The Grand Canyon in the USA (photo) is one of America's oldest national parks. The Grand Canyon or the Grand Canyon is located in the state of Arizona, it extends over an area of about 5 thousand square meters. km. In 1908, the Grand Canyon was given the status of a national natural monument. 1917 was marked by the assignment of the status of the National Park to the canyon. In 1979, another natural monument was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Grand Canyon in the US appeared much earlier than previously thought. Many millennia ago, another canyon was located here, formed by a river that flowed in the opposite direction, and a modern one appeared in its place. In accordance with these facts, American scientists have revised the geological age of this rock formation, and from 6 million years it has been increased to 17.
Even before the opening of the National Park, these amazing places attracted a large number ofexplorers and travelers. Today, tourists from all over the world with bated breath come to the edge of the abyss to enjoy the amazing views. And it is in this case that the expression “it is better to see once than to hear many times” fits best. The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1800 meters deep and about 350 km long. The width over the entire depth has obvious differences, so at the level of the plateau it ranges from 8 to 25 km, and at the very bottom it is only 800 meters. In some places, the gorge narrows to a mark of 120 m. For many thousands of years, the rocks have been eroded by the waters of the Colorado River and this gorge of grandiose size has become the result. This process has not stopped even today, although it occurs very slowly and almost imperceptibly to the eye. The rate of deepening is approximately 15 m per million years.
Especially the great American Canyon surprises with its color scheme. This is influenced by the time of year or day and the amazing play of shadows. Depending on these factors, everything that is located in the gorge becomes either pink-blue, then black-brown, or white-purple. To see this magnificent phenomenon, millions of tourists come to this place and climb the numerous observation platforms. You can get into the canyon from the south side, through Flagstaff or William. On this side there is also a village specially designed for tourists - the Grand Canyon.
For those who want to see the Grand Canyon in the USA and communicate with nature one on one, comebest on the north side from Jacob Lake on Arizona Route 67. It should be noted that in winter this road is almost impassable. You can even spend the night in the National Park, travelers often stop at the tourist center "Canyon View Information Plaza", and nature lovers can wait for the Mazer campsite, where you can set up a tent. A particularly unusual place to stay for the night will be the small village of Phantom Ranch, which is nestled at the very bottom of the canyon. To explore the Grand Canyon in the USA, you can go on bus tours organized near the south entrance to the park. Narrow paths lead to the bottom of this unique mountain formation, along which you can go down on your own or on a mule. Rafting down the Smooth Water River, which lasts about 5 hours, will leave no less interesting impressions. And some companies even offer helicopter sightseeing tours.
Don't forget that significant changes in air temperature are common for this place. Even in the hottest time, you need to have warm clothes with you. After all, towards evening the temperature drops to several degrees above zero.
