Deep within the spruce and fir, I make my camp along the North Rim, but before I eat supper, I walk over to the nighttime edge of the Grand Canyon to peer three or four thousand feet down to see a tiny flickering campfire way below that lures me down very early the next day from a chilly forty degrees into heat of mid-summer and then some–from Canadian forest to Mexican desert with shoulder-high prickly pear cactus and Spanish bayonet, but I find a perch above the cooling spray of Ribbon Falls where I can drink my fill and turn around to climb back up with fresh water in my canteens as thunder begins to roll; however I lose my energy far too fast with barely enough tepid water to drink until a sudden shower of hailstones coats the ground allowing me to crunch on pellets of ice to moisten my mouth and spirit until I stand once again on the cool rim to stare down into all that canyon space.
Sincerely,
Grand Canyon National Park
America’s Southwest is full of breathtaking canyons, but none as famous or as widely visited as the Grand Canyon. This world-famous landmark offers wondrous views, spectacular hiking, exhilarating whitewater rafting and countless adventures. One look across the enormous chasm confirms just why this inspirational place is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a must-see destination for so many travelers. The park also protects a wealth of biological diversity, including numerous endemic and threatened species and several rare ecosystems.
State(s): Arizona
Established: 1919
“National Parks like the Grand Canyon slake our spirit's thirst for our primal planet. ”
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Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
Twelve years ago, my husband and I spent 3 days visiting the Grand Canyon. One of those days I suggested taking a hike down into the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail. It was amazing! You don’t realize the vastness of the canyon until you’re down in it, looking up,…
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Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
I returned to the Grand Canyon a few months after my father passed away. I hiked solo down the crumbling switchbacks below Horseshoe Mesa and across the stark plateau to Hance Rapids. My dad introduced me to the Canyon; as a reluctant teenager we hiked down to Bright Angel campground.…
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Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
We’re a family of four from South Carolina that includes a son in fourth grade and a daughter in college. A tradition of ours is to take at least one vacation each year to a national park. For Christmas 2021, we planned to visit Grand Canyon National Park and Saguaro…
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