Early mornings in Arizona's Grand Canyon are great times for quiet reflection and the haunting serenade of the canyon wren.  

Hanging gardens, waterfalls, and cool streams are hidden in riverside canyons, just a short hike from the Colorado River.  

Long days of rafting the river usually begin slowly, with a cup of coffee, as the first morning light touches the canyon rim.  

Here, a hiker finds solitude during a rafting trip through the 280-mile length of the Grand Canyon.  

Granite Rapids is among the largest and most thrilling of the 150-plus rapids in the Grand Canyon.  

The Nankoweap Ruins contain granaries constructed by ancestral Puebloans around 1,000 years ago to protect food stores. The steep trail to the ruins offers spectacular views of Marble Canyon deep within the Grand Canyon.  

Each spring, the slopes of the canyon blaze with the blooming of brittlebush and dozens of other desert flowers.  

The Grand Canyon is home to more than 150 named rapids, including many Class IV and some Class V rapids.  

The inner gorge of the Grand Canyon reveals some of the oldest exposed rock on earth.  

Many beaches in the canyon are popular for lunch stops and camping sites.  

Redwall Cavern offers a cool retreat from the heat of summer and a large, sandy floor for impromptu Frisbee and touch football games.