The vast Grand Canyon is without doubt America’s most breathtaking natural attraction and has long been a major American tourist destination. Located in Arizona AZ, the Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River, and its shear size is beyond belief. At over 1 mile / 1 . 6 km deep and in places almost 20 miles as well as 32 km wide, the scale of the Grand Canyon is hard to comprehend, even when you get here. Each year the region’s tourism industry attracts more than five million visitors to the National Park and the Grand Canyon Village. Many tourists choose to visit the South Rim area, where hiking and whitewater rapids are a popular recreational activity.

Hotels in the Grand Canyon Country wide Park are often filled to capacity and camping has become a popular alternative. Many inexpensive camping grounds are situated around the region, particularly in the Southerly Rim region. A good selection of hotels can be found around the Grand Canyon Boulevard, the village area, along the State Highway US-64 and also in the neighboring towns of Flagstaff and Williams. Do bear in mind that hotels with the best views from the Grand Encolure, such as the famous El Tovar Hotel on the West Rim Drive, may be booked up more than a year ahead, and so advance reservations are often necessary if you are planning a vacation to remember.

Tourism has become an important part of life in the Grand Canyon region, and the Col View Tourist Information Plaza, on the northeastern side in the village area, serves as the main visitors center. Also of note is the North Edge Visitors Center next to the Grand Canyon Lodge, as well as the Backcountry Info Center close to the North Rim campground. The Grand Canyon features many excellent tourist attractions, including Helicopter Tours – lasting over one hour and traveling below the canyon’s rim, over the Hoover Dam and often above the nearby Las Vegas Strip; the Grand Encolure National Recreation area – following the mighty Co River from Marbles Col; Bright Angel Point – a short, scenic and precarious trail, offering some of the best rim views, used by both hikers and mules; the IMAX Theater – a six-story cinema screen, located in Tusayan; and the Cape Royal — the North Rim’s most southerly viewing point, with an interesting looping trail.

Other places of interest in the Grand Canyon include El Tovar Hotel – dating back to 1905, once one of the most elegant resorts to the west of the Mississippi River; Mather Point – generally the first major viewpoint and also the Sth Rim Trail’s starting point; the Powell Memorial – commemorating the 1st man to paddle down the Colorado River’s rapids in 1869; the Hualapai Indian Reservation — south with the Colorado River with flat plains and wooded plateaus; the Havasupai Indian Reservation – standing on one of the region’s largest tributaries; the Vermilion Cliffs – to the northeast of the Southwest Rim; plus the Trailview Overlook – providing some of the most dramatic sights inside the Grand Encolure National Park, including Bright Angel Creek, the winding Plateau Point and Shiny Angel trails.

The Grand Canyon also contains a number of somewhat unexpected attractions. These include the Desert Look at and the Watchtower – a period trading post, now home to a small museum and information middle; Kolbs’ Photography Studio — dating back again to 1904 and once a thriving photographic studio; the Lookout Studio – another historic photographic studio room, with superb views on the South Casing; and the Tusayan Ruin and Museum — a significant archaeological site with remains of 800-year- old Native American rock dwellings and related artefacts, situated to the east of Moran Stage.

Tourist attractions situated nearby include the Havasu Canyon and Grand Col West – a popular alternative to the much-visited North Rim and South Rim; the Grand Canyon Deer Farm – with many family attractions and animals, including a children’s petting zoo; the Pipe Spring State Monument — located in a Kaibab American indian Reservation, near to Fredonia and to the north of the North Rim; the Meteor Crater – an enormous crater where a meteorite landed around 50, 000 years ago, two hours southeast of this Grand Encolure Village; and Point Sublime – known for its superb camping spots and incredible sunrises.