The Colarado River's Grand Canyon is arguably North America's most famous natural attraction. Pictures and words alone cannot grasp the scale and intensity of this massive slice throught he Southwestern desert. You have to stand on the rim, peer down nto it yourself and allow your eyes to soak up the multilayered rocks, cliffs and crevices; the river rushing so far below; the pale blue of the hot sky; and all that Space in between.
Initially dismissed as little more than an obstacle to exploration, the Canyon first drew 19th century miners bent on exploiting its rich natural resources. Native American resistance and the lack of water sloed down development, but by the time Fredrick Jackson Turner declared the end of the American frontier in 1893, entrepreneurs had transformed the canyon into one of the country's most celebrated destinations. Today the park attracts 5 million visitors from around the world each year.
The Grand Canyon's dramatic scenery enthralls even the most jaded visitors and leaves them agaped. The Grand Canyon is a mile deep and averages 10 miles wide. Snaking along its floor are 277 miles of the Colarado River, which has carved the Canyon over the past six million years and exposed rocks upto two billion years old. The two rims of the Grand Canyon offer quite different experiences and as they lie more than 200 miles apart by road, are rarely visited on the same trip.
Most visitors opt for the South Rim which boasts easy access, the bulk of services and the panoramic vistas for which the Park is famous. The North Rim has its own charms, at 8,200ft elevation (1,000 ft higher than the South Rim), its cooler temperatures support the wildflower meadows and tall, thick stands of aspen and spruce.
While the South Rim is open year-round, most visitors come between late May and early September. The North Rim is open from mid-May to mid-October.
The entrance ticket for the Park is $20 for vehicles and $10 for bicyclists/pedestrians. The ticket is valid for seven days and can be used at both rims.
The only regularly scheduled bus service is OPEN ROAD TOURS, which runs twice-daily shuttles to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff for $20. The contact number for OPEN ROAD TOURS is 928-226-8060, 800-766-7117
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