Just the facts . . . . .
About Grand Canyon
National Park
Listed as one of the Seven Natural
Wonders of the World
Became a national park in
1919
Ranges in width from less
than a mile to more than 18 miles
More than a mile deep in
some places
Covers nearly 1,900 square
miles
Located across nearly 278
miles of northern Arizona
South Rim elevation varies
from 6,000-7,500 feet, or 1,200-2,000 feet lower than the North Rim
North Rim Kaibab squirrel
is a close relative and subspecies of South Rim Abert squirrel (both are
dependent upon ponderosa pines for their livelihood)--both are descendants
of a common ancestor who roamed freely across the canyon; they are isolated
by the climatic barrier of the canyon with the Kaibab squirrel a classic
example of geographic speciation
North Rim climate:
��������� January average,
28.7 degrees; July average, 61.7 degrees
��������� Rainfall average,
22.78 inches; Snowfall average, 128.70 inches
South Rim climate:
��������� January average,
30.5 degrees; July average, 69.4 degrees
��������� Rainfall average,
14.46 inches; Snowfall average, 64.90 inches
Phantom Ranch climate:
��������� January average,
46.3 degrees; July average, 91.9 degrees
��������� Rainfall average,
8.39 inches; Snowfall average, 0.20 inches
Colorado River:
��������� Begins on the
slopes of Mount Richthofen in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
��������� Its length is
more than 1,450 miles, with the last 90 miles in Mexico
��������� From its headwaters
to its mouth, the descent is nearly two-and-a-half miles
In vicinity of Grand Canyon
Village on the South Rim, the about one mile, or approximately seventeen
times the height of the Statue of Liberty
Seven plateaus border the
Grand Canyon:
��������� Marble Platform,
Coconino Plateau, Hualapai Plateau, Shivwits Plateau, Kaibab Plateau, Kanab
Plateau, Uinkaret Plateau
Two broad terraces (lying
below the rims and above the inner gorge) known as the Benchlands:
��������� Tonto Platform;
Esplanade Platform
Colorado Rivers drops some
1,900 feet through the Canyon, with an average drop of 8.1 feet per mile
(although it can be much steeper in rapids)
Are 161 recognized rapids
(can vary depending on water flow)
Colorado's width in the
Canyon is generally between 200 and 300 feet, with the narrowest being
about 60 feet in mile-long Granite Narrows
Colorado's average depth
is about 50 feet, with its deepest measured point about 110 feet
Average velocity of the
River's flow in smooth water is about 4.2 mph, and in rapids generally
7.5 to 10 mph
From its source to its mouth,
the Colorado River drops 10,000 feet and drains an area of over 240,000
square miles
North Rim is closed during
the snowy, winter months
South Rim is open all-year
round
RETURN TO "HIGHLIGHTS"
OR
