if I -111 J \J \J I \J NATIONAL PARK - ARIZONA UNITED STATES Historic Events DEPARTMENT OF THE Grand 1540 Don Lopez de Cardenas, with 12 INTERIOR members of Coronado's expedition from Mexico, discovered Grand Harold L. Ickes, Secretary Canyon. Canyon 1776 Father Garces and Father Escalante, NATIONAL PARK Spanish padres, led exploring parties into Grand Canyon region. ARIZONA 1826 First Americans visited Grand Can­ SOUTH RIM OPEN ALL YEAR yon—James O. Pattie, beaver trap­ per, and his father. NORTH RIM OPEN SUMMER SEASON ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 1858 Lieut. Ives, heading first Govern­ Newton B. Drury, Director ment expedition, visited this re­ gion. LIGHTS AND SHADOWS IN THE CANYON 1869 Maj. J. W. Powell made the first E successful boat trip down the Colo­ HE Grand Canyon National 1,008 square miles, is 56 miles long, c o j\r j\r s rado River. Park contains one of the and contains 105 miles of the winding Colorado River. The Colorado River at the 1890-91 The Bright Angel Trail, following Tworld's greatest natural won­ Bottom of the Canyon . Cover an old Indian route, was con­ ders—the Canyon for which it is named. THE CANYON The Canyon 3 structed by a group of prospectors. This superb work of nature first im­ Geology of the Canyon ... 3 1892 Capt. John Hance built the first presses the visitor by its immensity. The The Canyon is 217 miles long, meas­ cabin on rim of the Canyon. ured by the river's course, and from 4 The Colorado River 4 vast distances from the rims down to to 18 miles in width, all within the Animal and Plant Life .... 4 1897 Grandview Hotel opened. A stage the surging Colorado River, looking using three changes of horses State of Arizona. It is 10 miles wide at Indians 4 like a narrow ribbon at the bottom of brought visitors from Flagstaff, 72 Yavapai Station. The bottom of the miles distant, in 12 hours. the gorge, are almost bewildering. Views from the Rims .... 4 Canyon below Yavapai Point is 2,500 As one views the Grand Canyon, its Exploring the Inner Trails ... 5 1898 Bucky O'Neil, one of Colonel feet above sea level, about 4,500 feet Roosevelt's Rough Riders, built a gorgeous, almost unbelievable coloring, Administration, Services, and below the South Rim, and 5,700 feet cabin at Rowe Well, 3 miles west made up of all hues of the rainbow, is Accommodations 6 of Grand Canyon Village. below the North Rim, making an aver­ constantly changing. When the colors South Rim 6 age depth of about 1 mile. 1900 The Bright Angel Hotel was estab­ shift and the shadows shorten and Motor, Saddle, and Airplane lished. One cabin and tents. Six of the seven climatic belts recog­ lengthen, the shapes of the towers, Trips 7 nized throughout America are repre­ 1901 September 18, first passenger train buttes, and pinnacles rising from the Schedule of Naturalist to the Grand Canyon. sented in the Grand Canyon region. Services 10 Canyon floor seem to change and some They vary from that of desert Mexico 1904 Hotel El Tovar was built. of the formations disappear entirely. Miscellaneous Services . 10 at the Canyon bottom to the Arctic- North Rim 12 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt pro­ To be appreciated fully, the Grand Alpine type on the nearby San Fran­ claimed Grand Canyon a national Canyon should be seen from both top cisco Peaks. Motor, Saddle, and Airplane monument. Trips 13 and bottom, as well as in relation to the 1919 Grand Canyon created a national absorbing region which surrounds it. GEOLOGY OF THE CANYON Schedule of Naturalist park by act of Congress. Only in this way can one fully appre­ Services 15 The Grand Canyon is the result of 1921 River Bridge at mouth of Bright ciate this vast wonderland. stream cutting, made possible by the Miscellaneous Services •. 15 Angel Creek built. Grand Canyon National Park was es­ combination of a semiarid climate and Auto Trips From Rim to Rim . " . 15 1928 Grand Canyon Lodge built. tablished by act of Congress, approved the high surface elevation (7,000 to February 26, 1919. It has an area of 9,000 feet) of the plateau. 2 Grand Canyon National Park • Arizona Grand Canyon National Park • Arizona 3 Exposed in the gorge is one of the along the lower walls of the Canyon of native stones on the brink of the rado. After a stop for luncheon, the most complete sections of rocks known. in many places, especially noteworthy Canyon, the tower commands one of icturn journey is made in easy stages, They range from Archean age (the old­ ones being at Clear Creek. the most breath-taking of Grand Can­ arriving on the rim in late afternoon. est known) to Permian. The old rocks Four Indian tribes live in the Grand yon views' and a startling panorama of Even more spectacular, from a scenic of the basement complex, tilted forma­ Canyon region today. The Navajo, a the Painted Desert. standpoint, is the trip over the Kaibab tions, breaks in the record which show pastoral people numbering about 48,- On the North Rim a paved highway Trail. Starting from the South Rim at the lapse of millions of years, molten 000, live in the largest Indian reserva­ extends from Grand Canyon Lodge Yaki Point, the downward journey un­ rock solidified into granite, and faults tion in the United States, just east of eastward to Point Imperial, Farview, folds an ever-changing panorama until are all represented in the canyon sec­ Grand Canyon. The Hopi, a pueblo Vista Encantada, and Cape Royal. The the Tip-Off is reached, from which tion of the broad arch of the plateau. farming people numbering about 2,500, highway, winding through a magnifi­ point the trip continues into the inner live on three mesas north of the Painted cent forest, emerges at the various obser­ canyon and across the 440-foot Colo­ THE COLORADO RIVER Desert. The Paiutes are found to the vation points for striking views of the rado River suspension bridge to Phan­ The Colorado, which empties into north. The Havasupai, an agricultural Canyon and the Painted Desert. An­ tom Ranch for dinner and an overnight the Gulf of California in Mexico, is the people, numbering about 200, live other interesting trip, and one of the stop. The return journey is made over second longest river in the United States, within the park boundaries in Havasu most beautiful in the park, is the wood­ the Kaibab or Bright Angel Trails, about 2,000 miles long, and it cuts 19 Canyon, west of Grand Canyon Village. land drive to Point Sublime. reaching the South Rim late in the major canyons along its course. At the afternoon of the second day. gauging station at Grand Canyon the THE VIEWS FROM THE RIMS EXPLORING THE INNER From the North Rim, the cross- river averages about 300 feet in width, The Grand Canyon should be seen TRAILS canyon Kaibab Trail starts down into varies from 12 to 45 feet in depth, and first from the many spectacular observa­ Exploring the Grand Canyon by de­ the Canyon from Bright Angel Point, flows at a speed of 21/2 to 10 miles an tion points on its two rims. Excellent scending the trails to its innermost fast­ descending into Roaring Springs Can­ hour. It carries past any given point motor roads, footpaths, and bridle paths nesses is a memorable experience. The yon through quaking aspen, fir, pine, an average of nearly 1 million tons of present view after view of the Canyon's descent is usually made on muleback in and oak brush to the Redwall limestone sand and silt every 24 hours. varied and ever-changing panorama. parties led by experienced guides. section. At the mouth of Manzanita Boulder Dam is 260 miles down­ The drive along the South Rim cov­ Hikers should make inquiry at the Creek, the trail enters Bright Angel stream from the Kaibab Suspension ers nearly 35 miles of well-paved roads. park office before attempting the Can­ Canyon. From this section may be seen Bridge. It does not affect the Grand It passes at times through interesting yon trips. The trip to the Colorado River one of the most beautiful sights on the Canyon's section of the river, as the pine forests, only to emerge at short in­ and return is very strenuous and one's entire trip — the spectacular springs water backs up in Lake Mead only to tervals upon startling views of the Can­ strength should not be overestimated. which gush forth with a roaring sound within 60 miles of the park. yon. Westward from El Tovar Hotel, Food and water should be carried. from beneath the Redwall limestone, ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE the drive includes Powell, Hopi, Mo­ There are two splendid trails from cascading down an oak-covered moun­ have, and Pima Points, each offering its Animal life in the park includes the South Rim to the Colorado River, tainside to the gorge 40 feet below. own superb view, and finally Hermit about 180 species of birds, 60 species of in the bottom of the Canyon. The one Farther down the picturesque Box Can­ Rest. This unique resthouse, built of yon of the Bright Angel Creek, and 5 mammals, 25 reptiles, and 5 amphib­ most frequently used is the famous Canyon boulders, is an attraction in miles above Phantom Ranch, is Ribbon ians. During the growing season both Bright Angel Trail. Every turn in this itself.