Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
16
The Grand Canyon &
Northern Arizona
The Grand Canyon attracts mil-
lions of visitors from all over the world
each year. The pastel layers of rock weav-
ing through the canyon's rugged ramparts,
the interplay of shadows and light, the
wind in the pines, California condors soar-
ing overhead, and the croaking of ravens
on the rim—these are the sights and
sounds that transfix the hordes of visitors
who gaze awestruck into the canyon's
seemingly infinite depths.
Yet other parts of northern Arizona
contain worthwhile, and less crowded,
attractions. Only 60 miles south of the
canyon stand the San Francisco Peaks, the
tallest of which, Humphreys Peak, rises to
12,643 feet. These peaks, sacred to the
Hopi and Navajo, are ancient volcanoes
that today are popular with skiers, hikers,
and mountain bikers.
Amid northern Arizona's miles of wind-
swept plains and ponderosa pine forests
stands the city of Flagstaff, home to North-
ern Arizona University. Born of the rail-
roads and named for a flagpole, Flagstaff is
now the main jumping-off point for trips
to the Grand Canyon.
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THE GRAND CANYON SOUTH RIM
60 miles N of Williams; 80 miles NE of Flagstaff; 230 miles N of Phoenix; 340 miles N of Tucson
Whether you merely stand on the rim gazing in awe, spend several days hiking deep in
the canyon, or ride the roller-coaster rapids of the Colorado River, a trip to the Grand
Canyon is an unforgettable experience. A mile deep, 277 miles long, and up to 18 miles
wide, the canyon is so large that it is positively overwhelming in its grandeur, truly one
of the great wonders of the world.
Layers of sandstone, limestone, shale, and schist give the canyon its colors, and the
interplay of shadows and light from dawn to dusk creates an ever-changing palette of
hues and textures. Formed by the erosive action of the Colorado River as it flows through
the Kaibab Plateau, the Grand Canyon is an open book exposing the secrets of this
region's geologic history. Geologists believe it has taken 17 million years for the Colorado
River to carve the Grand Canyon, but the canyon's history extends much farther back in
time. Written in the canyon's bands of stone are more than 2 billion years of history.
Millions of years ago, vast seas covered this region. Sediments carried by seawater were
deposited and, over millions of more years, those sediments were turned into limestone
and sandstone. According to the most widely accepted theory, the Colorado River began
its work of cutting through the plateau when the ancient seabed was thrust upward to
form the Kaibab Plateau. Today, 21 sedimentary layers, the oldest of which is more than
a billion years old, can be seen in the canyon. Beneath all these layers, at the very bottom,
is a stratum of rock so old that it has metamorphosed, under great pressure and heat,
from soft shale to a much harder stone. Called Vishnu Schist, this layer is the oldest rock
in the Grand Canyon, dating from 2 billion years ago.
