Located in northern Arizona, this huge gorge is the largest natural attraction in the United States. Much of the grand gorge is part of the Grand Canyon National Park, covering 4,950 sq. km (length – 433 km, width – from 180 m to 28.8 km). The depth of the unique canyon is on average 1.6 km. The Grand Canyon Park area is divided by the Colorado River into 2 parts: South Rim (the most accessible to tourists) and North Rim (more remote and less visited). Along the high (over 2 km) walls of the gorge, consisting of different strata of rock, one can “read” the history of earthly transformations over the millions of years of the planet’s existence.
This is successfully done by geologists who determine the quality of each layer: marine sediments of the once warm sea, petrified desert sand, layers of limestone, granite, clay, shale. There are hiking trails in the park for group hikes to the sights of the amazing nature reserve. Both parts are connected by a suspension bridge across the river. Colorado. Tourists walk 34 km, including a vertical descent along the walls of the canyon and the same ascent to a height of 1.6 km.
Given the complexity of such extreme hikes, they are carried out with the participation of experienced guides, with the organization of overnight stays. You can travel by car through the canyon from South Rim to North Rim, covering 354 km and crossing the canyon through the Navajo Bridge (122 m long). Both areas of the Grand Canyon are visited by millions of tourists, for whom all the necessary infrastructure has been created: hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, cafes have been opened. In the local village of Grand Canyon Village, there are many viewpoints and free public transport. The tourist boom is always here, with the exception of winter and late autumn.