Celebrate 90 years of the Grand Canyon

Consistently voted amongst the world’s greatest natural wonders and a place to ‘see before you die’, the Grand Canyon marks 90 years this month since it was first established as a United States National Park, on 26th February 1919.

Experiencing the Grand Canyon is a high priority for USA specialists Footloose (footloose.com) and TrekAmerica (trekamerica.co.uk). Two thirds of TrekAmerica’s USA trips and almost half of Footloose’s visit the National Park, making it the most popular stop on the adventure tours offered by both companies.

While most trips spend enough time in the National Park to enjoy the breath-taking views, hiking trails and a scenic helicopter flight over the 277-mile long wonder, Footloose also offers two trips centred solely around the Grand Canyon – Grand Canyon Rafting and Grand Canyon & Havasupai In-Depth.

“What surprised me the most was the absolute, remote isolation,” comments sales and marketing director Richard Hanson, who recently took Footloose’s Grand Canyon Rafting trip. “We had seven glorious days and nights of nothing but sand, rock, sun and water.”

Grand Canyon Rafting travels along the Colorado River in a motorised raft, so no previous rafting experience is necessary. One of the highlights of the trip is watching the sun rise over the vast canyon from overnight camps set up along the riverbank. Travellers also have this time on dry land to explore the waterfalls and wildlife along the river’s edge. Rafting trips through the Grand Canyon are strictly regulated, so this opportunity is a rare and exciting experience to see the canyon from a new perspective.

Departures on this trip are still available in July and August 2009, costing £1,399 per person excluding flights. More information about this trip can be found at footloose.com/tours/fgc.html.

For those preferring to stay on solid ground, Footloose’s Grand Canyon & Havasupai In-Depth trip is a brand new walking trip for 2009. The eight-day adventure includes guided hikes around the rim of the Canyon before trekking deep into the Havasupai tribal lands at its bottom. From a luxury base camp by the water’s edge, walkers can explore the beautiful Havasu, Navajo and Mooney Falls, as well as nearby hidden canyons and refreshing natural swimming pools. Departures on this trip are available between June and November 2009, costing from £1,179 per person excluding flights. More information about this trip can be found at footloose.com/tours/fig.html.

Travellers aged 18-38 also have the option of visiting the Grand Canyon on a TrekAmerica tour. The 10-day Canyon Adventure visits the Grand Canyon plus four other National Parks – Canyonlands NP, Moab/Arches NP, Bryce Canyon NP and Zion NP – providing some of the west’s most awe-inspiring landscapes in one tour. This trip has departures between May and September 2009 and costs from £769 per person, excluding flights. More information on this trip can be found at trekamerica.co.uk/tours/cy.html.

“To anyone looking for a thrilling adventure through spectacular scenery, or just a chance to get away from it all, the Grand Canyon National Park is an opportunity of a lifetime, and not to be missed!” summarised Richard Hanson, when asked why the Grand Canyon ranked top amongst USA attractions for Footloose and TrekAmerica.

For more information on the tours available with Footloose and TrekAmerica, visit footloose.com / trekamerica.co.uk.