At 1,904 square miles Grand Canyon National Park is easily bigger Rhode Island at 1,212 square miles. The canyon is over a mile deep and 10 miles wide at some points. From the rim to the bottom of the canyon temperatures can vary by as much as 25 degrees. The river that flows through the canyon is the Colorado River. No one knows how old the Grand Canyon is. The river could have started carving out the canyon anywhere from 6 million to 70 million years ago.
The drive from the North Rim Visitors Center to the South Rim Visitors center is about 400 miles. The canyon itself is over 700 miles long. Only 12 people have hiked the full length of the canyon in one push. There are no towns for resupply, no base camps for logistics support, and no trails for much of the canyon which is why do few have traversed the entire thing.
There is a pink snake called the Grand Canyon Pink Rattlesnake and is only found in the Grand Canyon. It is one of six rattlesnakes found in the area. Other animals found in the canyon include gila monsters and big horn sheep. The most injuries to visitors from animals at the canyon don’t actually come from any of these animals, it comes from bites from the rock squirrel.
A lot of people think the Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world but it actually comes in third behind Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru and the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Nepal.
In the depths of the canyon there is a small village called Supai and it is the most remote community in the lower 48 states. The Havasupai Tribe has inhabited the area since 1300 AD. The village is only accessible only by foot, pack animal, or helicopter. The U.S. Postal Service delivers mail via mule.
If you want to plan a visit check out the National Park Service here
