What Grand Canyon National Park is known for

The Grand Canyon Destination is situated in the northwestern corner of Arizona. The area is so named because of the national park that resides there, Grand Canyon National Park. Other areas of note within the region include the Hualapai Indian reservation, which is home to Havasupai Falls; the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument; and the Kaibab National Forest. The most populated area of the destination is the Hualapai Indian Reservation, which is headquartered in Peach Springs. The city has a population of 1,098 people, according to the 2020 census. Located on 7.9 square miles, the city is located on the north side of Yampi Canyon.[6]

The Grand Canyon is a "steep-sided canyon" formed by the Colorado River, which runs through the destination. The canyon is 277 miles long and 18 miles wide in certain areas. Due to the erosion from the Colorado River, approximately 2 billion years of Earth’s geologic history can be seen in the Grand Canyon, as the layers have been stripped away by the river throughout the years. Some studies hypothesize that the Colorado River is 5-6 million years old, based on the geological evidence in the canyon. Various Native American tribes have inhabited the region, including the Hualapai and Kaibab people, and some tribes, such as the Pueblo people, consider the canyon to be a holy site.[9]

Aside from the Grand Canyon, there are other attractions that may interest those visiting the area. Located in the city of Tusayan is the National Geographic Visitors Center, which reportedly is also home to the first IMAX theater. Grand Canyon: The Movie is shown at the theater, which is a 34-minute film about the area and the history of the Grand Canyon. Additionally, tourists can see the Desert View Watchtower, located on the east side of the national park. The 70-foot tower was originally constructed in 1932 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. If those in the area wish to go into the Grand Canyon but prefer not to hike, there are mule tours offered near the south rim of the canyon year-round.[5]

Inside the Grand Canyon, there are a variety of hikes that those in the area can participate in. The South Rim Trail is a 13-mile paved hike with reportedly “minimal elevation change.” Hikers can choose to walk all 13 miles of the trail or hike to a shuttle stop along the route, which connects to various lookout points and visitor centers. The Bright Angel Trail is situated at the north end of the canyon and is a half-mile trail for visitors to view an expanse of the canyon. Constructed in the 1920s, the North Kaibab Trail is the only maintained hiking path on the North Rim. The full trail is 14 miles, but there are various scenic turnaround points that allow hikers to ascend back up the canyon.[7]

Regarding population, the majority of residents of the Grand Canyon live on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, located in the southern part of the region. The population of the reservation is 1,621 people, with 1,353 of those residents being tribe members, according to the 2000 census. The capital city of the reservation, Peach Springs, is where most of the tribal residents live.[2] According to the 2020 census, there are 1,098 people living in Peach Springs.[6]

Another notable area within the destination is the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Often referred to as the “sister monument” to the Grand Canyon, the monument covers over a million acres of land in the northwest corner of Arizona. Currently, only five percent of the monument has been surveyed, with areas such as Tassi Ranch, Nixon’s Sawmill, and Pa’s Pocket Line Shack  having remnants of timber cutting, mining, and farming. The “Grand Canyon” portion of the name was taken from the watershed located within the monument's lands, which is adjacent to the west end of the Colorado River and plays a role in the hydrology of the Grand Canyon. While there are no paved roads into the monument, the Bureau of Land Management recommends guests travel in a high-clearance vehicle and bring spare tires with them. [1]

Geography

The Grand Canyon Destination is located in western Arizona. As such, the area is situated on the Colorado Plateau and the Kaibab Plateau and is reported to be a “semi-arid” climate. As for the Grand Canyon itself, the North Rim tends to have cooler temperatures than the South Rim due to its higher elevation of the North Rim. During the summer months, heavy rain can occur at both rims as well.[9]

Based on weather trends, the "best time" to visit the Grand Canyon Destination is reported to be between the end of May and the end of September. Due to humidity and elevation, the temperatures tend to feel cooler for most of the year, although there is generally a low chance of either rain or snow. The warmest months of the year to visit are reported to be July, August, and June, respectively. If tourists are hoping to visit the area during drier months, the best time to visit is June, November, or May, based on annual rainfall. The months with the highest annual tourist traffic to the area are May, June, and April.[3]

Due to the destination having a variety of national parks, monuments, and forests within its borders, there are a variety of plants and animals that can be found. Utah agave, plains prickly pear, graham’s fishhook cactus, and ocotillo are some succulent plants that are common to the area. Some lizards that visitors may see include desert spiny lizards, plateau fence lizards, ornate tree lizards, and desert collard lizards. There are also a variety of snakes that those coming to the area may be on the lookout for, such as gopher snakes, western rattlesnakes, and California king snakes. [10]

History

Members of the Hualapai Indian Reservation primarily inhabit the Grand Canyon Destination. The name Hualapai means “People of the Tall Pines” in a dialect of Yuman, a tribal language. Archeological evidence suggests that the Hualapai people have lived on the lands from the Hoover Dam, outside of the destination, to the Grand Canyon since 600 A.D. The group generally moved seasonally, living off natural resources such as plant and animal life. The tribe had a vast trade network, trading with groups such as the Navajo, Hopi, Paiute, Mohave, and Ute tribes for resources such as blankets, guns, and horses. Today, the reservation is home to the tribes of the Hualapai and Havasupi, which both have ancestral roots to the Yavapai.[8]

Today, the reservation land of the Hualapai encompasses approximately 1 million acres, with 108 miles of the Grand Canyon being found on their land. The reservation today is known for having opportunities for fishing, hunting, and river rafting. Hunting permits for animals such as bighorn sheep, trophy elk, mountain lions, and antelope are sold throughout the area. Recognized by the United States Government as sovereign land, the reservation has an independent executive and judicial branch of government, with the executive branch composed of a nine-member tribal council and the judicial branch made up of a tribal court and a court of appeals. The principal economic interests of the area are related to the fields of tourism, cattle ranching, and arts and crafts. The tribal administration, public schools, and state/federal government positions employ the majority of citizens. [2]