Go to the bottom of the South Rim? Two options: 1) Do a grueling 4-6 hour hike to the River, spend the night, wake up at the crack of dawn and hike 6-9 hours back to the top; or 2) take a deluxe 4x4 climate-controlled van to the bottom in under an hour. If you raised your hand for the van trip, read on...

This extraordinary tour departs daily in the morning from Flagstaff and Williams. Travelers staying in Tusayan or Grand Canyon Village are welcome, with the best meet up point being Williams. If you are in Phoenix or Sedona, you'll want to go to Flagstaff. Here's Google Map directions.

Pick up time is at 7:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. from Flagstaff and Williams, respectively. You'll hop on the 1-40 freeway, exit at Seligman and take historic Route 66 to Peach Springs, the capital of the Hualapai Indian Nation. Next is Indian Route 6, which is a graded, 22-mile, switchback-filled dirt road that will take you to Diamond Creek Campground. Now your are officially at the bottom of the Grand Canyon!

The Campground is situated at the confluence of Diamond Creek, one of the canyon's largest tributaries, and the Colorado River. White water rafters will recognize this as River Mile 225. There's a sandy beach, several shade-shelters, two porto-potties and a number of campsites. There are several primitive trails that let you explore up and down the river. Before you is the Colorado River, which is ideal for a swim. You'll lunch here, too, before getting back in the van and making the return trip.

This is an all-day tour and ranges between nine and 10 hours

Wildlife!

The Grand Canyon is a naturalist's paradise and Diamond Creek is no exception. The most famous of its creatures is the wild burro. They freely roam the reservation and the canyon. Quite friendly, they'll come right up to the van and pester for food. Don't give in. Making them dependent on handouts dulls their foraging skills. Big Horn Sheep are the other hot item and can be found scaling the canyon's walls and buttes. Other creatures of note include snakes (including rattle snakes!), red-spotted toads, a plethora of lizards, the California Condor, mountain lions (rare) and coyotes.

Colorado River

The River is the southwestern U.S.' major waterway. Headwaters are in Colorado's Rocky Mountains and start at an elevation of 9,000 feet. They drop nearly a mile by the time they reach the Colorado Plateau and the Grand Canyon. The River, which flows through seven U.S. states and two Mexican states, is 1,450 miles long. Average depth is 20 feet (it gets as low as 6 feet at its most shallow point). More than 25 million people rely on the Colorado for fresh water. It's also critical to farmland and irrigates more than 3.5 million acres. Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam are the two key structures that control a water flow that can rage during torrential winter and spring downpours.

Rapids

The canyon's rapids were already rated 1-10 before the release of the more modern "class" scale, which ranges from class I to class V. Thus a size 10 rapid is equal to a class V and so on. Furthermore, a class I rapid is defined as "moving water with small waves that tug at the boat" while class V rapids are "large, complex, gushing rapids that twist and spin to deliver the consummate adrenaline rush." Most float tours are class 1 while most 1-day white water tours max out at class IV.

Hualapai Indians

The Hualapai, which means "People of the Tall Pines," live on a reservation that comprises more than a million acres. It starts near Pearce Ferry and rolls east for 108 miles along the Grand Canyon's South Rim. There are more than 2,000 tribal members, half of which live in Peach Springs, the tribe's capital. The Hualapai language comes from the Yuman-Cochimi languages and is spoken by most adults over age 30. The Hualapai pay no property or income tax to the state of Arizona. Governance is by an independent tribal council. The Tribe has it's own constitution, courts and law-enforcement entities. The Skywalk, too, is owned and operated by the Hualapai. Recognized as the largest, all-glass-cantilevered bridge in the world, the bridge lets visitors walk 70 feet past the edge of the West Rim.

Route 66

The Route, which was commissioned in 1926, is 2,448 miles long. It starts in Chicago, IL, and ends in Los Angeles, CA (Santa Monica, to be exact). Overall, it crosses eight states and three time zones. Today, only parts of "66" remain, with a good portion of that going from Seligman, AZ, to Kingman, AZ. In between, the highway goes through Peach Springs. Concerning this tour, you'll experience the segment that goes from Seligman to Peach Springs. The Route is full of nostalgia. Nicknamed "The Mother Road," "The Main Street of America," and "The Will Rogers Highway," it spawned a hit TV show in the 1960's

Geology

During the drive to the bottom, you'll go through 9 periods of geologic time and see first hand the three main rock groups - layered Paleozoic Rocks, Supergroup Rocks and Vishnu Basement Rocks - that form the walls, base and bottom of the canyon. Talking geology is not my forte so I'm recommending you visit this page for a readable explanation. Suffice it to say, the bottom is home to some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet - a tangible fact that "top travelers" will never know. By the way, this geological wonderland is courtesy of the Colorado River, which began the largest erosion project in history some 6 million years ago!

All-Inclusive

4x4 Van tours are all inclusive and come with:

• All park fees
• All taxes
• All permits
• Lunch
• Professional Guide

There are no fuel surcharges, either. Basically, you pay a fixed price that NEVER changes the day you take the trip (more common than you think!). Letting the professionals handle the logistics leaves you free to focus on getting yourself prepared. Here's what I recommend you pack:

• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Long-sleeve cotton shirt
• Sun block
• Water

Dress comfortably as the bottom of the canyon is hotter than the top (sometimes by up to 25 degrees!). I suggest wearing loose-fitting pants or shorts, and I'm more in favor of running shoes versus sandals because the terrain is rocky. Make sure to power up your personal electronics, too. You'd be surprised how many folks run out of "juice" at the bottom!

RSVP & Deals

These van tours are the only trips that go to the bottom and back in 1 day. Thus, they sell out. Often. My suggestion is book yours at least a week in advance. Do this and you're guaranteed to get seats. You'll also save money because anyone who manages a same-day booking pays out the nose for it. Next, purchase your van trip online. This is where the best deals are. But remember: complete the transaction on the Web in order to qualify for the Internet discount.

Book Your 4x4 Grand Canyon Van Tour to the Bottom!
Price: US$ 289 Per Person
Call Keith: (702) 530-8687

Make It a Grand Day!

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