The Grand Canyon is one of the most famous spots on Earth. Attracting millions of visitors every year from all over the globe it’s an item on the bucket list of many. Have a look at these Facts About The Grand Canyon!
With a rich history like the Canyon, anyone who is a frequent tourist isn’t aware of all the details about this amazing natural wonder.
Read on for 20 fascinating facts about one of the most well-known destinations on Earth.
Facts About The Grand Canyon
- Grand Canyon National Park is larger than all of Rhode Island.
The Park is an enormous 1,904 square miles. Rhode Island is around 1,212 square miles. In some areas, the Canyon is more than a mile in-depth and is ten miles wide. - It is believed that the Hopi Tribe considers the Grand Canyon an entrance towards the next life.
It has been known that the tribe placed a great significance on the sacred site. They believe that when they die, the deceased travels westward to the “place of emergence,” located downstream from the confluence of Colorado and the Little Colorado rivers in the Canyon on their way to the next life. - The temperature can vary widely within the Canyon.
From the edge of the Canyon up down to its lowest point, temperatures vary by over 25 degrees. The Canyon’s deepest parts are known to be hot in summer, whereas those on the North Rim are often below freezing in winter. - The Canyon is filled with caves that are hidden.
There are around 1,000 caves inside the Canyon. However, only 335 have been documented. Only one cave is accessible to visitors. - In 1909, the Canyon was the location of a massive hoax.
The Arizona Gazette reported that archaeologists had discovered evidence of an earlier Tibetan or Egyptian civilization within an underground tunnel inside the Canyon. The Smithsonian denied the entire report by claiming they were unaware of archaeologists. Today conspiracy theorists believe that this was a cover-up by the government.
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Fun Facts About The Grand Canyon
- The Grand Canyon was once home to a bustling photography business!
The Kolb brothers realized that they could earn money by photographing tourists as they were taking photos of the Canyon for their personal use. They would snap photos of tourists leaving on mules and then sell the photos back after the tourists returned from their trip. Kolb Studio is located in Grand Canyon Village. Kolb Studio is located in Grand Canyon Village. - Although it’s the most famous, it is not the most famous. Grand Canyon is not the deepest Canyon in the world.
Depending on how deep the Canyon is determined, The Arizona landmark is just behind it. Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru and the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal. - One of the most deadly animals in the Canyon is the rock squirrel!
Although Gila bighorn sheep and monsters reside here, the visitors are often bitten by the humble squirrel. - The distance from North Rim Visitor Center to the South Rim Visitor Center is approximately 200 miles (320km) and takes approximately four hours.
This certainly puts the magnitude of this wonder into perspective! - It is not known for certain about the date of birth of the Grand Canyon.
It was widely believed that the Colorado River started carving out the Canyon around six million years ago. However, recent studies have revealed that this process could have begun 70 million years earlier.
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Interesting Facts About The Grand Canyon
- The Canyon is brimming with fossils.
While none of them originates from dinosaurs, as the canyon layers were created way before dinosaurs ever walked the Earth, it is where fossils of ancient marine creatures go back 1.2 billion years. (NPS photo taken by Michael Quinn) - There’s a town within the Canyon.
With a population of 208, Supai Village is the most isolated village in the continent of the United States. - It’s also the site of a major mystery!
The Grand Canyon displays a geological phenomenon referred to by the name of Great Unconformity. This phenomenon is related to the reality that 250 million-year-old rock layers are directly in contact with 1.2 billion-year-old rocks. There is no way to know what transpired in the millions of years that have gone by without layers. - The Canyon is the home of pink snakes.
This Grand Canyon Pink Rattlesnake is only located within the Grand Canyon and is one of the six rattlesnake species found within park limits. The snake’s color is pink due to its blend into the rocks surrounding it, making it more interesting when visitors catch an image of one. - some fewer people have completed a continuous hike in length more than Grand Canyon than have walked on the moon.
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Cool Facts About The Grand Canyon
- The air quality at Grand Canyon is clean. Grand Canyon is among the purest airways throughout the United States.
Take a deep breath! Its elevation on the South Rim is around 7,000 feet (2133m) above sea level. - It’s changing!
The Colorado River flows through the Canyon. When combined with rain and wind, its flow alters over time. It’s taking too long to be seen, but it’s evolving nonetheless. - The Federal Aviation Administration exists because of the Grand Canyon.
The 1950s saw commercial aircraft often make detours to the Park to offer visitors the chance to see the amazing. In 1956 however, two airplanes tragically collided. The crash left no survivors, which prompted federal authorities to set up the FAA. - Many split-twig-shaped figurines were discovered within the canyon walls. They’re designed to resemble bighorn and deer sheep.
Anthropologists believe that hunters from the past were involved in rituals of religious significance. - Grand Canyon is so big and diverse that visitors can experience entirely different ecosystems.
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