I am really excited to spotlight the Grand Canyon as my Featured Travel Destination for the month of March. It’s been a while since I wrote extensively about a national park, and the Grand Canyon is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, so it’s about time we give it some love.
More than four million people visit each year, making it the second most-visited national park in America, behind only Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee.
As with the 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Yellowstone post, you may already know some of these items, but hopefully you’ll pick up a few new facts.
1 Members of one Native American tribe still live inside the canyon
The Havasupai (which means “people of the blue-green waters”) have a reservation that borders Grand Canyon National Park. Their village is located near Havasu Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River that often sees flash floods.
Outside visitors are welcome, but you’ll have to be truly committed. It’s a minimum 8-mile hike from the nearest road into the Supai village, and you’ll pay an entry fee of $35 per person. Here’s more official info on the Havasupai.
2 There’s more than 1 billion years worth of rock exposed at the canyon
If you hike down into the canyon, you’ll walk past more than 1 billion years of rock. The canyon itself was supposedly formed between 5 and 17 million years ago. Either way you look at it, that’s seriously ancient. The canyon is 277 miles long, a mile deep, and 18 miles across at its widest point.
3 You can’t buy bottled water in the park
The Canyon is going green! As of March 10, 2012, the Canyon is officially eliminating the sale of water in disposable containers. This decision came after a study determined that 20 percent of the park’s waste came from plastic water bottles.
So what’s a thirsty hiker to do at the Grand Canyon? The park has free water stations throughout, so bring your own water container and fill it up as much and as often as you like.
4 It snows – sometimes a lot
The picture of the Grand Canyon most people have is that of a hot, dry place, but the North Rim, which sits 1,000 feet higher than the South, sees colder temperatures and plenty of snow in the winter months.
Sometimes, the main road to the canyon on the northern side will have to be closed due to inclement weather. I visited in late May and found snow on the ground. Not a ton, but enough for a snowball fight!
5 It takes five hours to drive from one side of the canyon to the other
Thankfully, nobody has yet built a bridge across the canyon, so even though the North Rim and South Rim are only about 10 miles apart straight across, you have to drive all the way around the canyon to get from one side to the other.
That’s a 215-mile, five-hour drive. Most people don’t bother to visit both rims of the canyon since it’s such a long trek. If you like, you can take the Transcanyon Shuttle, the daily bus that travels from the North Rim to the South Rim and back once a day. Round-trip cost is $150 per person.
6 Lots of people die there
“Lots” is a relative term, but there are plenty of stories of people dying at the Grand Canyon – enough that some books have been written on the subject. In 2009, 12 people died there – one from a heart attack, one from suicide, and 10 from accidents. That was a fairly typical year.
Approximately 53 people fell to their deaths from the canyon rims from 1925 to 2005, with another 48 deaths inside the canyon. On rare occasions, people have even driven their vehicles straight into the canyon off the South Rim, Thelma and Louise style. People also have to be rescued on occasion. The last time I visited, I witnessed some sort of helicopter airlift out of the canyon. I don’t know if it was a person or supplies, but something was being transported out.
7 The Canyon was unknown to Europeans until 1540
It’s believed that Spanish explorers and soldiers, traveling with Hopi guides, reached the canyon in 1540. The next contact with the site from Europeans didn’t come until 1776, and then not until the 1820s. It’s hard to believe that this massive American treasure was virtually unknown and unexplored by non-Native Americans just 200 years ago.
8 You can hike from one side to the other
The South Kaibab Trail is the one path that goes down into the canyon, crosses the Colorado River and comes back up the other side. It’s a 21-mile hike, which means that you’ll have to camp within the canyon overnight to complete it. And temperatures inside the canyon can be up to 30 degrees hotter than at the rim. Definitely not a trip for beginners!
9 There’s an official Grand Canyon webcam
Check it out here, but you’re not going to see much happening. It’s a view looking north from the South Rim at Yavapai Point. On a clear day, the visibility is 225 miles. The webcam also provides weather information like temperature, wind speed, humidity and precipitation.
You can’t get bottled water at Muir Woods either and I think this is a great new trend. People are pigs and leave their trash everywhere! At least, this is one less thing they will leave.
Jan Ross recently posted..#The Great Hair Product Project of 2012: The Inns at El Rancho Merlita
I agree, this is a good trend.
Love this post. One of my favorite places in the world. About the snow — I went there in January once & it was absolutely gorgeous. I didn’t realize that so many people died there each year. Very sad.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..Dressed to Impress
I would love to see it covered in snow!
Awesome! I didn’t know these facts — and definitely taking note of the “lots of people die here.” We’d love to hike the Rim-to-Rim. No doubt that we will one day, just don’t want to go into it naively. Great photos, too! Nice post.
The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) recently posted..Lake Placid’s Ubu Ale: The best beer ever?
I’m up for a rim to rim hike someday too!
I’m surprised about the bottled water but I see why.
Would be nice to hike it.
InsideJourneys recently posted..Soulful Sundays: Freddie McGregor
Banning bottled water seems to be the latest trend.
Love the Grand Canyon! And, even though you said that most people don’t visit both rims (in fact, only about 10% of visitors ever make it to the North Rim!), it is TOTALLY worth that long drive!! My sister and I visited both rims in one day last summer, and it was great.
Amanda recently posted..DOs and DON’Ts on a Great American Road Trip
I bet the percentage of people who have seen both rims in one day is very small. Congrats!
You’re right, I didn’t know these! We contemplated visiting the Grand Canyon when we were in the RV, but we didn’t have enough time to do it justice. When we go I definitely want to visit both rims, and maybe hike (though that 21 miles sounds intense….).
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Learning to Cook Thai Food in Chiang Mai, Thailand
I almost skipped it too, but I’m glad I went.
Yay! Thanks for this. My husband and I just yesterday received word that we were granted permits to backpack rim to rim this summer… in July! It’s gonna be hot, but we are so excited.
Cool! July will be rough temperature-wise, but I’m sure you will prepare adequately. That will be an awesome experience to read about!
Nice post…I love that the Canyon is stopping the use of plastic water bottles…great move. Jealous about the snow…I think it would be cool visiting the Grand canyon in a snowfall!
Red Hunt recently posted..5 Crazy Moments from my Most Epic Road Trip
Agreed on both points!
Does GPS work out there? Just want to make sure ….
I also would love to visit the Native American tribe out there, I think it be fun to stay with them for a night or two.
Annie – FootTracker recently posted..FootTracker Will Be Back After Wednesday!
I read that sometimes the GPS (and cell phones) don’t work there. I don’t remember having any problems on the north rim.
Love how you find out the details that are not known. Hiking the canyon is beyond me but I have never been to the North Rim and may have to do that next time I am out in that area.
eileen ludwig recently posted..How to Build your Brand on Twitter
I enjoyed the North Rim.
The Grand Canyon is an amazing place. I don’t think people leave enough time to truly enjoy all the canyon offers. I had no clue that it snowed at or near the canyon until we visited and I say the snow markers. Who would’ve thought?
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted..Domestic Security in Wales a la Edward I
True, most people don’t leave enough time, probably because they don’t realize how much there is to do besides just looking down!
I can’t believe I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon considering how close it is to us. I would love to do the 5 hour drive around it just to say I did it! haha!
jade recently posted..Eat like a Spaniard to Lose Weight
That would be a cool task.
Very informative. Thanks! And thank you for the webcam link. Fascinating.
Christopher recently posted..Five Things to Love about Bilbao/Bilbo
Thanks!
I love that you can’t buy bottled water. I only wish this was the case in every other part of the country!
The Grand Canyon is one of those places that we thought might underwhelm. We had built up such high expectations that we were almost certain it would not live up. We could not have been more wrong.
We were blown away.
Caanan @ No Vacation Required recently posted..Can I Help You Across the Street, Old Lady
I actually had low expectations, just because I had seen so many other beautiful sights, and was also blown away.
Love the Grand Canyon and love this post! It actually snowed in the canyon…. shortly before I arrived. It also melted shortly before I arrived
The whole group of Grand-Zion-Bryce apparently welcomed winter with snowy days in early-or-so October this year. I saw the north rim from the road, on the way to Page, and I wished I was able to spend time there as well, but loved the south rim 
Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..Video of the Week: Sunset Over Sedona, Arizona
Nice. I only made it to the North Rim myself, so I have to make another trip soon.
Great post and great views, but there is one question – is there a mobile connection?
Victor Tribunsky recently posted..Our perfect dinner in Sheraton hotel of Dusseldorf Airport
I had a signal part of the time with Verizon, but part of the time I didn’t. I wouldn’t count on a reliable connection while there.
The fact that people still live down there is pretty incredible.
Ayngelina recently posted..Pigging out in Playa del Carmen
That’s probably my favorite fact.
I can’t believe I finally made it to the Grand Canyon! Had a great time there on last Friday & couldn’t believe how incredibly beautiful it is! Absolutely breath-taking! I was also amazed at how close people stand to the edge! I love adventure as well as the next person, however, be sensible!!!
I was surprised by people standing near the edge too. Dangerous!