It’s like the Grand Canyon
And we’re out here on the edge
But we’re still standin’
Baby we haven’t fallen yet
– Trace Adkins
The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River and geologic activity about 6 million years ago. Today, about 5.9 million people visit the park each year and it is the 2nd most popular national park in the US. (Great Smoky Mountains is #1) . We camped in Mather’s campground which is somewhat primitive with no hook-ups, water, or showers. Our camper van is self-contained so we can camp anywhere.
Our first day there we just explored the South Rim- starting at the visitors’ center and walking along the rim trail to the Geology Museum. The North Rim does not open until mid May. We were amazed by the shear number of people who would go off the main trail and climb down the embankments in order to ‘get that perfect selfie.’ We heard one park employee respond upon being asked how many people die each year at the park, and he responded, ‘There are usually around 20 reported deaths per year, there are most likely more because if you are a solo visitor and go over and no one sees you, then your body most likely will never be found unless stumbled upon while retrieving another body. Some deaths are couple-related, where either the wife or husband falls off the edge or ‘might’ be nudged.’
We heard a lot of voices speaking both Eastern and Western European languages, Asia-Pacific languages more than English. We guess school in the states must still be in session. The further we got from the main visitor’s center, the more space you had to enjoy the spectacular views. It seems that a good number of people just visit the park for the day– coming in by car, or bus or taking the train from Williams, Az. The majesty of this World Heritage Site is breathtaking.
The second day we hiked the Kaibob Trail down into the Canyon…well, not all the way down to the river- which is 7.1 miles (8hrs) and requires camping at the base before ascending. The park had a nice sign of someone vomiting because they tried to round trip to the canyon floor. The elevation change is 4,780 ft .
Douglas was braver and hiked much further down than I did. You can see him in these pics below as a black dot and he also ran into the Mule train ride on his hike down to Cedar Ridge.
A trip to the Grand Canyon is not complete until you catch a sunset at Hermit’s Rest and all of the stops in between.
Fun Facts you may not know:
- The Grand Canyon is bigger than the state of Rhode Island
- Estimates are that there are over 1000 hidden caves in the Canyon
- The oldest human artifacts found in the Grand Canyon are almost 12,000 years old and date to the Paleo-Indian period.
- The most dangerous animal in the park is the rock squirrel. Every year dozens of people are bitten while feeding this animal. The most dangerous animal in the campgrounds is the Raven. They’ve been known to rip open coolers, steal cell phones, and trash your campsite like it was a Rave’n party.
- It is about 1 mile from the rim to the floor of the canyon. About 20 people per year ‘accidentally’ fall to their death in the Grand Canyon ( this fact came from one of our bus drivers so may not be true)
- From the South Rim to the North Rim across the Canyon is 10 miles. But to drive there it is 215 miles.
- After they retire the mules from the trail, they just let them roam around campsites and the dump station…
Glad you didn’t try the mule trip – it looks terrifying!