Popular Attractions and Things to Do around the Grand Canyon
Supervised by the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon is a popular natural phenomenon in Arizona created by the Colorado River. The canyon is 2,777 miles long and 18 miles deep. There are a lot of activities and attractions around the park. In 2020, the Grand Canyon National Park played host to 2,911,807 visitors.
If you happen to be visiting the Grand Canyon National Park, you can hardly avoid seeing the Grand Canyon Village because it is the most used entrance to the park. This entrance houses the Yavapai Point, a great Grand Canyon sight. The village is also a great place to lodge if you don’t want to camp around or within the park.
The village houses several other attractions, such as Hopi House, where tourists can obtain Native American souvenirs. Visitors can also see the Grand Canyon Railway Depot and learn about the railway into the national park and the effect it has had on tourism in the area. In addition, tourists who love art can visit Lookout and Kol studios to view and appreciate art related to the Grand Canyon.
If you are a hiking enthusiast, the Grand Canyon may be the hiking haven you have been searching for. A significant part of the Grand Canyon National Park is the natural backcountry. Hence, it is accessible for great hikes as long and as far as people would like to go.
The park stretches for hundreds of miles, and visitors get a map at the entrance to the national park so that they can navigate the area. Ideal parts of the Grand Canyon area to hike are the Desert View Watchtower, South Rim, North Rim, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Bright Angel Trail, the Rim Trail, the South Kaibab Trail, the North Kabab, and Havasu Falls.
As a tourist at the Grand Canyon, you should also visit the Bright Angel History Room. The Bright Angel History Room is located in the Bright Angel Lodge, which has the Bright Angel Trail at its west. The rock fireplace in the room indicates Mary Colter’s style, the Grand Canyon architect in whose honor the room exists.
The granite-veined rock used in the fireplace is estimated to be almost a billion years old. These ancient rocks depict the unfiltered Grand Canyon environment and adequately represent Mary Colter’s architectural style, choices, and preferences. The entirety of the Bright Angel Lodge was designed by Mary Colter and constructed by the Fred Harvey Company. The lodge also houses a small museum in honor of Fred Harvey.
Lastly, a historical attraction at the Grand Canyon National park is the Tusayan Ruin and Museum. The attraction is an 800-year-old Ancestral Puebloan Indian Site. It comprises a pueblo with storage rooms, a kiva, and a living area. Tourists can tour the museum and learn about artifacts that date back millennia. These artifacts give an archeological insight into the prehistoric people who lived in and around the ruin. The museum also has a bookstore where tourists who want to learn more can find more materials and information.
