The Grand Canyon & Northern Arizona - American Southwest - page 542

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A Shopping Break
Outside the east entrance to the park, the Cameron Trading Post ( & 800/338-
7385 or 928/679-2231; www.camerontradingpost.com), at the crossroads of
Cameron where Arizona 64 branches off US 89, is the best trading post in the
state. The original stone trading post, a historic building, now houses a gallery of
Indian artifacts, clothing, and jewelry. The main trading post is a more modern
building. Don't miss the beautiful terraced gardens in back of the original trading
post.

year-round. Rafting trips tend to book up more than a year in advance, and some com-
panies begin taking reservations as early as January for the following year's trips. Although
it is possible to book a rafting trip for $250 or slightly less per day, the majority of trips
fall in the $300 to $350 per day range, with rates depending on the length of the trip
and the type of boat used.
The following are some of the companies I recommend checking out when you start
planning your Grand Canyon rafting adventure:
• Arizona Raft Adventures, 4050 E. Huntington Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86004 ( & 800/
786-7238; www.azraft.com), offers 6- to 16-day motor, oar, and paddle trips.
Although this is not one of the larger companies operating on the river, it offers lots
of different trips, including those that focus on natural history and others that focus
on tales from the canyon. They also do trips in paddle rafts that allow you to help
navigate and provide the power while shooting the canyon's many rapids.
• Canyoneers, P.O. Box 2997, Flagstaff, AZ 86003 ( & 800/525-0924 or 928/526-
0924; www.canyoneers.com), has 3- to 7-day motorized-raft trips and 6- to 14-day
oar-powered trips. Way back in 1938, this was the first company to take paying cus-
tomers down the Colorado, and Canyoneers is still one of the top companies on the
river.
• Diamond River Adventures, P.O. Box 1300, Page, AZ 86040 ( & 800/343-3121 or
928/645-8866; www.diamondriver.com), offers 4- to 8-day motorized-raft trips and
5- to 13-day oar trips. This is the only women-owned and -managed rafting company
operating in the Grand Canyon.
• Grand Canyon Expeditions Company, P.O. Box O, Kanab, UT 84741 ( & 800/
544-2691 or 435/644-2691; www.gcex.com), offers 8-day motorized trips and 14-
and 16-day dory trips. If you've got the time, I highly recommend these dory trips—
they're among the most thrilling adventures in the world.
• Hatch River Expeditions, HC 67 Box 35, Marble Canyon, AZ 86036 ( & 800/856-
8966; www.hatchriverexpeditions.com), has 7- and 8-day motorized trips and 6- to
12-day oar trips. All of this company's trips, except their upper-canyon expedition,
end with a helicopter flight out of the canyon. This company has been in business
since 1929 and claims to be the oldest commercial rafting company in the U.S. With
so much experience, you can count on Hatch to provide you with a great trip.
• Outdoors Unlimited, 6900 Townsend Winona Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86004 ( & 800/
637-7238 or 928/526-4511; www.outdoorsunlimited.com), has 5- to 13-day oar and
paddle trips. This company has been taking people through the canyon for nearly 40
years and usually sends them home very happy.

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