The Canyon
Its sheer size and beauty humble the human soul. To stand at her edge and view the dramatic and exquisite colors as the sunlight dances upon her walls, is an experience words alone cannot describe. To hear and view the Hawks soaring from the inner cliffs take you back to an ancient time when buffalo and native Indians ruled this land.
And ancient she is, over two billion years in the making, just a drop of geological time. Her every layer of rock, limestone, sandstone, schist and shale are exposed bearing geological secrets for all to behold. This vast beauty stretching as much as 277 miles in length, 4,000 feet deep at the deepest points and 15 miles wide at the widest points is best enjoyed not in video, photograph or depiction, but in person.
With an abundance of caves, gorges, canyons, plateaus, cliffs and valleys, and the rushing waters of the mighty Colorado at the base, this could well be the greatest natural spectacle on earth. Witness the grandeur of nature's opus up close and personal as you imagine how the Colorado River carved her every layer and deposited precious life along her walls.
With several eco-systems and five of seven life categories, this is perhaps the greatest known example of geological time, marking millions of years of biology, geology, archeology and paleontology. Host to many rare and endangered animal and plant species, the Canyon has become a fiercely protected and revered monument to those who want to preserve her natural state.
Because of ongoing efforts to protect this national treasure, visitors are encouraged to enlist the help of professional Tour Guides or National Park Rangers for assistance in foot travel (hiking). If you are traveling by motor coach, please do not stray from your group and remember, all refuse should be properly disposed of in the many receptacles located throughout the park. Whatever method you choose to visit, please take care to leave our precious natural resources as you find them.
