The Grand Canyon area has been inhabited by several Native American tribes for thousands of years, and is home to three tribes today,1 including: •
The Havasupai (occupying the South Rim of the canyon)
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The Hualapai (occupying the West Rim of the canyon)
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The Navajo (occupying the outskirts)
The native peoples who have lived in and around the canyon have a deep and spiritual connection to the land, its rivers, and wildlife.
Although the Grand Canyon is only about 10 miles wide, there’s no bridge, so you must drive around the canyon to get from one rim to the other. And it’s a long drive—around 215 miles, to be exact. This will take around five hours, but is well worth it for many visitors who want a different perspective of the canyon. Views are perhaps even more spectacular from the North Rim due to the higher elevation.
The National Park Service hosts a webcam, which is installed on the South Rim looking north at Yavapai Point.
Search “Grand Canyon National Park webcam” to find the camera on the National Park Service website. The camera’s webpage also gives information about temperature, humidity, air quality levels, and other information.
Try 1.8 billion years old.2 It’s important not to confuse the age of the canyon itself with the age of the rock layers that make up the canyon.
The Grand Canyon was carved out by the Colorado River beginning around 5-6 million years ago (although some scientists believe some parts of the canyon were formed as much as 70 million years ago).3 The rock layers that make up the canyon walls, by contrast, are nearly two billion years old.
That distinction goes to Cotahuasi Canyon of Peru, which, at 11,000 feet deep, is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. Cotahuasi Canyon was carved out by the Rio Cotahuasi over eons.4 The deepest river-cut canyon in the U.S. is actually Hell’s Canyon, located along the border of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and western Idaho. While the Grand Canyon doesn’t win the grand prize for depth, there’s no denying it’s a grand prizewinner in terms of beauty.
Contrary to the notion that deserts are barren wastelands, in fact they are typically full of life, and Grand Canyon National Park is no exception. The area boasts a huge diversity of plants and wildlife,5 including:
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1,750 plant species
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373 bird species
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91 mammal species
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57 amphibian (ribbit!) and reptile species
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17 fish species
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8,400+ insect species
The Glen Canyon Dam, northeast of the Grand Canyon, was built for water storage and hydropower. Before the dam was constructed, the water level was higher. Over the years there have been several “simulated floods,� where huge amounts of water were released from the dam in order to restore the environment downstream, including the beaches that campers on river rafting trips need in order to haul out.
It probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the Grand Canyon National Park generates tourism dollars—but you may not have realized that it generates nearly half a billion dollars every year.6 In 2011, 4.3 million visitors to the park spent more than $467 million and supported 7,361 jobs in the state. From patronizing local hotels to participating in aerial sightseeing tours to camping, visitors help keep the local economy strong.
Since 1965 Papillon has been the world’s oldest and largest sightseeing company, flying an estimated 600,000 passengers a year on its daily Grand Canyon tours. With over forty unique excursions featuring spectacular sights of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Monument Valley, Page/Lake Powell, and unforgettable views of the Grand Canyon, Papillon is proud to offer guests an unparalleled perspective of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Visit www.papillon.com for tour information, or call (888) 635-7272.
Sources 1.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/getinvolved/supportyourpark/upload/GRCAparkthemes.pdf
2.
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/27/265437261/grand-canyon-may-be-older-andyounger-than-you-think
3.
http://www.nature.nps.gov/Geology/parks/grca/age/index.cfm
4.
http://geology.com/records/deepest-canyon.shtml
5.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/education/upload/EcoArticle-Dec2011-12.pdf
6.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/grand-canyon-national-park-tourismcreates-over-467-million-dollars-in-economic-benefit.htm