The Awe-inspiring Beauty Of The Grand Canyon Is Nature's Gift

By Author: Ann Philip
Total Articles: 91
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If you are planning for a vacation, then you can think about going to Arizona as this place will never disappoint you. Why Arizona is considered as a spectacular vacation destination? Because it is the land of the Grand Canyon, one of the world's most attractive and natural wonders.

The Grand Canyon is located in the northwestern part of the Arizona and the national park covers more than 650 thousand acres. This rift in the Colorado plateau becomes more popular due to its huge size and colorful landscape. It extends for nearly 300 miles and is one mile deep. It is said that it took millions of years for the formation of the Grand Canyon and it got the current structure with the constant exposure to the wind and the sun and due to the swift water of the Colorado River. Among other forces, the most powerful force that contributed to the formation of the Grand Canyon is erosion, mainly by water and wind. Volcanic activities, continental drift and minor variations in the earth's orbit also impacted the Grand Canyon formation. The conflict between the plates especially the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate are also ...
... responsible for the mountain building activity. The rocks that make up the top of the canyon range are 250 billion years old and the rocks seen towards the bottom are nearly 2 billion years old. And the rock layer includes sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks and volcanic rocks. Geologists believe that these rock formations will contain fossils of ocean creatures like corals, mollusks, worms, brachiopods etc. And these rocks exposed on the walls of the canyon can give us data about a distinct geological period of the earth. The beautifully preserved rock layers of the canyon range can also throw light into the geologic history of the North American continent.

With awe-inspiring views, the Grand Canyon is the nature's gift to the mankind. Tourists can view the canyon from both the South rim and the North rim. However, the south rim will be more easily accessible as the North rim is more difficult to reach from places like Flagstaff or Phoenix. We should explore the scenic beauty of the Canyon by taking an exciting helicopter and airplane rides, hiking trails, rafting in the chaotic currents of the Colorado River or by taking an adventurous journey in bus, train or horseback.
The major attraction of the Grand Canyon is the Colorado River. A leisurely Grand Canyon rafting tour gives you the most visually stunning scenery of the Northern Arizona. It's the river that has eroded the canyon into some fantastic shapes. And the rocks that underwent erosion got unimaginable colors. So the whole structure looks like a colorful painting done by some god gifted hands. The Grand Canyon rafting trip gives you a leisurely 15 mile float trip down the Colorado River. This trip helps you to discover the two billion years old geologic history carved in the Canyon walls.

The Grand Canyon National Park airplane tours also give you an unimaginable touring experience. Airplane tours take you to the Zuni Point and from there to the Zuni Corridor. You can also see the Desert View Watchtower, the Painted Desert, and the Navajo Indian Reservation just to the east along the Colorado River. By opting for the Grand Canyon airplane tour one can clearly see the highest point in the Canyon, the imperial point, when they travel towards the Dragon Corridor, the widest and most open part of the Canyon.

As vacations should be memorable and cherishing, a trip to Arizona can be really enjoyable. I am a regular viewer of the travel and tour programs coming on different television channels connected with service from providers like FiOS TV. As the canyon is a gift of timeless beauty one should never miss the opportunity to enjoy the natural treasure.