About The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a massive canyon carved into the desert in northern Arizona. The Grand Canyon National Park was one of the first national parks, and one of the most visited in the country. Each year, visitors from all over the world come to view the spectacular rock formations from the canyon's rim.
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History
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The Grand Canyon was carved over time by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The process is thought to have taken over six million years, and as a result, the canyon exposes Proterozoic and Paleozoic rock. The Vishnu Schist formation, for example, exposes rock that is two billion years old. As a result of sedimentary deposition, the Grand Canyon displays strata that form the distinctive markings.
Size
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The Grand Canyon is over 275 miles long, and is over a mile deep at its deepest point. The width of the canyon ranges from four to eighteen miles.
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Geography
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Located on the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon runs between Lake Mead in Nevada and Lake Powell, which spans the Utah/Arizona border. The majority of the canyon is contained within Grand Canyon National Park. The Grand Canyon is bordered by the Kaibab National Forest, the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument to the north and the Havasupi and Hualapai Indian Reservations to the south. The most common access town for the South Rim is Flagstaff, and Jacob Lake is used by visitors to the North Rim.
Features
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Tourists flock to the Grand Canyon for its spectacular views, excellent photographic opportunities and picturesque hikes. Some of the most popular activities at the Grand Canyon are to watch the sunset and hike the Bright Angel Trail on the South Rim. More adventurous travelers book river-rafting tours on the Colorado River; be sure to book tours well in advance, as the park allows only a certain number of visitors on the river per day.
Considerations
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Weather around the Grand Canyon varies based on the time of the year and the area of the Canyon. The North Rim is generally cool, and receives enough snowfall that it is closed during the winter months. The South Rim is warm in the summer, but bearable, and does not get cold enough to keep away visitors even in the winter. The Inner Gorge is the anomaly; because of elevation differences, its temperature is generally at least 20 degrees warmer than either the North or South Rim.
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