A mile-deep gorge cut by the Colorado River through nearly two billion years of rock on the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona
The Grand Canyon is less a single view than a whole landscape below the horizon: layer upon layer of red, buff and grey rock stepping down to the Colorado River, with side canyons, buttes and temples of stone in between. According to the National Park Service it runs for 277 miles (about 446 kilometres), averages roughly 1,200 metres in depth, reaches about 1,800 metres at its deepest and is up to 29 kilometres wide.
Most visitors come to the South Rim, which is open all year and accounts for the large majority of visits. Here Grand Canyon Village, the historic lodges, Mather Point and the Rim Trail are linked by shuttle buses, while Desert View Drive leads east to a stone watchtower at the highest point of the rim. The quieter North Rim sits higher on the forested Kaibab Plateau and is open only in the warmer months, about 340 kilometres away by road.
People have lived in and around the canyon for thousands of years, and the park today recognises eleven traditionally associated tribes, among them the Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, Navajo (Diné), Zuni and several Southern Paiute bands. Archaeological sites with ancient Native American structures survive in the park, and the park's museum collection holds more than 900,000 objects.
Federal protection came in stages: a forest reserve in 1893, a game preserve in 1906 and a national monument in 1908, followed by national park status by act of Congress on 26 February 1919. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 for its scenery, its geological record and the range of habitats between river and rim, which include five of North America's seven life zones.
Eleven Native American nations, from the Havasupai and Hualapai to the Hopi, Navajo and Zuni, have a traditional connection to the canyon, and the park works with them as associated tribes; their history is part of the story told at the rim. On the South Rim, life revolves around Grand Canyon Village with its historic hotels such as El Tovar and Bright Angel Lodge, while the small gateway town of Tusayan lies just outside the South Entrance.
Most visits are built around the South Rim's viewpoints, reached on foot along the Rim Trail or by the park's shuttle routes; Hermit Road to the west is served by shuttle bus for most of the year, while Desert View Drive to the east is open to cars. Stronger walkers descend part way into the canyon on the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trails, and the North Kaibab Trail links the North Rim with the river and the South Rim corridor. Some visitors arrive by the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, which ends at the historic depot on the South Rim, and scenic flights operate from Las Vegas, Phoenix and Grand Canyon National Park Airport near Tusayan.
The South Rim is open 24 hours a day all year. The park's busy season runs from 1 March to 30 November, when the NPS strongly recommends reservations and the South Entrance can have waits of up to two hours in the middle of the day at peak times. Winter brings snow and occasional temporary road closures while ploughs clear the roads. The North Rim is open only from mid-May to mid-October, and in 2026 it is limited to day use without drinking water.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Tusayan, with an airport, hotels and restaurants, sits just outside the South Entrance, and Williams, start of the Grand Canyon Railway, and Flagstaff are an hour or so to the south. The East Entrance at Desert View lies 25 miles west of Cameron, and Fredonia is the nearest town to the North Rim. Las Vegas lies to the west, and scenic flights over the canyon operate from there as well as from Phoenix.
A town of under 10,000 people in Arizona's northern Verde Valley, set among red sandstone buttes and the Coconino National Forest. It is known for hiking and mountain biking, Jeep tours, art galleries and the canyon of Oak Creek, about two hours' drive from both Phoenix and the Grand Canyon.
ExploreThe largest city in Nevada, founded as a railroad town in 1905 and now known worldwide for the casino resorts, shows and restaurants of the Las Vegas Strip. Downtown's Fremont Street keeps the city's older neon heart alive, and desert landscapes such as Red Rock Canyon lie within half an hour.
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United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
