If the Grand Canyon is one thing, it is large. Booking one or more of the available Grand Canyon tours is a great way to approach the monstrous canyon and can add that extra flare to your Grand Canyon vacation. Among the more popular Grand Canyon tours out there are the famed Grand Canyon mule rides. While hiking the Grand Canyon is an option some might consider, there are various dangers involved, especially when the oppressive heat of summer results in hundreds of hikers needing to be rescued. Simply put, there are no easy hiking trails at the Grand Canyon, and if hiking doesn’t sound like your thing, you can always head into the canyon on a Grand Canyon mule. On Grand Canyon mule trips, you can leave the difficult work of navigating the trails to the surefooted mules. Grand Canyon mule rides are not for everyone, however, and the tour groups will want to first make sure that you are fit for the trip.
First and foremost, you should know that Grand Canyon
mule trips tend to fill up rather quickly, and it is invariably
recommended that if you intend on securing a trip on the
back of a Grand Canyon mule that you book in advance.
Generally, you’ll want to book any Grand Canyon
mule rides at least 6 months before arriving in Arizona,
but if you can book even earlier than that, then all the
better. Once you’ve had success booking your
trip, you could still be denied your Grand Canyon mule
ride if you fail to meet the rigid guidelines that are
intended to maximize safety. If you are afraid of
heights or have an inherent fear of large animals, then
Grand Canyon mule rides definitely are not for you.
Also, you should be in good physical shape, and those
with knee, back or hip problems are advised to choose
a different Grand Canyon tour. A ride on the Grand
Canyon Railway or a Grand
Canyon bus tour might be a better fit if that is the
case. Also, as far as physical requirements go,
all riders must weigh 200 lbs. or less, and all prospective
riders will be weighed. Also, you must be at least
4' 7" to ride a Grand Canyon mule and pregnant women
are prohibited from participating. The final requirement
for Grand Canyon mule rides is that you must be able to
speak and understand English. If there are any doubts
to your language level, you may be denied from riding.
At the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, Grand Canyon
mule trips are available year-round. These are generally
more popular, and you are allowed to book a trip up to
13 months in advance. Grand Canyon mule rides can
often be included with the various Grand
Canyon vacation packages that can be arranged online,
or from popular destinations in Arizona, as well as from
Las
Vegas. There are two primary Grand Canyon mule
rides that embark from the South Rim, the first being
the one-day, 7-hour ride to Plateau Point. These
rides start at the Stone Corral, which is found at the
beginning of the Bright Angel Trail, and they continue
on deep into the canyon, some 1,300 feet below.
A box lunch is included in the cost of your trip, so you
need not worry about nourishment. The second trip
is an overnight trip, which includes accommodations at
the rustic Phantom Ranch. This trip is much more
costly than the former, but on top of accommodations,
breakfast, lunch and a steak dinner are offered.
There are also 1-hour and 2-hour horse rides available
from the South Rim, as well as twilight campfire rides
and wagon rides.
Grand Canyon mule trips from the North Rim are less popular, yet nonetheless very rewarding. Due to the North Rim’s accessability issues, they are only offered from May through October. Unlike the South Rim Grand Canyon mule expeditions, the North Rim trips do not reach the Colorado River. A plus to the North Rim trips is that they can often be booked same-day, and you can register for one of the options at the Grand Canyon Lodge. A shuttle bus will take you from the lodge to the trail head, where you can embark on an hour-long ride, a half-day ride or a full-day inner canyon expedition. There is a 7 year age limit on the one-hour trips, a 10 year age limit for the half-day tours, and full-day riders must be at least 12 years of age. The Grand Canyon mule tours from the North Rim are well-priced and can be a great addition to your Grand Canyon vacation. So saddle up and hit the trails!
