The Grand Canyon in All Its Glory
No matter how many times you’ve seen it, visiting the canyon never fails to take your breath away
- By Megan Gambino
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2008, Subscribe
One night last year some friends and I pulled into Mather Campground on the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The 6,000-foot-deep, 277-mile-long and 18-mile-wide chasm nearby looked like an ocean masked by the dark. Come morning, watching the sun rise over the whittled canyon was as mesmerizing as watching waves roll in. But just as you can't grasp the size of the swells without swimming, you can't comprehend the depth of the rust-colored canyon until you venture down into it—and hike rim to rim.
The National Park Service recommends starting at the steeper North Rim, with a seven-mile hike along the North Kaibab Trail to Cottonwood Campground. From there, Day 2 entails a seven-mile hike in the gentler basin to historic Phantom Ranch, the only lodge below the rim. Day 3 bodes a ten-mile push up the Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim.
The three-day odyssey allows time to appreciate the two-billion-year-old cross section of the earth. "Rushing through the canyon is like rollerblading through the Louvre," says David Meyer, general manager of the Phantom Ranch. "You really have to take your time." As you hike, the gradually changing plant life—from the fir- and spruce-covered North Rim to the cactus- and mesquite-lined Colorado River—is the botanical equivalent of trekking from Canada to Mexico. As Mike Buchheit, director of the Grand Canyon Field Institute, says, "I've seen the canyon under a meteor shower, under an eclipse, all its moods and melodies—any one of which would be a memory of a lifetime."
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Comments (10)
Camping on the north rim was a life changing experience. Awe inspiring, breathe taking, spiritually powerful are just a few that pale in description. Every American needs to visit this crown jewel of our nation.
Posted by JDeGuire on February 3,2012 | 01:25 PM
In 1988 I and my husband at 63 and 62 respectively hiked, with friends, down to the bottom of the canyon and stayed at Phantom Ranch. This has been the crowning achievement of our lives. The experience, the beauty, the accomplishment, has inpired us to do things we never thought possible. The overwhelming wonder of seeing things from millions of years previous was awe inspiring and gives one the sense of continuity in human lives.
Posted by Carleen Talbot on June 30,2011 | 02:56 PM
my friend and I just got back from a cross country drive (NY to Los Angeles) and we hit the grand canyon at 3am, hiked down 3/4 of the face at "grand view" i think it was (south rim) down 1 foot wide switchbacks (very scary) by moonlight and cellphone light (haha), plopped down, and watched the sun rise in front of us at 5:11 am... absolutely amazing. words cannot describe, i'm beyond grateful I did it.
Posted by ed on June 28,2011 | 05:10 PM
Hi I will like more information will like to visit in July. Thank you
Posted by Angel nieves on March 23,2010 | 06:20 PM
I visited the Grand Canyon and we sat and watched the colors change as the sun moved in the sky The canyon is an awesome sight to behold. Beverly smith
Posted by Beverly Smith on September 25,2009 | 04:46 PM
how old is the Grand Canyon
Posted by gabriella marteinez on January 5,2009 | 01:20 PM
Viewing the Grand Canyon from the South Rim while quite beautiful, simply wasn't enough. I was at the rim for the first time in 2006 for a short day trip. That inspired me to book a rafting trip down the Colorado River. We just returned and are preparing to do it again next year. Though our expectations were very high, it exceeded all of them. Highly recommended.
Posted by David frost on August 15,2008 | 02:43 PM
My 84 year old brother is very interested in geology. He lives in Ireland and always wanted to come to America. I would like to get him a book of photos of the Grand Canyon that includes some information about the history and formation of the Canyon. Can you recommend a good book? Thanks! Mary Rossi
Posted by Mary Rossi on February 20,2008 | 07:56 PM
To feel the significance of being a part of a world that has carved such greatness contrasted by feeling so insignificantly small in comparison was magnificent and humbling all rolled in to one. Don't miss this experience.
Posted by Charmel Bowden on January 6,2008 | 01:26 AM
The adjectives "awesome" and "breathtaking" are much over-used today, but gazing out over the Grand Canyon from the South Rim for the first time was so awe-imspiring that it honestly took my breath away.
Posted by John Farrow on December 28,2007 | 12:19 PM