- Mather Point overlooks a spectacular view on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, in Grand Canyon …
One of the most spectacular sights in the United States—or anywhere in the world—is the Grand Canyon. The canyon was cut through many layers of rock by the waters of the Colorado River. At the canyon's deepest point, the river now flows more than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) beneath the level of the rim. The canyon runs for 277 miles (446 kilometers) through the high plateaus of northwestern Arizona, ranging from about 0.1 to 18 miles (0.2 to 29 kilometers) wide.
Natural environment
The oldest rocks that the canyon passes through are billions of years old. The canyon itself is much newer. It was formed in the last 5 to 6 million years. The sandy waters of the river wore down the soft rocks on its banks, creating a fantastically rugged landscape of peaks and ravines. Much of the history of the Earth's crust can be traced in the exposed layers of multicolored rock.
Willow trees and cottonwoods grow at the bottom of the canyon where there is plenty of water. There are magnificent forests of pine, fir, spruce, and aspen on the north rim of the canyon. On the drier south rim, pines and junipers grow. Much of the vegetation in the inner canyon is that which is commonly found in deserts, including cacti and drought-resistant shrubs.
The canyon is rich in wildlife, including coyotes, foxes, deer, badgers, pumas, bobcats, rabbits, and chipmunks. The Kaibab squirrel lives only among the ponderosa pine trees of the north rim. Many kinds of birds, including peregrine falcons and great horned owls, make their home in the canyon. There is a wide variety of snakes and lizards as well as insects, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes.
Human presence
Native Americans have lived in the Grand Canyon region for many centuries. Evidence of the canyon's prehistoric residents includes ruins of Anasazi cliff dwellings and artifacts such as pottery. Several Native American groups, including the Havasupai and the Hualapai, now live on nearby reservations. In 1540 troops of the Spanish explorer Francisco Coronado became the first non–Native Americans to reach the canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919. It was greatly enlarged in 1975, and it now covers 1,218,375 acres (493,076 hectares). In 1979 the canyon was named a World Heritage site by the United Nations. The park attracts millions of visitors each year. Mule-pack trips and river rafting are popular ways of viewing and experiencing the beauty of the vast canyon. A paved road and a trail connect the north and south rims.