I usually thought that when I needed to go rafting the Grand Canyon that I\’d would need to join a two-week mega-tour. Well, that\’s simply not the way it is. There are many one day trips available and honestly they\’re very gratifying and extremely fun.

The most famous 1 day rafting tours are at the South Rim inside the National Park. These are generally all-day trips and they are accessible to all including kids 4 years of age and older. Choices include going on a plane or bus ride to Page, AZ, where you can board your pontoon raft at the bottom of incredible Glen Canyon Dam.

The bus variation of this excursion cost less than the airplane one. Both start off from Grand Canyon Village or from Grand Canyon Airport. The journey to Page is very interesting. You go along the South Rim to the East Rim just before heading north past the Navajo Indian Reservation and the Painted Desert.

The coach package goes straight to the Colorado River. The plane trip incorporates a Jeep side-trip to Antelope Canyon, an amazing landscape of unique, pastel-colored rock structures. To go to the banks of the river, you have to drive through a two-mile access tunnel.

These river rafts are enormous and can seat up to 19 people. They\’re built with an outboard motor and can virtually handle any kind of water conditions. Nevertheless, this is a smooth-water float tour, which means there aren\’t any rapids.

The first major landmark is Horseshoe Bend, an incredible curve in the Colorado River that\’s distinguished by bright orange sandstone and turquoise blue waters. This region has been photographed extensively and is known all over the world for its natural contrasts.

This one day float excursion includes pulling out on a beach and taking a simple walk to a cliff wall which has been imprinted with petroglyphs, an indication that ancient peoples settled and flourished in this region millennia ago. Many outings stop here for lunch.

The entire smooth-water float trip is 15 miles and ends at Lee\’s Ferry. Only an historic fort and an abandoned trading post remain. There\’s a load of activity here, however, as it\’s here where all of the big, commercial whitewater rafting trips start.

You\’ll get on a climate-controlled luxury coach for the journey back to your lodgings on the South Rim. Look out on the return as you will be treated to an amazing canyon sunset, which, for me, is the ideal bookend to this fantastic trip.

There are many things you can do at Grand Canyon National Park. However I think one of the best day trips is the 1 day smooth-water rafting tour, particularly when you include it with an airplane trip to the Glen Canyon Dam. The feeling of having achieved something special pervades you after you finish this experience. And it should. You\’ve literally seen the canyon from top to bottom, and that is something few individuals can claim.

Author Bio: Mr. Plunket is a travel journalist who writes about all things Grand Canyon. He recommends this One Day Grand Canyon Rafting site for readers searching for a great South Rim day trip.

Category: Travel
Keywords: grand canyon rafting, smooth water, float tours, colorado river, one day, 1 day, water rafting