Grand Canyon National Park

The Grand Canyon National Park is located in Arizona. It is one of the most famous and most visited places in the U.S., and sees an average of 5.9 million visitors a year. The park opened in 1919.

Geology

The Grand Canyon National Park includes the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. The Colorado River has been carving away rock for five to six million years. The Grand Canyon includes many rock layers including the Colorado Plataea which is the top layer of rock of the Grand Canyon.

Wildlife

The Grand Canyon National Park is home to many animals but most animals are nocturnal so visitors will not see them. Bighorn sheep, California condors, Gila monsters, mule deer, elk, squirrels, lizards, snakes, frogs, insects and more live in the park. There are 450 species of birds. The most dangerous animal found in the park is the rock squirrel because it is known to bite people if they try to feed it. You should not feed any wild animals in the park.

Things to Do

Visitors can travel through the park by hiking and walking, bicycling, driving, or riding the Grand Canyon Railway. People often enjoy camping, South Rim mule trips, white water and smooth water rafting trips, exploring the Cave of Domes, and visiting the North Rim and the South Rim.

Fun Facts

No dinosaur bones have been found in the canyon due to the canyon not forming until after dinosaurs were gone. However, lots of other fossils have been found.

There are very few fish found in the Colorado River due to floods, silt (a mix of sand and clay), and extreme temperatures in the summer and winter.

Supai Village is located at the base of the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It is home to 208 people and is not accessible by road. Their mail is delivered by pack mules.

Source: National Park Service https://www.nps.gov/