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GRAND_CANYON_GOOD_TO_KNOW
Photograph by Michael Smith. A view of the Grand Canyon from down in the Colorado River. |
| An Abundance of Plant & Animal Life |
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When you first see the 1.2 million acres of sublime emptiness of the Grand Canyon, you may wonder what it must have been like to discover this, to suddenly find it without knowing it ever existed, without first seeing a thousand pictures.
Then this boundless, almost abstract place, a chasm 10 miles wide, 277 miles long and a mile deep quietly appears and no matter what you've heard or seen, the sight still makes your jaw hit the limestone.
If you're from a big city like New York, for example, where there never seems to be enough space for anything, it’s staggering to realize that two Long Islands could fit inside it placed end to end.
Within this big space, the canyon fits in more than 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammal, 47 reptile, nine amphibian, 17 fish, and one human species, not to mention the occasional reported sighting of the rare desert sasquatch.
Some 12 overlooks can be accessed along the approximately 30 paved miles of road in the park, stretching from the South Rim's Hermits Rest Route (west) and Desert View Drive (east). Short hiking trails spread out from many of the scenic overlooks but be warned, there are few guard rails, so falling off the edge is a distinct possibility if you get stupid, which apparently a few sightseers do every year.
The South Rim is open all year and receives 90% of the park's visitors; the North Rim, at 8,200 feet, is colder and closes after mid-October. The South Rim gets very busy during summer peak season and traffic can get thick. The Hermits Rest Route is closed to private vehicles April through December. Free shuttle buses are provided to access those viewing points.
The North Rim is much less accessible and contains few accommodations, but some people like it that way. Further development of the far side of the canyon has met with stiff opposition, the feeling that one commercialized half is enough. |
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GRAND_CANYON_ROADTRIPS
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Click on a trip below to adopt the trip. You can change the dates, add your preferences, or even rearrange the items in the Trip Plan, then plot the trip and save it as your own.
Road trips around the Grand Canyon
GRAND CANYON - FAMILY TRIP
Breath-taking views, museums and railways.
For details see article on: 
GRAND CANYON - HISTORICAL
Fossils, buildings, and trails all speak of a curious history of the land.
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