A mile-deep gorge carved by the Colorado River
Nothing quite prepares you for the first look over the edge. The Grand Canyon is roughly 446 km long and more than a kilometre and a half deep, its walls banded with rock laid down over nearly two billion years. Most visitors base themselves on the South Rim, open all year, where Mather Point and Hopi Point catch sunrise and sunset. The Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails lead down towards the Colorado River, while the quieter, higher North Rim opens only in summer.