Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona. The canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and is largely contained in the Grand Canyon National Park — one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt mountain lions and enjoy the scenery.

Activities

Aside from casual sightseeing from the South Rim (averaging 7000 feet/2134 m above sea level), whitewater rafting and hiking are especially popular. The floor of the valley is accessible by hiking, muleback, or by boat or raft from upriver. Hiking down to the river and back up to the rim in one day is highly discouraged by park officials, due to the distance, effort required, and danger of heat exhaustion from the much higher temperatures at the bottom. Even hiking along the rim must be done with care in spots, and there are frequent warning signs posted along rim trails.

Related Topics:
Whitewater rafting - Heat exhaustion

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Commercially organized rafting trips, using 35-foot, 15 person "baloney boats" equipped with outboard engines, make the trip from Lee's Ferry to Diamond Creek in about six days. 18-foot rafts and dories powered only with oars and paddles take over two weeks to complete the journey. Sightseers are also carried over the canyon by helicopter.

Related Topics:
Lee's Ferry - Diamond Creek - Dories - Oar - Paddle

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In 1963, author and backpacker Colin Fletcher became the first man to walk the length of Grand Canyon National Park entirely within the rim of the canyon, as chronicled in his bestselling memoir The Man Who Walked Through Time.

Related Topics:
Colin Fletcher - The Man Who Walked Through Time

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In August of 2005, the Hualapai tribe announced that they were building, on their reservation 200 miles west of the main entrance of the National Park, a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway which will jut out 75 feet from the rim of the canyon and hang 4000 feet over the canyon floor. The walkway is scheduled to open in January of 2006. Admission will be $25.

Related Topics:
2005 - Hualapai - Reservation - 2006

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