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Which is better, chopper ride to west rim or walking tour to southern rim of grand canyon? |
Travel Info I want to take my parents there.They r on the first visit of the Grand Canyon.Plz tell which tour will be worth taking Travel Tips Walking along the rim of the canyon (north or south) is a far better way to experience the Grand Canyon. First off, the term 'West Rim' is just a marketing term made up by air tours and Las Vegas tour operators to refer to the areas of the Colorado River downstream from the National Park... there really is no such thing as the West Rim (the canyon has a north and south rim). They push this section of the canyon because it is much closer to Las Vegas and aircraft can fly over it (for safety and noise reasons, aircraft are NOT allowed over the National Park). Although the areas downstream of the National Park are still very dramatic and worth seeing, that section is not as deep, dramatic or has the variety of rock formations that are found in the National Park. The National Park was located where it was for a reason - it is the most dramatic part of the canyon and all of the famous formations, historic sites and trails are located there. Even if you could fly over the main central part of the canyon covered by the National Park, I still would not recommend it over visiting on the ground. The canyon formations are best seen from ground level where you can get a sense of their height and details. When seen from above, you get see how big the canyon is area, but individual buttes and features tend to get flattened because you are looking down from and loosing the verticle perspective of seeing them from the sides. Even aside from the view, a quick hour long fly-by in a coptor does not allow you to enjoy the more subtle joys of the canyon. You wont get to see the ravens playing on the wind, wont smell the pine trees, wont feel the breeze flowing over the rim. You won't get to find a quiet spot to sit by yourself, take in the view and contemplate life. As the poster above says, with a coptor tour the emphasis is on the coptor ride - you don't interact with the canyon on the same personal level that you do when you are on the ground. I am not saying you should never take an air tour... they are fun and interesting, but I would never recommend it over visiting the canyon on the ground if you can only do one or the other. Think about if a person was visiting New York City for the first time... which would be better to understand and enjoy the city... fly over it for 30 minutes and never set foot on the ground OR walk the streets, feel the skyscrapers tower above, be in the crowds, visit Times Square and go to the top of the Empire State Building. Source(s): Arizona resident and frequent Grand Canyon visitor and hiker. Have been to all the rims (including the so-called West Rim) and have also been over the canyon in an air tour. Other Travel Tips I'd take the walking trip, hands down. The chopper might be very exciting, but a lot of the focus is on the ride, not the grandeur of the canyon. If you walk, you can focus on the spectacular beauty of the place, from the smallest wildflower to the breathtaking vista. Have a fabulous trip. While some of what sascoaz said is true, it is not entirely correct. The "West" rim air tours out of Vegas do not go into the park, this is true. They contract with the Native American Tribe that owns the land to be able to fly into the canyon. However, there are tours INSIDE the park, just not over the highly populated areas. There are about 3 companies doing helicopter tours at Grand Canyon Airport just 2 miles south of the park gate. As for the "West" rim...There is a road that use to be called "The West Rim" (because it went west of the village). It is now called Hermits Rest Rd because it was causing confusion. But there are still many people who refer to this as the "West" rim. There was also an "East" rim (you guessed it, it went east of the village), now call Desert View. You can do both. Take a helicopter tour on your way into the park. Then go up to the rim, eat some lunch at the El Tovar, walk around, and maybe even stay the night (I recommend reservations). |
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