In unassuming Arizona USA, lies one of the most remarkable of the seven Natural Wonders of the World. One of the deepest gorges in Earth, the Grand Canyon formed through millennia of erosion, takes your breath away with its unique combinations of color and geological formations.
Six million years, to be precise, is what it took for the Colorado River to carve its way across 277 miles of the gorge, leaving numerous side canyons and sheer drops for the eye to behold. Because the river uncovered so many layers of rock through its journey, one can see countless shades of brown, yellow, red and gray displayed across the walls of the canyon.
Being this breathtaking has its consequences – the Grand Canyon has least 5 million people visiting it every year. Talk about being popular! It has two rims, the North and the South, with the South Rim being open throughout the year.
As the day progresses and the sun moves across the sky, the vista changes dramatically with every turn of the light. The canyon is a unique sight to behold through sunrise, afternoon, evening and sunset; and for this reason I would suggest planning this around an entire day and maybe even camping within the National Park.
We visited the South Rim, which is about 7000 ft above sea level, and in late November, is bitingly cold and windy. We drove through Desert View, a 25 mile scenic route along the South Rim with multiple vista points to stop and look at the magic of nature in awe.
At the end of the drive, there is an observatory and watchtower filled with Native American relics.
There are multiple ways of exploring the canyon – hiking trails near the edges, multi-day hikes deep into the canyon and down to the river, overnight camping trails, riding on mules, and observatory ramps. There are bus tours scattered throughout and a good thing to remember is that some locations are accessible only by park shuttles.
We took the Bright Angel trail, and scaled about halfway before heading back before it got too dark. The trail has some amazing views – one can see huge cliffs, sheer drops and glimpses of the river that made this all come to life.
Sunset is easily one of my favorite views of the canyon. The various color’s playing across the sky only made this wonder look even more powerful.
Almost too soon, it was time for us to head back. Word of caution – there is almost no network coverage throughout the park and this is fine until you need directions to get out of this massive place. I would highly recommend downloading offline maps, or, you know, go old school and pick up an actual map or something. *Shudders*.
This place was an absolute delight, and the memories are going to stay with me for a very long time. It’s an absolute must visit for anyone wanting to witness the beauty and power of nature and time.
Stay tuned for stories about more wonders to come, and as always, thank you for reading!
dustyshoesandbeautifulviews 
I was just talking about the Grand Canyon yesterday. It’s high on my list on 7 Wonders to visit and probably one of the top the USA destinations for me. Sounds like you guys had a good day there and I can only imagine what those views look like in person.
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Been to the Grand Canyon a few times, but never made it to the Desert View watchtower, it looks pretty neat!
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I have googled the grand canyon so many times. This is one place that has managed to be constant on my bucket list. I am planning a trip to us next year. Hope work it out.
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A friend just got back from the Grand Canyon and I saw some amazing pics of the place with snow on it. It looks so enchanting and now your pics with that gorgeous sky…..definitely keen on the canyon now.
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It is a magical place! Your pic gives me a feeling you may roll off from that spot… but I guess it is just a photo effect. The sunset captures are stunning!
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The grand Canyon is such an impressive miracle of nature. I would love to get to this part of the world and explore a little part of the Grand Canyon. I love hiking and I bet that walking the trails inside it gives you a fantastic feeling.
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Reminds us of Aare Gorge in Switzerland but this definitely is colossal and gigantic comparably. But both are an exemplary of the might of nature and a reason to be full of admiration the beauty of nature. We didn’t knew about the network issues thanks for letting us know about it.
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I can imagine photos don’t nearly do the span of the Grand Canyon justice! I’ve only been to the red rocks of Sedona but would love to return and take in this wonder!
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Oh the Grand Canyon and I… We have a special relationship… On a family road trip, we planned to go see it. Just a few miles before reaching it, we managed to get not just one but TWO flat tires. So instead of marveling at this natural wonder, we were stranded at a gas station waiting for a tow truck to take us back to Vegas. To top it all off, those flats were probably a blessing in disguise, as just a couple of hours later the road to the Grand Canyon was closed due to severe flooding, trapping everyone that managed to reach the Canyon before the storm… So yeah… Glad you got to enjoy it 😉
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I remember my first time at the Grand Canyon, I was practically a baby at 12! It seemed so vast and I knew that I wanted to visit again once I was older. There are so many spots there that I’d love to hike now that I’ve grown a bit and can go solo!
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LOL at picking up a map — I could never 😉 Beautiful pictures and a fun write up. This part of the world reminds me of dinosaurs and I always wish I spent a little more time exploring it before I moved overseas.
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Ahhh…I’ve been wanting to go here forever!! I spend so much time traveling to other countries, sometimes I forget the beauty that’s right in my own backyard, so to speak.
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The sunset here looks incredible! No wonder millions of people are falling in-love with Grand Canyon ☺
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This is my dream; just staying there capturing a lovely sunset and maybe drinking a cold beer, omg that’s such a beautiful experience! Thank you for sharing and you have got a stunning pictures, especially the first 2 😀
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I visited Grand Canyons during last Christmas and the temperature was around 50’s with snow. But I was delighted to see the breathtaking beauty of the mother nature!
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Grand Canyon!!! Aside from Yosemite, this place is the second reason I want to visit the USA someday. I want to do the multiday trekking you have mentioned. Somewhere down there, there is that beautiful waterfall I want to dip in to. Thanks for this!
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The views over the canyon are spectacular. I love how the light changes the colors of the canyon. I would love to come and visit one day.
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