Page 272 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

270  TR A VELERS ’ NEEDS SPECIAL T Y V A C A TIONS AND A C TIVITIES  271

Whitewater Rafting Griffith Expeditions. The how to operate the boats and needs to be booked well in
and Kayaking
company also offers raft tours of are given an instruction manual. advance. Xanterra Parks &
The Green, San Juan, and varying degrees of difficulty on There is also a range of guided Resorts offers adventurous
Colorado rivers make the the smaller rivers in the area. tours available, including mule rides that last two days
Southwest one of the world’s Canyon Voyages offers rafting cruises to Rainbow Bridge and from the South Rim, over-
top destinations for white water trips ranging from peaceful river Antelope Canyon. Gentle raft nighting on the canyon floor
rafting. These rivers run fast and journeys to thrilling whitewater trips between Glen Canyon at Phantom Ranch (see p236).
deep, offering a thril ling ride, adventures. They also offer Dam and Lees Ferry are offered
often through breathtaking kayaking trips. by Colorado River Discovery,
canyons. Trips ranging from Wild Rivers Expeditions’ one- the main tour concession for Air Tours
beginner to experienced are day, gentle drift through the the lake. Lake Powell Resorts These are a good option for
offered by most outfitters. canyons of the Four Corners’ and Marinas rents out both those time-restricted travelers
Tour companies provide rafts, San Juan River is led by archae- houseboats and powerboats. who wish to see the more
paddles, and lifejackets, and ologist and geologist guides. On Lake Havasu all kinds of remote attractions.
for multi-day trips that involve There are stops at Bluff (see p176) watersports equipment, from Canyonlands National Park is
camping, food and tents may and Mexican Hat, as well as at waterskis to scuba gear, can The Sandia Peak Tramway near Albuquerque famous for its vast wilder nesses:
also be provided. Visitors are Ancestral Puebloan ruins. be rented from Fun Time Redtail Aviation offers one-
advised to check a variety of Boat Rentals. At Lake Mead licenses, although catch and near Flagstaff (see p71) is hour flights over all three
companies to make sure they numerous shops rent fishing release is the rule in many areas. par ticularly popular with districts in Canyonlands, as
get the river experience that boats and jetskis and offer Information about licenses, cross-country skiers. well as a two-hour flight over
suits them best. It is also a waterskiing lessons. The Lake tournaments, and tours can be the stunning Monument Valley
good idea to check their Mead Visitor Center is a useful obtained from marinas, outdoor Horseback Riding (see pp168–9). The striking red-
safety records and expertise. source of information. equipment stores, local gas rock pinnacles formations of
One of the most exciting rafting Boaters on all the lakes are stations, and state Game and Horseback riding is synonymous Bryce Canyon (see pp156–7) can
trips in the Southwest is the Powerboating near Parker Dam provided with information to Fish Departments. with the Southwest, and almost be seen by both plane and
12–20-day trip along the in western Arizona make water-based vacations every area has stables that rent helicopter on tours lasting from
Colorado River through Grand safe and pleasurable. Children horses. Some ranches offer 17 minutes to one hour.
Canyon. As numbers for some Watersports aged 12 and under must wear Skiing and Winter Sports guided trail rides as well as the The most popular air tours fly
trips may be limited to eight or The dams along the Colorado lifejackets, and all boats must be In general, the ski season in chance to live and work as a over Grand Canyon. Several
fewer people, tours can be booked River have created a chain of driven at wakeless speed within Southwestern resorts runs from cowboy. The range of trips is companies offer day trips from
by as much as a year in advance. artificial lakes starting with harbor or beach areas. November to April. A range of impressive: from hour-long Las Vegas (see p127) – helicop ter
Many outfitters offer Grand Lake Powell (see pp154–5) and skiing trips are available, from rides to two-week dude ranch tours go to the Skywalk, or
Canyon raft trips: one of the best extending to Lake Mead (see all-inclusive packages to day vacations (see p235). down to the Colorado River,
known is Canyon Explorations. p124) and Lake Havasu (see p74). Fishing trips from nearby towns. There Ranches are dotted across at Grand Canyon West, while
The confluence of the Green A variety of watersports are Lakes Mead, Powell, and Havasu are plenty of equipment-rental the region, but the best-known planes can fly all the way to the
and Colorado rivers lies near available, including power- are also noted as popular outlets, although resort are those in southern Arizona, South Rim of the national park.
Moab, Utah. Just beyond their boating and jetskiing. locations for fishing. The lakes packages usually include skis, lift particularly near the town of Both helicopters and planes
convergence lies Cataract Set in the one million-acre are well stocked with game fish passes, and lessons, if necessary. Wickenburg. The area’s pleasant also fly in fixed circuits from
Canyon, one of the most (400,000-ha) Glen Canyon such as striped, largemouth, Other winter sports such as winter climate attracts the small airfield in Tusayan, at
famous whitewater rapids in the Recreation Area, Lake Powell and smallmouth bass during snowboarding, snowmobiling, thousands of visitors, and even the park’s southern entrance.
world. Shooting these waters is famous for its houseboat the fishing season, which runs and cross-country skiing are large cities such as Phoenix and However, increasing numbers
should be undertaken only by rentals. These offer visitors the from March to November. River becoming increasingly popular, Tucson have riding stables and of airborne tourists are raising
experienced rafters. One of the chance to experience the many anglers can also fish for salmon with runs and equipment now offer trails through beautiful the issue of noise pollution as a
best outfitters to take visitors beaches and canyons around and trout. Each state has available in most resorts. desert scenery. Cooler summer pressing problem throughout
through the canyon is Sheri the lake. All visitors are shown different regulations and fishing Utah hosted the Winter locations such as Sedona and the canyon. More and more
Olympics in 2002 and offers Pinetop Lakeside in Arizona are visitors complain that engine
some of the best skiing in the also popular riding centers. noise diminishes what should
region. The Telluride Ski Resort Most of the national parks be a tranquil experience
is set among the 19th-century offer trail-riding tours, but of the area’s beauty.
towns and mountain scenery the noted mule trip into
of southwestern Colorado. The Grand Canyon (see p66)
facilities and runs here, with
elevations of more than 11,500
ft (3,500 m), attract many
visitors during the season,
including lots of the country’s
celebrities. Purgatory-Durango
Mountain Resort is less chic
and less pricey, but provides just
as much challenge with vertical
drops of over 2,000 ft (600 m).
New Mexico’s Taos Ski Valley
includes world-class slopes,
Fishing in a lake at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Southern Utah (see p153) and the Arizona Snowbowl Horseback riding through the desert near Tucson, Arizona

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