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The Grand Canyon in Arizona
Last post 06-08-2007 5:32 PM by Mike Leco. 0 replies.
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06-08-2007 5:32 PM
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Mike Leco
  - Joined on 06-06-2007
- Posts 393
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The Grand Canyon in Arizona
This was originally posted to our old Forum:
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Mike Leco
USATourist Administrator
Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 101
Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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 Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2004 9:20 am Post subject: The Grand Canyon in Arizona |
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The Grand Canyon National Park is the most popular natural scenic attraction in the USA. It is more than just a big hole in the ground. It is a spectacular natural wonder. The Grand Canyon is over 100 miles (150 km) long and 10 to 15 miles ((20 - 25 km) wide. The Colorado River flows 5,000 feet (1600 meters) below the rim of the canyon, but you can not even see it from most view points on the rim. The entire area within the canyon is filled with many smaller canyons, gorges, buttes, mesas and other exotic geological formations carved from the multihued rock layers. As the sunlight and clouds change throughout the day, the multilayered rock formations display a kaliedoscopic show of colors. It is well worth seeing.
If you are vacationing in Las Vegas, you can easily drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim in about 4 - 5 hours. The trip will take you past Hoover Dam and along parts of historic old route 66. It is a nice overnight trip. Our page of Southwest driving tours gives you more information. http://www.usatourist.com/english/places/swdrivingtour.html
You can also visit the Grand Canyon by taking one of the tours out of Las Vegas. The tour operators will pick you up at your hotel, take you to the Grand Canyon via bus, helicopter or airplane, and return you to your hotel a few hours later. This is a great way to see the canyon without spending a lot of time driving. You can do it in a single day or even a half day. Here is more information about the tours: http://www.usatourist.com/english/affiliates/showvegas/grandcanyontours.html
If you look at a map, you will see that the South Rim Visitor Center is about 200 miles southeast of Las Vegas while the North Rim Visitor Center is about 200 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The West Rim is not even marked on most maps. To avoid confusion, let me explain the differences.
The South Rim Visitor Center is the most popular tourist destination. It has the best views of the canyon and the most tourist attractions. There are good roads along the rim with dozens of tourist vistas, but it does suffer from overuse. You must park your car and take free National Park Service tour buses to see many of the views. There are hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, grocery stores, souvenir shops, an airport and many other tourist amenities within a few miles of the South Rim.
The North Rim is just 20 miles (25 km) due north of the South Rim Visitor Center but it is a long 250-mile, 5-hour drive by road. The North Rim has far fewer visitor attractions and less developed vistas and lookouts. It attracts many campers, hikers and wilderness buffs that prefer isolation from the tourist crowds. It usually closes in the winter months due to snowfall closing of the roads.
The West Rim is located on the western edge of the Grand Canyon outside of the National Park. It is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The Grand Canyon is not as wide or as deep in this area but the views are still quite spectacular. Many of the tour operators prefer to visit this Indian-owned part of the canyon because it is closer to Las Vegas and the regulations are more lax than in the park. The West Rim is only a 2.5 hour drive from Vegas and the Hualapai Indians allow the tour helicopters to descend down into the canyon for more spectacular views.
If you are planning a tour of the Southwest, the Grand Canyon is a "must-see" attraction along the way. If you are only visiting Las Vegas, you should consider at least a day trip to see this scenic wonder of the world. | |
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