- Because there are so many more things to learn and know!
There are so many things to learn about the Grand Canyon. Is there anything you’ve learned so far you didn’t know before?
- There can be a massive difference in temperature
between the South Rim and the Canyon floor, it can be 20 degrees different. Throughout the summer, it’s in the 80s on the Rim but can be 100 degrees or more at the Colorado River. - Back in the late 1800s, the 65-mile ride on a stagecoach took 12 hours. According to the Arizona Republican newspaper, there was a “tiny tent village” waiting for them when they got there.
- The town just two miles outside of the national park’s front gate is called Tusayan. It’s home to seven hotels, a RV park, several restaurants and of course, souvenir stores. Did you know this about the Grand Canyon?
- If you visit the Grand Canyon and complete various activities, you can become a Junior Ranger and at any age. Speaking of which. Rose Torphy earned her Junior Ranger status at the age of 103!
- The North Rim is about 1,300 feet higher than the South Rim.
- John Wesley Powell was the first to call it the Grand Canyon in 1871. Before that, Powell and the expedition team explored the Colorado River through the gorge and it was called the Big Canyon.
- The North Rim is only open seasonally because of the possible complications with the cold and the popes. If you want to visit this part of the Grand Canyon, you’ll have to visit between May 15th and October 15th. Now that you know this about the Grand Canyon, you better watch your dates!
- The Grand Canyon is 18 miles wide, at the widest point, and a total of 277 miles long.
- If you wanted to scatter the ashes of a loved one, the park’s website states that human ashes may be spread in undeveloped areas, as long as it’s away from roads, buildings and campgrounds. You must disperse the ashes well, and it cannot contain any teeth, bone fragments or otherwise recognizable remnants. Also, you cannot mark the spot physically, as this is not allowed.
- Instagram hasn’t always been around but the Grand Canyon is definitely an Instagrammable spot. Near the Bright Angel trailhead, The Kolb brothers established a photo studio of sorts. Pictures were taken of people hiking and riding on mules. Pictures were then developed at the studio and bound in a leather folder for the cost of $3 at the time, a cost of $83 today.
- The rock squirrel is considered the most dangerous animal of the Grand Canyon. They bite dozens of people each year, a lot of times while the people are attempting to feed them. You shouldn’t feed them and also, you shouldn’t try to take pictures “with” them either. Did you know this about the Grand Canyon.
- The park is the 11th largest national park in the United States at 1.2 million acres.
- The Grand Canyon is a mile deep, on average.
- The Silver Bridge, about 765 yards downstream from the Black Bridge, Phantom Ranch is connected to the Bright Angel Trail by the Silver Bridge, about 765 yards downstream from the Black Ridge.
- Phantom Ranch has something you probably wouldn’t expect. A pay phone. Want to jump back in time and use it? You can, but you have to use a credit card or a phone card to make it work.
- The Grand Canyon Lodge is winterized by October 16th every year. They shut off the water and wrap furnishings and bedding with plastic wrap, to keep vermin out.Even with that, when employees return in April, they often find that things have been compromised.
- Eleven indigenous tribes are traditionally associated with the Grand Canyon, including The Hualapai, Havasupai, Hopi and Navajo indigenous tribes are all associated with the Grand Canyon, along with eight more.
- The oldest rocks are 1.8 billion years old, even older than the dinosaurs. The Canyon itself is about 6 million years old.
If you can believe it, there’s enough fun facts for a forth part about the Grand Canyon, and then it will be over. Watch for that and let me know what you think in the comments!