Grand Canyon National Park:A Majestic Western Vista

The Grand Canyon is truly… grand. It is one of the most beautiful

parks in the U.S., and has many artistic landforms. Lots of people

describe seeing the Grand Canyon as like something you would see on

their “bucket list”. Some of these are the Colorado River and the

Colorado Plateau.

The Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919 by the

U.S. Congress in northwestern Arizona. The boundaries of the park

were extended by Congress in 1975. It was established because of its

natural beauty, and has become one of the most popular parks in the

U.S. ever since it was established.

The Grand Canyon is a mile-deep gorge that stretches 3 miles

over northwestern Arizona. The whole park has an area of 1,904

square miles. The Colorado River has eroded this area for thousands of

years. The river’s Spanish name is “Rio Colorado”, (Rio means river). It

was named after its red color from the sediment that the river carries.

The Green River is a major tributary of the Colorado, and together,

they drop 1,000 feet in elevation on their journey through the canyon.

Marble Canyon, Havasu Falls, and Grand Falls are all waterfalls within

the park whose water changes color. Each is a unique natural paradise.

Another must-see in the park is Point Imperial. It is an astounding

8,803 feet tall.

The Grand Canyon is hottest in late spring and summer.

Although the canyon is hot and dry in summer, snow is common in

winter. Just because Arizona is an arid state, doesn’t mean it doesn’t

get cold. Another popular sight is Cape Royal. People love to watch

sunrises and sunsets here. One of the most popular trails in the whole

park is the South Kaibab Trail. This trail is part of a 21-mile trans-

canyon trail that runs throughout the park. Near the Utah-Arizona

border of the park are the Vermilion Cliffs. The Vermilion Cliffs are

made of 1,000 feet of Mesozoic rock. Above that is a layer of Kaibab

Limestone. You can see beautiful sunrises and sunsets here as well.

The history and culture of the Grand Canyon is very rich. The first

Spanish man to see the Grand Canyon was Garcia Lopez de Cardenas,

but he wasn’t the very first. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was sent

on an expedition to North America by the king of Spain in January

1540. He was sent on this expedition to look for the legendary “golden

cities”. Instead of golden cities, he found Pueblo villages made of mud

and rocks near the border of present-day New Mexico and Arizona.

Although discouraged, Coronado traveled further west and found the

Hopi village of Oraibi, the oldest continually inhabited village in the

U.S. Almost at the point of giving up, Coronado stumbled across the

giant gorge. He is (as far as we know) the first European man to ever

lay eyes on the Grand Canyon.

The artifacts left behind in the Grand Canyon date back to the

Paleo-Indian period, almost 12,000 years ago. These artifacts are some

of the oldest artifacts known to man. All of the following Indian tribes

left artifacts behind in the Grand Canyon: Cohonina, Cerbat, Pai, Zuni,

Hopi, Navajo, Euro-American, Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral

Puebloan (both branches- Kayenta and Virgin), and Paleo. The biggest

cultural group is the Paleo tribe; they left behind the most artifacts.

Grand Canyon National Park currently has more than 4,800 recorded

archeological sites that display these ancient treasures.

Even though the desert has a tough climate to live in, that

doesn’t mean there isn’t any plant and animal life. Plants include

mostly trees and desert shrubs. Cacti are common as well. At the top

of the canyon, you are most likely to find blue spruces and aspen

trees. Paleontologists find this area very interesting because it is rich in

fossils and extremely old skeletons. There are few live animals within

the park. A rare sight, you can see a mountain lion roaming near the

borders of the park. Another uncommon animal to see is the collared

lizard, also spotted near the park boundaries. The rest of the

ecosystem includes mostly rodents and a few coyotes.

The Grand Canyon today is really a magnificent sight to see.

Tourism includes hiking, fishing, mountain biking, camping, and white-

water rafting. Sometimes tourists will ride mules or other animals

around the park. A big tourist favorite is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It

opened just a few years ago along with a café, airport, and a theatre.

The whole park has a total of 337 buildings, 257 of which are located in

the Grand Canyon village. Yet another attraction is the Desert

Watchtower, located near the Four Corners Region. You can see over

100 miles on a clear day from the top.

Grand Canyon National Park doesn’t have many problems, but

the River Monitoring Program and the Vanishing Treasure Program

work hard to keep the park stay interesting and beautiful. As long as

they do their job, the Grand Canyon will always be the most popular

scenic national park in the country.