If
you’ve ever doubted the power of
water, just visit the Grand Canyon. The
Grand Canyon is a perfect example of what
one river (the Colorado River) can do
over the span of thousands of years. The
Canyon itself is situated in the middle
of Grand Canyon National Park, which encompasses
1,218,375 square acres of Arizona wilderness.
The Canyon itself is immense, averaging
4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles.
It is 6,000 feet deep at its deepest point
and 15 miles at it’s widest.
The land around the canyon is semi-arid
and consists of raised plateaus and structural
basins that one might see all though out
the Southern United States. Forests are
found at higher elevations while the lower
elevations are comprised of a series of
desert basins. It is impossible to take
at bad picture at the Grand Canyon; the
vistas and steep canyon walls are breathtaking.
Sloping steeply upward there are many
natural balconies and walkways that drop
thousands of feet, offering fantastic
views of the Canyon below.
As
well as being beautiful the park is also
the home of thousands of animals. It is
home to numerous rare species found only
at The Canyon; specially protected and
endangered plant and animal species are
all over the place. Over 1,500 plant,
355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9
amphibian, and 17 fish species can be
found in the park found in the park. Keep
in mind thought that touching or feeding
the animals is strictly forbidden.
Well known for its geologic significance,
the Grand Canyon is one of the most studied
geologic places in the world. Here geologists
can easily study four distinct eras of
geological time, a rich and diverse fossil
record, a vast array of geologic features
and rock types, and numerous caves containing
extensive and significant discoveries
of every kind. Grand Canyon Nation Park
is a tourist attraction of epic proportions
and is a “world heritage site”.
Thousands of visitors come to the park
each year to see the Grand Canyon (perhaps
on their way to or from the Hoover Dam)
and to camp for a week or two.
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