Welcome to The Grand Canyon!

Located in Nothern Arizona, The Grand Canyon is 6000 feet deep and 18 miles wide at its deepest and widest points. If that wasn't big enough, the canyon itself runs for 277 miles. This massive wonder of nature began being carved out 5-6 million years ago by the Colorado River. The immense power of this river was able to cut through countless layers of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock, giving us a peak into what the Earth was like 2 billion years ago, when the first layer of rock was formed. Many of these layers have even provided scientists with fossils to analyze. As you explore this webpage, you will learn the ins and outs of what made the Grand Canyon all that it is today.

Forming this Natural Wonder

A Journey Through Time

What not to miss!

Keynotes of the Grand Canyon

Downcutting, downcutting, downcutting** - This massive canyon is special because of the rapid downcutting and erosion that formed it. The sheer power of the Colorado River racing through this dry climate, coupled with the flash floods it experienced for millions of years are responsible for this unparalleled canyon.

Grand Staircase - Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and everything in between are connected. This entire area contains progressively younger and higher cliffs (Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks with the youngest and highest) that literally form a giant staircase. In fact, if you are looking south from Cedar Breaks cliffs, you can see the top of Zion National Park, and in the distance (if you could see that far) the lowest step would be the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Rocky Terrain - The Grand Canyon is made up of rugged terrain, with slippery cliffs and narrow inlets. This makes it a very challenging, and potentially dangerous place to hike and explore. A lot of research and preparation should be done before embarking on a hike within the canyon.

Brilliant Strata - The Grand Canyon’s walls are layered with beautiful sunset colors. The iconic color palette ranges from beige-pinks all the way to vivid reds and oranges.

This diagram shows the various layers that the Colorado River exposed as it downcut to form the Grand Canyon. The volcanism shown in this diagram is explained in more detail on our Geologic Processes page.

Arid Climate - Northern Arizona is incredibly dry throughout the year. The average humidity can get as low as 18% in the summer months. This dryness means the packed dirt trails in the canyon can be quite slippery and that visitors will experience dehydration much more rapidly than in more humid climates.

Diverse Weather - The Grand Canyon sees a wide range of weather every year. Its position in Northern Arizona means that the canyon experiences everything from hundred degree heat to many inches of snow. The size of the canyon also means that the North Rim can experience very different weather from the South Rim. For example, the North Rim averages 142 inches of snow each year, while the South Rim averages only 58 inches.

Natural Light - The sheer scale of the Grand Canyon means that it receives tons of direct sun each day. With virtually no natural shelter within the canyon, hikers must prepare for direct heat and sun for the duration of their day-time hikes. This light also makes the Grand Canyon the perfect place to watch a sunrise or a sunset, which attracts many photographers every year.

Centenarian Park - This park is 104 years old as of 2023. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared the Grand Canyon a National Park in order to protect it for all the generations to come. Today over 6 million people visit the park annually from all over the world.

All Three Kinds of Rock

Sedimentary Rock

Sedimentary rock is formed on or near the surface of our Earth, when layer upon layer of sediment is deposited over an area. Over time, the pressure from the overlying sediment compacts the lower layers into this kind of rock.

Igneous Rock

Igneous rock forms when magma or lava cools and crystallizes. Magma forms deep inside Earth and becomes lava when it emerges onto the surface of Earth. This can occur both on the surface of earth at volcanoes or while the melted rock is still inside the crust.

Metamorphic Rock

Metamorphic rock begins as either a sedimentary rock, an igneous rock, or another kind of metamorphic rock. To form a metamorphic rock, the existing rock must be exposed to high heat, high pressure, or a hot, mineral rich fluid. The existing rock must remain solid and not melt into magma.

Please enjoy this video as a brief overview of what our website will cover.

**Click on red underlined text to learn more information from our other related pages!**

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