Colorado River rapids or backpack into remote regions. You need to spend some time and cover some miles.

Steven Law is a science writer and former Grand Canyon river guide. He talks about the joy of exploring the canyon in this article, published on ksl.com. Below we give the headline and some excerpts.

7 reasons to explore Grand Canyon by raft

1. Apollo’s Temple

Your river trip will actually begin in Marble Canyon. And this is fortunate, for when you find yourself waking up inside Marble Canyon, pause a minute and look around, for you have awakened inside a temple — a temple dedicated to the perfect presentation of light.

2. Exploring the many side canyons

To be disappointingly honest, there are simply too many beautiful side sights to see during your trip, but your guide will give you a tour of the best of the best.

3. One thousand Veronicas

All day long you’ll summit the top wave in a rapid, then lose your breath as the raft pitches downward like a bull lowering its head as it charges the matador, and the wave will sweep over the boat, and everyone on it, like a matador’s cape performing a Veronica (a bull charging through a matador’s cape is a Veronica).

4. The food

And river guides feed you like kings.

5. Unplug

Your day will be filled with hikes and swims, but the afternoon and evening are yours.

6. The night sky

7. Canyon Magic

Read the entire article.