Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is located in the northwestern region of Arizona, which is a southwestern part of the United States. Although the canyon stretches outside the boundaries of the park, the national park covers an area of 1,901.9 square miles (4,926 sq km). 

The remainder of the canyon is protected by the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, the Havasupai Indian Reservation, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Kaibab National Forest, and the Navajo Nation.

The Grand Canyon stretches 277 miles (446 km) long, reaching widths of up to 18 miles (29 km), and hitting depths of 6,093 feet (1,857 m). The Colorado River is the source of the river which carved out the gorge and canyon walls.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the second most visited national park in the United States. The canyon includes the smaller canyons created by tributaries that flow into the Colorado River from the various plateaus. 

The layers of colorful rock that paint the sides of the canyon walls combined with the enormous size and depth of the canyon are what draws visitors and create some of the most stunning landscape images.

The colors of the canyon change throughout the day as the sunlight lights the canyon walls from different angles. The colors further change with the seasons of the year, with the winter months adding snow-capped ridges and rock formations adding to the already stunning landscapes.

The park features a north and south rim with the South Rim experiencing about 90% of the visitor traffic. Apart from the South Rim, the majority of the park requires the use of pack trails or backcountry roads. The area is extremely rugged and attracts some of the more adventurous travelers who want to avoid the crowds and explore the park by hiking the trails.

Wildlife of Grand Canyon National Park includes the cougar, bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, coyote, and ring-tailed cats. While there are other birds of prey, the California condor is the largest and it is also on the IUCN endangered species list. Bald eagles are another highlight sighting.

The creepy crawly include the rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spiders, and canyon bats. Less creepy are the collared lizard and the Chuckwalla lizard.