Grand Canyon National PArk: A Vein of Life in the American West

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December 11th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Grand Canyon National Park is an intriguing composition of desert geography encompassing one of the most extraordinary natural landmarks in North America. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and more than a mile deep. It formed as the Colorado River cut through the rocky plateau over many years, and the ground lifted up around the tremendous gorge that formed. Today, about 5 million visitors travel to the park to enjoy the spectacular panoramic vistas from the edge of the canyon, and many people say that it tops their list of dream style vacations with in the continental US.

The South Rim of Grand Canyon is by far the most visited area of the park. The North Rim offers guest services and accommodation too, however it is more desolate then it’s southern counterpart and not as easy to access. Several of the guest services at the South Rim are open throughout the year. The North Rim is open mid-May through mid-October. Driving around the canyon to each end takes about 5 hours. The hike across the Grand Canyon from rim to rim is 21 miles, but this is not recommended for a day hike, especially in the intense heat. Overnight trips at Grand Canyon National Park require a backcountry permit through the Park Service.

The majority of the park is Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert is an ecosystem of unique beauty and character. Here you will find beautiful scenes such as hanging gardens with beautiful flowering plants and trees, as well as many interesting desert creatures and landscapes. The Colorado River is a habitat for a lot of wildlife near the river including beavers and amphibians such as the canyon treefrog, red-spotted toad, and the rare Leopard frog. There are also squirrels, coyotes, and more than 45 types of reptiles in this region.

The Grand Canyon also consists of a large part of the Mojave Dessert where you will find many of the features that you would expect from a desert habitat including cacti, desert lily, sage and prairie clover. However the Grand Canyon is not all dessert, further up the canyon and in the higher elevations of the Kaibab Plateau you will find a more alpine-like setting with conifer forests and pines along with larger mammals such as deer, elk and big horn sheep.

There are great opportunities to tour the park with or without a guide. Get a birds-eye-view of the park by utilizing one of the air-tour guides in the area. Some businesses offer Jeep tours as another way to explore the terrain and observe the wilderness up close. The Colorado River rushes through the middle of the canyon, making whitewater rafting a very popular tourist activity and a great way for visitors to cool off. There are also float trips that take advantage of the river’s more amiable stretches allowing for a more leisurly trip. There are reputable businesses around the park providing these recreation services. The National Park Service also offers ranger programs, exhibits, and other tours of the area seasonally.

To learn more about the Grand Canyon National Park, and the accommodations, activities and attractions that are available there, visit www.USParkLodging.com/grandcanyon and visit Dream Style Vacation Club to learn how to double your vacation time and create a better lifestyle!

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