Beautiful pictures of the grand canyon National park in arizona

Some background information on the Grand Canyon Park:

• Official name: Grand Canyon National Park.

• Located in the states: Arizona

• Park area: 4926 sq. km.

• Date of foundation: 02/26/1919

• Official website: https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

• Grand Canyon -- wikipedia

The Grand Canyon is undoubtedly one of the oldest national park in America. More than 6 million tourists visit here every year. In terms of attendance, the Grand Canyon National park ranks second after the popular Great Smoky Mountains natural park, which is located in the east of the United States.

On the Grand canyon US map, the Grand Canyon  is located in northern Arizona. The park is located on a huge area equal to 4,926.66 square meters. km. The depth of the Grand Canyon reaches up to 1,800 meters with a length of 446 kilometers. It was founded in 1919, and 60 years later, the Grand Canyon National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The "Grand Canyon" is one of the oldest national park in the United States.

How the Grand Canyon formed

It takes several million years to create such a canyon. There is a version that since the appearance of land, the Colorado River has flowed through the plain, subsequently, due to the displacement of plates, a plateau rise has formed. In this regard, the channel slope changed, the water current accelerated, which affected the rate of rock washout.

The limestone layer above was washed out very quickly. Sandstones and shales have also been subjected to intense washing out by the rapid current over millions of years. It should be noted that soil erosion has not stopped until our time, so it can be assumed that in a few million years this territory may have a completely different look.

 

The Grand Canyon, even before the arrival of Europeans, was inhabited by Indian tribes. This is evidenced by many rock paintings, which are more than a thousand years old. I must say that even today there are reservations of indigenous people.

grand canyon horseshoe bend

In 1540, a group of Spanish soldiers who were trying to find the Seven Golden Cities of Cibola came to the gorge. An incredible sight appeared before them. The Spaniards, struck by the incredible beauty that appeared before them, began to pray. They wanted to go down, but not finding a single path, they went to Mexico.

In 1858, explorer Joseph Christmas Ives, following on the ship "Explorer", left the Gulf of California and headed up the Colorado. He was supposed to determine the length of the navigable part of the river, but soon the ship was aground. After that, the expedition was curtailed. Only in 1869, Major John Wesley Powell managed to be the first to go through the entire channel of the Colorado. This expedition became the starting point in the scientific research of the Grand Canyon.

After Paull, there were many other explorers. For geologists, this area was of great interest. It is known that the oldest formations found on the slopes are at least 1.7 billion years old - these are the oldest rocks in the world.

Founding of the Grand Canyon National Park

The first who was interested in the unique terrain was Senator Benjamin Harrison in the 80s of the last century. After his election as President of America, in 1893 he initiated the creation of a reserve here.

Prasident Theodore Roosevelt enjoyed camping and hunting in these areas, and in 1908 he signed a decree designating the Grand Canyon as a US National Monument. The Canyon remained in this rank until 1919, until it received the status of the Grand Canyon National Park. Thus, the National Park has been operating since 1908, and only 11 years later it received an official status.

Flora and fauna of the Grand Canyon

Grand canyon bridge image

The national park is located in a zone of 5 climatic zones with blurred boundaries.

 

The area of ​​the national park is not rich in vegetation. Of the conifers here you can see fir, spruce, and yellow pine.

 

Of the representatives of the animal world, chipmunks, black-tailed deer, condors, raccoons, as well as predators: lions, lynxes live here. In addition, there are many species of reptiles (snakes, lizards) in the rocks.

Interesting Facts

The Grand Canyon is an amazing place, a landmark of the United States, which is associated with many historical events.

Previously, many planes crossing the Grand Canyon made several circles over it to give passengers the opportunity to admire the extraordinary beauty and size of the plateau. Undoubtedly, the sight is breathtaking, but no less risky due to the likelihood of an airliner colliding with the rocks. This is exactly what happened in 1956. As a result of the crash, 128 passengers died. After that, the US government was forbidden to carry out visual flights of civil aircraft.

 

30 years later, another tragedy occurred over the Grand Canyon: a collision between a sightseeing liner and a helicopter. As a result, 25 people died, and it was not possible to find out the causes of the crash.

In 2013, the famous tightrope walker Nicholas Wallenda made the transition over the abyss between the rocks without the use of safety equipment.

Entertainment

Rafting enthusiasts choose rafting on the Colorado River. There are a lot of options: one-day or multi-day ones, along a raging river or a calm one. You can choose a commercial or non-commercial tour of the Grand Canyon, motorized or non-motorized rafts. Most tourists choose the services of commercial tour operators, and tours are scheduled a year in advance.

When planning rafting through the Grand Canyon, seasonality should be taken into account. In spring, the hillsides are covered with flowering cacti, the river is quite full. However, it is still quite cold at this time of the year. May is the most attractive month for rafting, but at this time it is very crowded. The summer months (June and July) tend to be hot. In August, the air temperature is lower, but additional waterfalls are created along the river. From mid-September to the end of October, the movement of motor rafts along the river stops. This is the quietest time for the canyon.

 

Many tourists prefer to admire the beauty of the canyon from the air. The duration of flights on airplanes is longer, and the price is more budgetary. By plane, the duration of the tours is from 40 to 50 minutes, and by helicopters from 25 to 40 minutes.

Most tourists admire the beauty from the observation decks. Trails in the Grand Canyon range from 15-minute walks to multi-day hikes. Hiking is a very serious event that you should prepare for. Every year, rescuers are approached by an average of 250 travelers who have underestimated their own capabilities and strengths. It is important to remember that there are few places inside the canyon where you can get drinking water. There are three trails (South Kaibab, Bright Angel, and North Kaibab Trail) near the Colorado River footbridge that are monitored at all times. Especially when visiting the park for the first time, it is worth using these trails.

Grand canyon National park

Tourists like to watch the beauty of the canyon from the southern edge of the gorge, there are many observation platforms. In addition, there are many shops on the territory of the Grand Canyon, there are convenient parking lots.

For those who like unusual photos, a special platform has been built, slightly protruding above the Canyon. The floor of this site is made of glass.