Grand Canyon National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the United States.
Through its territory goes Colorado river . In millions of years the river has dug through the rocks and has formed multi-color gap – The Grand Canyon. One of the deepest canyons on the planet It is 277 miles (446 km) long and 5 250 feet (1600 meters) deep.
Although it receives the governments protection in 1893, a national reserve and a national monument status it wasn’t before 1919 that it was proclaimed national park. In the same year the park is visited by 45 000 people. Nowadays the Grand Canyon Nation park is being visited by 5 million people annually.
Evidence have been found in the park that prove that it was inhabited by Indian tribes 12 000 years ago.
The park has to offer different tourist attractions. There are steep pathways that lead to the bottom of the canyon. You can fly over the canyon with a helicopter or a plane.
The latest attraction is the Grand Canyon Skywalk. It is a tourist attraction along the Colorado River on the edge of the Grand Canyon. It is a glass walkway that has the shape of a horseshoe. Build at 1,200-meter (4,000 ft) height above the floor of the canyon exceeds the height of the world’s largest skyscrapers.
The Skywalk was opened for tourists in March 2007 and is commissioned and owned by the Hualapai Indian tribe.
The admission fee for a walk on the Skywalk is $29.95 plus tax (this may vary with time), which is paid to the Hualapai Indian tribe at the Skywalk itself.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Located in the northeastern part of Arizona within the boundaries of Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly National Monument covers 131 square miles (339 km2). The monument embraces 3 major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument.
What makes Canyon de Chelly unique is that it consists entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land that remains home to the canyon community.
In the park you can see ancient ruins and geologic structures. There is no fee to see the canyon. Tours of the canyon floor can be booked at the visitor center.
If you decide to visit the Canyon de Chelly, you should know that the access to it is restricted and you will only be allowed to travel if accompanied by park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide. The only exception from this rule is the White House Ruin Trail.
One of the attractions is the Spider rock. It is a sandstone spire which height is 800 feet (240 m). Numeral television commercials used it as a scene.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Casa Grande was declared a National Monument in 1918. It consists of the ruins of multiple Hohokam structures. It is Located in Coolidge, Arizona. In Spanish “Casa Grande” means “big house”. The monument is named after the largest structure on the site. It used to be a four story building and is supposed to have been abandoned in the mid 1400′s. The building is made out of caliche.
Casa Grande Ruins is a great place for teachers to take their kids. If you decide to do so make sure to plan the visit, make reservations, peruse on-site activities and request fee waivers.
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