You have a lot of choices for fun in and near the Grand Canyon. At the rim you can go horseback riding. You can access the North Rim in the winter by cross-country skiing. Outside the park you can ride an ATV, go climbing, downhill skiing, or mountain biking, and there are miles of National Forest to get lost in. But aside from the rafting and mule rides (see my other pages) it is the hiking that tops the outdoor recreation choices in the Grand Canyon!

You can hike the rim trails and choose your length. If you're really adventurous (or foolhardy), you can hike down into the canyon. Even here, you can choose hikes of different lengths. Dayhiking part-way down the Bright Angel, North Kaibab or South Kaibab trails is a popular activity. Check out Hit the Trail - Trip Reports & Trail Journals for a idea of what to expect.

The farther you get into the canyon, the hotter it gets. I'm a big wuss when it comes to heat, so I'd choose to hike the inner canyon in the spring or fall. It's hot enough here to be dangerous. Be aware of the danger from heatstroke and dehydration! People die here, and summer, heat or not, is the busiest hiking season. The temperature at the bottom of the canyon can be 20 - 30 degrees higher than at the rim.

And if hiking is your idea of a perfect day (or two), don't miss the 8 mile hike to the village of Supai, home of the Havasupai Tribe. From here you can make a short hike to Havasu, Navajo and Mooney Falls. This trail isn't as hard as the Bright Angel or Kaibab trails, so if you want to hike into the canyon but the other trails seem too difficult, you might like this hike (but any hike to the bottom of the canyon is rigorous).

Great page on planning your hike from the NPS. Suggested routes and campgrounds for the corridor trails.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/backcountry/corridor_hikes.htm

Here are some outdoor recreation links:

Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Use
Outdoor Recreation at the Grand Canyon

Descriptions of the hike to Supai Village
http://www.havasupaitribe.com/hiking.html

Apache Stables offers horseback riding (on the rim, no canyon views). You can choose a trail ride or a campfire ride.
Horseback Riding at Apache Stables
Look for the stables entrance about 1/2 mile south of the main entrance to the park, in Tusayun.