AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, O'Neil Butte

The Grand Canyon is the largest canyon in the world. It stretches 277 miles along the Colorado River and averages 20 miles in width. It is over a mile deep! Bordered on the north by the Glen Canyon Dam (that created Lake Powell) and on the west by the Hoover Dam (that created Lake Mead). Dams which today halt the once rampaging Colorado River that created this canyon.

The grandeur of Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls was first documented by scientist and Civil War veteran Major John Wesley Powell and ten other explorers who traveled down the Colorado River in 1869. Powell's exploration of the Grand Canyon was instrumental in depicting the scenic splendor of this region and obtaining congressional support for its protection. In this regard, John Wesley Powell can be duly credited with being the "Father of the Grand Canyon National Park".

AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, the Powell expedition
(photo courtesy Library of Congress, dated 1871)

The walls of the canyon span two billion years of the earth's evolution on its mile deep cliffs. Deposits that began in the Precambrian and include black sediment from an ancient ocean that is visible in the deepest sections of the canyon. Covered by alternating layers of white, red, and gray sediment that describe the rise and fall of the sea that once covered most of Arizona. The ocean's final retreat beginning a change in the landscape that included the formation of swamps, rivers, and forests. The pale gray Kaibab limestone seen at the surface of the canyon is the youngest sediment. A mere 250 million years old.

The National Park Service divides the canyon into two distinct sections ie. the North and South Rims. They are 11 miles apart on foot but 215 miles by car. There are no bridges across this great chasm divided by the Colorado River but there are two major hiking trails. The 10 mile long and very popular Bright Angel Point Trail and the steeper and more strenuous 7 mile South Kaibab Trail. Both trails descend 4,000 feet to the Colorado River and connect the North and South Rims of the canyon. The South Kaibab trail curves around the ever present O'Neill Butte and connects to the North Kaibab Trail at the Colorado River. It is another 15 miles along the North Kaibab Trail to the North Rim lodge. Hiking both the South and North Kaibab Trails in one day is not recommended. In fact the National Park Service does not recommend hiking the South Kaibab Trail to the river since it will take a well seasoned hiker and all day to get back. If you are in good shape and bring plenty of water a hike to the river and back can be done. It took me 7 hours (14 mi roundtrip).

Campgrounds at the South Rim include Desert View (50 sites, open from mid-April through mid-October) and Mather (350 sites, open year-round). Reservations at Mather can be made from March through November by calling (800) 365-CAMP or visiting http://reservations.nps.gov. Travel plans can be made up to five months in advance beginning on the 5th of each month.

The Desert View Campground is located 25 miles east of Mather and is available on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations). The North Rim Campground is open from mid-May to mid-November with 80 sites, showers, but no hookups. It affords the visitor a more secluded view of the canyon without the crowds or traffic congestion common at the South Rim during the summer. The Grand Canyon is the second most visited National Park in America with 4.2 million annual visitors. Great Smoky is the most visited National Park with Yosemite placing third.

Trips to the North Rim are recommended in the peak summer season. The North Rim is an average of 1000 feet higher and 8 degrees cooler in the summer than the South Rim. Camping is also available outside the park in the Kaibab National Forest.

AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, View of the Bright Angel Point Trail from high above

AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, South Kaibab Trail

One of the most scenic roads through the park is the 44 mile Kaibab Plateau Scenic Byway. Taking you through dense forests, alpine lakes, and some of the most stunning overlooks the Grand Canyon has to offer. Beginning at Jacobs Lake at the North Rim; the byway climbs to Point Imperial that overlooks the 8,372 feet Mt Hayden butte. Finally ending at Cape Royal (photo below) that overlooks the 7,299 foot Freya Castle and the 7,529 foot Vishnu Temple buttes.

AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, hiking along the South Kaibab Trail

AZ, Grand Canyon National Park, Another closeup along the South Kaibab Trail

Accommodations at the North Rim are found at the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. An imposing structure with stone walls, cathedral ceilings, log beams, and hardwood floors. Epitomizing the best of western rustic architecture with a spectacular view. It joins a premier group of classic National Park hotels which include the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone, the Many Glacier Hotel in the Glacier National Park (Montana), and the Grand Canyon Lodge.