How Grand is Grand Canyon? See it now, see it here!

The Grand Canyon is neither the longest nor the deepest canyon in the world. They say it’s the grandest of them all. And who can dispute that? Look at the many layers of rock that have been exposed here, the colors they display, the details on the canyon-walls and the network of side canyons that add to the grandeur. 

The puzzling story of the Grand Canyon 

To put it in the simplest form we could say that the Grand Canyon is a large canyon carved by the Colorado River. But if you were to stand there and stare at this canyon, you might even wonder if that’s all it is. From several viewpoints on the south rim, you don’t even see the river that is said to have carved out this natural wonder. Then at some viewpoints, you catch a glimpse of it. Far below the rim, over a mile deep is what looks like a calm, unassuming stream of water minding its business and just trying to navigate the red rocks on its path to the Gulf of California. 

You wonder how all this happened. You marvel at the amount of work the river has done here. You ponder over the number of years it might have taken to carve out the unique rocky landscape here. 

Dig deeper and you would learn that this is a place that might have seen the collision of tectonic plates, one of which was from the bottom of the ocean. While some experts say there might have been tall mountains here that eroded to become flatland, still others say the Colorado River must have cut through the area as the plateau rose and took position. And then there’s the theory that the river might have brought with it the waters of a giant lake in its path, and all that volume must have been responsible for this remarkable sculpting. And then, there are the roles that the rain and wind and snowmelt are sure to have played here.

You realize that this is the confluence of many different natural phenomena; a giant jigsaw puzzle with several missing pieces. 

The Travelogue

During our visit to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, we made several stops on the South Rim of the canyon and viewed the sights from various view points on both the scenic routes here. 

We started with a sunset at Mather Point which is supposed to be the most popular viewpoints on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

The sun had gone down and what we first laid eyes upon, was a lowly lit rocky landscape. 

When the sun rose above the horizon the next morning, we found ourselves at Yavapai Point, peering down at the lithic landscape and the intricate patterns carved out by natural forces. And there was no sight of the river that is said to be responsible for the wonderful Grand Canyon. 

Later we walked into the Yavapai Geological Museum near this point. From the museum built at the edge of the rim, we got a peek at the canyon floor and the chief sculptor of the scene, the Colorado River. 

Desert View Drive

Later we embarked on the Desert View Drive, a 22- mile scenic drive from the Grand Canyon Village toward the eastern part of the canyon. On the way we stopped at Grand View, Moran Point, Lipan Point and Navajo Point before we got to Desert View which marks the finish line of this route. 

The Desert Watchtower is a 70ft high tower designed by architect Mary Coulter is a must-see on the South Rim. Go to the top of the building, and  it offers sweeping views of the Grand Canyon. The tower with four floors also has a lot of art on its walls. More about that in another post.)

Hermit’s Route

The South Rim also has another route lined-with-vista points that runs westward from the village. Called the Hermit Road, this 7- mile drive is marked with the Trailview Overlook, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss, Monument Creek Vista and Pima Point, with Hermit’s Rest marking the end of the route. And at Hermit’s rest is another building representative of the native Americans who call this area home. And this structure was also designed by Mary Coulter.

From Hermit’s Point we rushed back to Mather’s Point where we had started our tour of the Grand Canyon National Park, the previous evening and we were there just in time to see the setting sun bathe the red-rock-canyon in soft evening light. 

Quick Facts about the Grand Canyon

• Where: Arizona, USA
• How long: 277 miles
• How Deep: around a mile
• How wide: up to 18 miles
• How old: a few millions of years, maybe.

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Linking to — Our World Tuesday

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Royal Gorge — The Grand Canyon of Arkansas 
Other Rocky Destinations features in Tipsy from the TRIP

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