May 21 2007
The Grand Canyon - USA Travel Cities Blog
Based in Arizona, the Grand Canyon is a beautiful and spectacular site that is a must see! It is a is a very colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, which has several other gorges, canyons, fissures worn into the rock with unusual buttes, mesas and rock spires standing between them. The canyon was formed by the Colorado River cutting a channel over about six million years and is 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles (0.4 to 24 kilometers), and attains a depth of more than a mile (1.6 km).
The Grand Canyon was first sited by García López de Cárdenas from Spain in 1540, but was not very popular until it became famous after the Civil War. This spectacular canyon is a site for various activities like hiking and a very popular tourist attraction, with tourist coming from all over the world just to view this beautiful gorge which is largely contained in one of the first national parks in the United States the Grand Canyon National Park.
You can experience the South Rim Visitor Center which offers the best views of the Canyon and is the most visited area by tourist. The South Rim Visitors Center has the most facilities in the Canyon and is the most accessible. You can also view the North Rim and the West Rim but they both have less view points but are largely famous for backpackers, hikers and wilderness campers who especially like the North Rim but it closes from late October to mid May. The West Rim is favored by many Las Vegas tour operators, as it is only a three-hour drive from the Vegas Strip and is located on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Hiking is one of the best ways to view the large canyon and you will love the experience.
The best trail to hike would be the Bright Angel Trail that departs from the Grand Canyon Village and is the most popular route. The trail is a well maintained and has drinking water supplies at several points which are a necessity while hiking the Grand Canyon.
If you are looking for a place to stay, you can try the Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim, which has several hotels and restaurants, a gas station, grocery store, a Laundromat and several souvenir shops and is maintained by the National Park. Six miles south of the Grand Canyon Village you will find the little village of Tusayan which also a lovely place to stay and has several private hotels, a grocery store, some restaurants, some souvenir shops, gas stations, a few convenience stores, a couple of bars, an IMAX theater and a small airport.
