
Arizona
Exploring the Grand Canyon's North & South Rims With Your Family
Program No. 21290RJ
Get a unique perspective of the Grand Canyon as you explore the North and South Rims, learn about Native American culture and fly above the Colorado River for a bird’s-eye view!
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
7 days
6 nights
16 meals
6B 5L 5D
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Phoenix & The Valley of the Sun
2
Sedona 4x4 Field Trip, Grand Canyon National Park
South Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona
3
Grand Canyon South Rim Village & Trail, Overflight
South Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona
5
Horseshoe Bend Overlook, North Rim Exploration
North Rim, Grand Canyon
6
Navajo Bridge, Cameron Trading Post, Return to Phoenix
Phoenix & The Valley of the Sun
7
Program Concludes
Departures
At a Glance
The Grand Canyon is way too big to take home with you, but on this once-in-a-lifetime family adventure, you’ll create indelible memories so that a little piece of the canyon stays with you forever. Join a Grand Canyon expert to discover the geology, natural history and Native American heritage of this world wonder. Enjoy walks and hikes to beautiful view points, marvel at a sunset. Ride a 4x4 jeep through Sedona’s magnificent red-rock country and so much more as you learn from park rangers about what this treasure means to America.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Walk 1-2 miles daily over varied terrain. Riding jeep on dirt roads, sand and slick rock. Elevations up to 8,000 feet.

Family Programs
Share your love of learning with your family. These programs are designed for any combination of generations: grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and children.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Climb aboard one of Sedona’s famed Pink Jeeps to explore red-rock canyons and dramatic scenic vistas not accessible to most visitors.
- Take a thrilling narrated flight high above the Grand Canyon in a fixed-wing aircraft, enjoying bird's-eye views of the Colorado River and inner canyon.
- Take a refreshing dip in a quiet eddy of the Colorado River in Marble Canyon; see fantastical mushroom rocks and learn about the area’s colorful human history.
General Notes
This is a Family Program for participants, their adult children and grandchildren ages 9 and up.
Featured Expert
All trip experts

Shayla Pollard
Shayla Pollard was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and currently lives in Flagstaff after completing her bachelor's degree in biomedical science with a minor in Spanish from Northern Arizona University. In Shayla’s free time, she loves adventuring wherever she can. She has visited a wide array of National Parks in the Southwestern United States and continues to check more off her list. Her favorite outdoor activities include hiking, paddle boarding, and rafting.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Shayla Pollard
View biography
Shayla Pollard was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and currently lives in Flagstaff after completing her bachelor's degree in biomedical science with a minor in Spanish from Northern Arizona University. In Shayla’s free time, she loves adventuring wherever she can. She has visited a wide array of National Parks in the Southwestern United States and continues to check more off her list. Her favorite outdoor activities include hiking, paddle boarding, and rafting.

Kyle Storey
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Kyle Storey is an urban planner with a passion for creating sustainable and livable communities. He possesses a love for nature and agriculture and is committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. Kyle works towards implementing cutting-edge technologies to reduce our carbon footprint and transition towards a more sustainable future. Kyle is also a seasoned outdoor group leader who is deeply in touch with the natural world. He has led numerous outdoor adventures, from hiking and camping trips to wildlife expeditions and nature exploration.

Sandra Kehs
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Sandy Kehs, a native of Pennsylvania, chose Arizona as her home after completing her master's degree in Spanish at Penn State. She has monitored archaeological sites for the state of Arizona as a site steward in addition to working for the Elden Pueblo Project in Flagstaff, providing hands-on learning to young students about the ancient Sinaguan Native American culture in the Flagstaff area. Her other interests include hiking, bird watching, observing the night sky, and traveling with her husband Dan, and their dog Chuy.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Exploring the Grand Canyon's North & South Rims With Your Family
Program Number: 21290
Grand Canyon
Rivers wind through earth, cutting down and eroding the soil for millions of years, creating a cavity in the ground 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and more than a mile deep known as the Grand Canyon.
Home to an astonishing variety of plants and animals that have lived and evolved within its walls for millennia, the Grand Canyon is much more than just a hole in the ground. Follow a father and daughter as they make their way through the cavernous wonder, discovering life both present and past.
Weave in and out of time as perfectly placed die cuts show you that a fossil today was a creature much long ago, perhaps in a completely different environment. Complete with a spectacular double gatefold, an intricate map and extensive back matter.
An Introduction to Grand Canyon Prehistory
People have inhabited Grand Canyon for the past twelve thousand years. Evidence of their lives exists throughout the canyon; but it is up to their ancestors and archaeologists to interpret those remains for us. This book provides a popular look at the architecture, art, and tools of prehistoric Puebloan peoples, as well as information about modern-day Native American tribes. With illustrations and color photographs.
Field Guide to the Grand Canyon
This book describes and illustrates the area's plants and animals, and offers fascinating in-depth information on the natural history and geology of this dramatic region. 272pp
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon
From one of Outside magazine’s “Literary All-Stars” comes the thrilling true tale of the fastest boat ride ever, down the entire length of the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon, during the legendary flood of 1983.<br><br>In the spring of 1983, massive flooding along the length of the Colorado River confronted a team of engineers at the Glen Canyon Dam with an unprecedented emergency that may have resulted in the most catastrophic dam failure in history. In the midst of this crisis, the decision to launch a small wooden dory named “The Emerald Mile” at the head of the Grand Canyon, just fifteen miles downstream from the Glen Canyon Dam, seemed not just odd, but downright suicidal.<br><br>The Emerald Mile, at one time slated to be destroyed, was rescued and brought back to life by Kenton Grua, the man at the oars, who intended to use this flood as a kind of hydraulic sling-shot. The goal was to nail the all-time record for the fastest boat ever propelled—by oar, by motor, or by the grace of God himself—down the entire length of the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry to Lake Mead. Did he survive? Just barely. Now, this remarkable, epic feat unfolds here, in The Emerald Mile.
The Man Who Walked Through Time: The Story of the First Trip Afoot Through the Grand Canyon
The remarkable classic of nature writing by the first man ever to have walked the entire length of the Grand Canyon. 256pp
Roadside Geology of Arizona
The 18th printing of this book in the Roadside Geology Series offers a mini-course in geology, focusing on what can be seen from Arizona highways. Although written especially for those with little or no geologic training, there's plenty here for the professional geologist as well--a great introduction to Arizona and its past. Geologic terms are defined where first used and again in the glossary. Inside the front cover is a legend to geological symbols and abbreviations commonly used by geologists.
321pp
Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology
This overview of Grand Canyon geology is perfect for the first-time visitor or the seasoned Grand Canyon traveler. Chapters cover the basic priciples of geology, the history of geological exploration at Grand Canyon, the canyon's structural features, and the Colorado River. Includes over 70 photos and illustrations, an index, and glossary. 63pp
Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theories, and Mystery
Ranney explains how rivers in general can physically carve canyons, looks chronologically at the numerous theories that have been presented by successive generations of geologists regarding the Grand Canyon's formation, and describes a plausible sequence of geologic events that could create such a landscape. Numerous color photographs, detailed illustrations, and maps are provided. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR 160pp; 2nd edition 2012.
Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon
On May 24, 1869 a one-armed Civil War veteran, John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. The Grand Canyon, not explored before, was as mysterious as Atlantis—and as perilous. The ten men set out from Green River Station, Wyoming Territory down the Colorado in four wooden rowboats. Ninety-nine days later, six half-starved wretches came ashore near Callville, Arizona.
Lewis and Clark opened the West in 1803, six decades later Powell and his scruffy band aimed to resolve the West’s last mystery. A brilliant narrative, a thrilling journey, a cast of memorable heroes—all these mark Down the Great Unknown, the true story of the last epic adventure on American soil.
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
A determined little burro earns the loyalty and affection of everyone he encounters in this classic story from Newbery Award–winning author Marguerite Henry.
Long ago, a lone little burro roamed the high cliffs of the Grand Canyon and touched the hearts of all who knew him: a grizzled old miner, a big-game hunter, even President Teddy Roosevelt. Named Brighty by the prospector who befriended him, he remained a free spirit at heart. But when a ruthless claim-jumper murdered the prospector, loyal Brighty risked everything to bring the killer to justice.
Brighty’s adventures have delighted generations of readers, and he has become the symbol of a joyous way of life. Some people say that you can even see his spirit roving the canyon on moonlit nights—forever wild, forever free.
Living at the Edge: Explorers, Exploiters, and Settlers of the Grand Canyon Region
A comprehensive look at the pioneer history of the Grand Canyon Region, from its earliest residents to the creation of the national park at the end of the pioneer era (circa 1920). Included are close to two hundred historic photographs, many never published before, and 12 custom maps of the region. 184pp
The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons
Full text of Powell's 1,000-mile expedition down the fabled Colorado in 1869. Superb account of terrain, geology, vegetation, Indians, famine, mutiny, treacherous rapids, mighty canyons. 240 illustrations. 432pp