Places & Landmarks
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a vast river-carved landscape in Arizona that exposes an unusually long and visible record of Earth's geologic history.
The Grand Canyon is a vast natural canyon in northern Arizona carved by the Colorado River and other erosional forces. Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 278 miles of the river and adjacent uplands. In places, the canyon is about a mile deep and displays layers of rock recording an immense span of Earth's history.
The canyon's exposed rocks range from relatively young deposits to basement rocks about 1.8 billion years old. It is also a living cultural landscape with long-standing connections to Indigenous peoples. Eleven present-day tribal communities have recognized cultural ties to the lands and resources within the national park.
Quick facts
- Grand Canyon National Park is entirely within Arizona.
- The park encompasses 278 miles, or 447 kilometers, of the Colorado River.
- The canyon reaches a depth of about one mile in places.
- Some exposed basement rocks are approximately 1.8 billion years old.
- Eleven present-day tribal communities have cultural connections to the lands and resources protected by the park.
A surprising fact
The rocks exposed in the canyon can be more than a billion years older than the canyon landscape carved through them.