Background
Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon, nearly 1,500 m deep, is the most spectacular gorge in the world. UNESCO says its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past two billion years, and that it holds prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment.
The park covers 4,926 square kilometres and was the 15th national park in the United States, created in 1919 after Theodore Roosevelt made it a national monument in 1908. Wikivoyage says nothing prepares a visitor for the sight: over a mile deep from rim to river, with an elevation change of nearly 7,000 feet from Point Imperial to Lake Mead.
- 1880sRailroads bring the canyon to American attention
- 1908Theodore Roosevelt makes it a national monument
- 1919Grand Canyon National Park is created
- 1979Inscribed as World Heritage
- 2019The park's centenary
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Grand Canyon VillageThe South Rim's viewpoints, historic buildings and the Bright Angel trailhead, with the crowds to match.
- 2Desert View WatchtowerMary Colter's tower at the east end, with the river in view.
- 3Hermit's RestAt the west end of Hermit Road, by the free shuttle.
- 4Rim TrailEasy walking along the edge with the great views.
- 5Bright Angel and South KaibabThe trails down into the canyon.
- 6North RimHigher, quieter and closed in winter.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
South Rim in a Day
Not yet in a GoGo guide
- 07:00Sunrise at Mather Point1 hrFirst light on the canyon walls.
- 08:30Rim Trail to Hermit's Rest3 hrsViewpoints by shuttle and on foot.
- 15:00Desert View Watchtower90 minThe east end and the river.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER
Pair It With
Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance
