Grand Canyon National Park - Wikipedia Grand Canyon National Park This article is about the national park in the southwestern United States. For the canyon itself, see Grand Canyon. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2010 ) Grand Canyon National Park IUCN category II ( national park ) View from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon Location Coconino and Mohave counties, Arizona, United States Nearest city Fredonia, Arizona ( North Rim ) Tusayan, Arizona ( South Rim ) Coordinates 36 ° 03 ′ 19 '' N 112 ° 07 ′ 19 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.0552608 ° N 112.1218355 ° W ﻿ / 36.0552608 ; - 112.1218355 Coordinates : 36 ° 03 ′ 19 '' N 112 ° 07 ′ 19 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 36.0552608 ° N 112.1218355 ° W ﻿ / 36.0552608 ; - 112.1218355 Area 1,217,262 acres ( 4,926.08 km ) Established February 26, 1919 ( 1919 - 02 - 26 ) Visitors 5,969,811 ( in 2016 ) Governing body National Park Service Website Grand Canyon National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site Criteria Natural : ( vii ), ( viii ), ( ix ), ( x ) Reference 75 Inscription 1979 ( 3rd Session ) ( edit on Wikidata ) From Powell Point on the South Rim Grand Canyon National Park is the 15th site in the United States to have been named a national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in northwestern Arizona. The park 's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres ( 1,901.972 sq mi ; 492,608 ha ; 4,926.08 km ) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received nearly six million recreational visitors in 2016, which is the second highest count of all U.S. national parks after Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 North Rim 2.2 South Rim 2.2. 1 Services 2.2. 2 Lodging 3 Activities 3.1 South Rim 3.2 North Rim 4 Development 5 Grand Canyon Association 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External links History `` Grand Canyon '' was officially designated a national park on February 26, 1919, though the landmark had been well known to Americans for over thirty years prior. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the site and said : `` The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison -- beyond description ; absolutely unparalleled through - out the wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You can not improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children 's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see. '' Despite Roosevelt 's enthusiasm and strong interest in preserving land for public use, the Grand Canyon was not immediately designated as a national park. The first bill to establish Grand Canyon National Park was introduced in 1882 by then - Senator Benjamin Harrison, which would have established Grand Canyon as the second national park in the United States after Yellowstone. Harrison unsuccessfully reintroduced his bill in 1883 and 1886 ; after his election to the presidency, he established the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893. Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve by proclamation on 28 November 1906 and Grand Canyon National Monument in 1908. Further Senate bills to establish the site as a national park were introduced and defeated in 1910 and 1911, before the Grand Canyon National Park Act was finally signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The National Park Service, established in 1916, assumed administration of the park. The creation of the park was an early success of the conservation movement. Its national park status may have helped thwart proposals to dam the Colorado River within its boundaries. ( Later, the Glen Canyon Dam would be built upriver. ) In 1975, the former Marble Canyon National Monument, which followed the Colorado River northeast from the Grand Canyon to Lee 's Ferry, was made part of Grand Canyon National Park. In 1979, UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site. In 2010, Grand Canyon National Park was honored with its own coin under the America the Beautiful Quarters program. Geography The Grand Canyon, including its extensive system of tributary canyons, is valued for its combination of size, depth, and exposed layers of colorful rocks dating back to Precambrian times. The canyon itself was created by the incision of the Colorado River and its tributaries after the Colorado Plateau was uplifted, causing the Colorado River system to develop along its present path. The primary public areas of the park are the North and South Rims of the Grand Canyon itself. The rest of the park is extremely rugged and remote, although many places are accessible by pack trail and backcountry roads. Only the Navajo Bridge near Page connects the rims by road in Arizona ; this journey can take around five hours by car. Otherwise, the two rims of the Canyon are connected via the Mike O'Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge and the Hoover Dam. The park headquarters are at Grand Canyon Village, not far from the south entrance to the park, near one of the most popular viewpoints. North Rim Sunset at Cape Royal Point, Grand Canyon National Park North Rim The North Rim is a smaller, more remote area with less tourist activity. It is accessed by Arizona State Route 67. South Rim From Desert View on the South Rim The South Rim is more accessible than the North Rim ; most visitors to the park come to the South Rim, arriving on Arizona State Route 64. The highway enters the park through the South Entrance, near Tusayan, Arizona, and heads eastward, leaving the park through the East Entrance. Interstate 40 provides access to the area from the south. From the north, U.S. Route 89 connects Utah, Colorado, and the North Rim to the South Rim. Overall, some 30 miles of the South Rim are accessible by road. Services Grand Canyon Village is located at the north end of U.S. Route 180, coming from Flagstaff. It is a full - service community, including lodging, fuel, food, souvenirs, a hospital, churches, and access to trails and guided walks and talks. Lodging Several lodging facilities are available along the South Rim. Hotels and other lodging include : El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, and Maswik Lodge, all of which are located in the village area, and Phantom Ranch, located on the canyon floor. There is also an RV Park named Trailer Village. All of these facilities are managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, while the Yavapai Lodge ( also in the village area ) is managed by Delaware North. On the North rim there is the historic Grand Canyon Lodge managed by Forever Resorts and a campground near the lodge, managed by the National Park staff. Activities South Rim Play media A 6 - minute video of a flight over the Grand Canyon A variety of activities at the South Rim cater to park visitors. The South Rim Drive ( 35 miles ( 56 km ) is a driving tour split into two segments. The western drive to Hermit 's Point is 8 miles ( 13 km ) with several overlooks along the way, including Mohave Point, Hopi Point, and the Powell Memorial. From March to December, access to Hermit 's Rest is restricted to the free shuttle provided by the Park Service. The eastern portion to Desert View is 25 miles ( 40 km ), and is open to private vehicles year round. Walking tours include the Rim Trail, which runs west from the Pipe Creek viewpoint for about 8 miles ( 13 km ) of paved road, followed by 7 miles ( 11 km ) unpaved to Hermit 's Rest. Hikes can begin almost anywhere along this trail, and a shuttle can return hikers to their point of origin. Mather Point, the first view most people reach when entering from the South Entrance, is a popular place to begin. Private canyon flyovers are provided by helicopters and small airplanes out of Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Grand Canyon National Park Airport. Due to a crash in the 1990s, scenic flights are no longer allowed to fly within 1,500 feet ( 460 m ) of the rim within the Grand Canyon National Park. Flights within the canyon are still available outside of park boundaries. North Rim From Toroweap Overlook on the North Rim On the North Rim there are few roads, however, there are some notable vehicle accessible lookout points including Point Imperial, Roosevelt Point, and Cape Royal. Mule rides are also available that go to a variety of places including several thousand feet down into the canyon. Many visitors to the North Rim choose to make use of the variety of hiking trails including the Widforss Trail, Uncle Jim 's Trail, the Transept Trail, and the North Kaibab Trail, the latter of which can be followed all the way down to the Colorado River, and to across to the South Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel Trail, which continue up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The Toroweap Overlook is located in the western part of the park on the North Rim. Access is via unpaved roads off Route 389 west of Fredonia, Arizona. The roads lead through Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument and to the overlook. Development The US government had halted development of a 1.6 million acres area including the National Park from 1966 to 2009, during the Bennett Freeze, because of an ownership dispute between Hopi and Navajo. Grand Canyon Association Main article : Grand Canyon Association The Grand Canyon Association ( GCA ) is the National Park Service 's official nonprofit partner. It raises private funds to benefit Grand Canyon National Park by operating retail shops and visitor centers within the park, and providing educational opportunities about the natural and cultural history of the region. Gallery An aerial view of the Little Colorado River Gorge near East Rim of Grand Canyon A 1938 poster of Grand Canyon National Park From the North Rim From the South Rim Colorado River from the South Rim A rockfall from the North Rim From the South Rim in winter Grand Canyon National Park America The Beautiful Quarter See also Arizona portal List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park References Jump up ^ `` Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Center ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Listing of acreage as of December 31, 2011 ''. Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved 2012 - 03 - 07. Jump up ^ `` NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Annual Park Ranking Report for Recreation Visits ''. NPS.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved 8 February 2017. Jump up ^ Yanagihara, Wendy ; Denniston, Jennifer ( 2008 ). Grand Canyon National Park. Lonely Planet. p. 95. ISBN 1741044839. Jump up ^ Anderson, Michael F. `` Polishing the Jewel : An Administrative History of Grand Canyon National Park '' ( PDF ). Grand Canyon Association. Retrieved 7 December 2015. Jump up ^ Pryputniewicz, Vanya ; Peterson, Peter. `` Grand Canyon National Park Presents Living History Performance of President Theodore Roosevelt ''. nps.gov. Retrieved 27 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014. Jump up ^ 35 Stat. 2175 Jump up ^ `` Grand Canyon Coin Introduced '' ( PDF ). United States Mint. 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2015. The Grand Canyon National Park Quarter is the fourth coin of 2010 in the America the Beautiful Quarters ® Program. The reverse image features a view of the granaries above the Nankoweap Delta in Marble Canyon near the Colorado River. ^ Jump up to : National Park Service ( 1972 ). South Rim. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona : US Government Printing Office. Jump up ^ `` How Do I Travel to the North Rim ? ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 7 December 2015. ^ Jump up to : Rand McNally ; National Park Buide ; Michael Frome ; Rand McNally & Company, Chicago ; 1970 ; pg 47 Jump up ^ Rand McNally ( 2010 ). Road Atlas. United States, Canada, Mexico. ^ Jump up to : `` Lodging ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 7 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Campgrounds - North Rim ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 7 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on June 29, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017. Jump up ^ Grand Canyon West. `` Grand Canyon Helicopter & Aerial Tours ''. Jump up ^ Kate Linthicum ( November 5, 2009 ). `` Trying to be rebuild after 40 frozen years ''. Retrieved 5 March 2015. External links Find more aboutGrand Canyon National Parkat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel guide from Wikivoyage Learning resources from Wikiversity External image Public domain images from the National Park Service. Official website Grand Canyon National Park Lodge Grand Canyon National Park at DMOZ Interactive Google Maps Hiking Guide Historic American Landscapes Survey ( HALS ) No. AZ - 6, `` Mather Point Overlook, South Entrance Road, Grand Canyon Village, Coconino County, AZ '', 23 photos, 3 measured drawings, 2 data pages Geographic data related to Grand Canyon National Park at OpenStreetMap Grand Canyon Facilities Black Suspension Bridge Bridge Canyon Dam Grand Canyon Escalade Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon Skywalk Grand Canyon Village, Arizona Hyaloclastite Dam Kolb Studio Marble Canyon Dam Maswik Lodge Phantom Ranch Prospect Dam Geology Agave phillipsiana Bat Cave mine Cardenas Basalt Dox Formation Ericameria arizonica Esplanade Sandstone Grand Canyon Caverns Grand Canyon Forest Reserve Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument Grand Canyon Supergroup Chuar Group Nankoweap Formation Sixtymile Formation Unkar Group Bass Formation Shinumo Quartzite Grand Staircase Hakatai Shale Hermit Formation Isis Temple Kanab Plateau Newton Butte Redwall Limestone Tanner Graben Temple Butte Tonto Group Bright Angel Shale Toroweap Fault Uinkaret volcanic field Vasey 's Paradise Vulcan 's Throne Bodies of water Colorado River Deer Creek Havasu Creek Havasu Falls Kanab Creek Little Colorado River People Harvey Butchart Colin Fletcher Kenton Grua John Hance Tribes Havasupai Hualapai Events Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6 Organizations Grand Canyon Association Media Desert Wonderland Grand Canyon Grand Canyon : A Different View Grand Canyon : The Hidden Secrets Grand Canyon Suite The Man Who Walked Through Time Related Grand Canyon Backcountry Camping List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park National Register of Historic Places listings in Grand Canyon National Park National parks of the United States Acadia American Samoa Arches Badlands Big Bend Biscayne Black Canyon of the Gunnison Bryce Canyon Canyonlands Capitol Reef Carlsbad Caverns Channel Islands Congaree Crater Lake Cuyahoga Valley Death Valley Denali Dry Tortugas Everglades Gates of the Arctic Glacier Glacier Bay Grand Canyon Grand Teton Great Basin Great Sand Dunes Great Smoky Mountains Guadalupe Mountains Haleakalā Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Hot Springs Isle Royale Joshua Tree Katmai Kenai Fjords Kings Canyon Kobuk Valley Lake Clark Lassen Volcanic Mammoth Cave Mesa Verde Mount Rainier North Cascades Olympic Petrified Forest Pinnacles Redwood Rocky Mountain Saguaro Sequoia Shenandoah Theodore Roosevelt Virgin Islands Voyageurs Wind Cave Wrangell -- St. Elias Yellowstone Yosemite Zion List of national parks of the United States ( by elevation ) Colorado River system Jurisdictions United States Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mexico Baja California Sonora Canyons Byers Canyon Gore Canyon Red Gorge Glenwood Canyon De Beque Canyon Horsethief Canyon Ruby Canyon Westwater Canyon Cataract Canyon Narrow Canyon Glen Canyon Grand Canyon Marble Canyon Granite Gorge Middle Granite Gorge Lower Granite Gorge Grand Wash Canyon Iceberg Canyon Virgin Canyon Boulder Canyon Black Canyon Pyramid Canyon Mohave Canyon Natural features River course Rocky Mountains Colorado River Basin Colorado Plateau Grand Lake Horseshoe Bend Sonoran Desert Mojave Desert Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave Valley Parker Valley Palo Verde Valley Colorado Desert Alamo River New River Salton Sea Imperial Valley Delta Montague Island Gulf of California / Sea of Cortez Tributaries Blue River Dirty Devil River Dolores River Escalante River Eagle River Fraser River Gila River Green River Gunnison River Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Paria River Roaring Fork River San Juan River Thunder River / Tapeats Creek Virgin River Las Vegas Wash Williams Fork Río Hardy Engineering Mainstem dams Shadow Mountain Granby Windy Gap Grand Valley Price - Stubb Glen Canyon Hoover Davis Parker Headgate Rock Palo Verde Imperial Laguna Morelos Major reservoirs Fontenelle Reservoir Flaming Gorge Reservoir Blue Mesa Reservoir Navajo Lake Lake Powell Lake Mead Lake Mohave Lake Havasu Imperial Reservoir Theodore Roosevelt Lake San Carlos Lake Aqueducts and canals Grand Ditch Colorado River Aqueduct San Diego Aqueduct Central Arizona Project All - American Canal Coachella Canal Water projects Boulder Canyon Project Colorado - Big Thompson Project Colorado River Storage Project Grand Valley AVA Yuma Project Designated areas Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Colorado National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Rocky Mountain National Park Related topics Arizona v. California Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Compact Floyd Dominy Lee 's Ferry International Boundary and Water Commission Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Rapids and features U.S. Bureau of Reclamation William Mulholland Protected areas of Arizona Federal National Parks Grand Canyon Petrified Forest Saguaro National Historical Parks, Historic Sites and Memorials Tumacácori NHP Fort Bowie NHS Hubbell Trading Post NHS Coronado NMem National Monuments National Park Service Canyon de Chelly Casa Grande Ruins Chiricahua Hohokam Pima Montezuma Castle Navajo Organ Pipe Cactus Pipe Spring Sunset Crater Tonto Tuzigoot Walnut Canyon Wupatki Bureau of Land Management Agua Fria Grand Canyon - Parashant ( jointly managed with NPS ) Ironwood Forest Sonoran Desert Vermilion Cliffs National Conservation Areas Gila Box Riparian Las Cienegas San Pedro Riparian National Recreation Areas Glen Canyon Lake Mead National Trails Arizona National Scenic Trail Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Old Spanish National Historic Trail National Forests Apache - Sitgreaves Coconino Elden Pueblo Honanki Heritage Site Palatki Heritage Site V - Bar - V Heritage Site Coronado Kaibab Prescott Tonto National Wildlife Refuges Bill Williams River Buenos Aires Cabeza Prieta Cibola Havasu Imperial Kofa Leslie Canyon San Bernardino Wilderness Areas See List of Arizona Wilderness Areas Wild and Scenic Rivers Fossil Creek Verde River State State Parks Alamo Lake Boyce Thompson Arboretum Buckskin Mountain Catalina Cattail Cove Dead Horse Ranch Fool Hollow Lake Fort Verde Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial Homolovi Jerome Kartchner Caverns Lake Havasu Lost Dutchman Lyman Lake McFarland Oracle Patagonia Lake Picacho Peak Red Rock Riordan Mansion River Island Roper Lake San Rafael Slide Rock Sonoita Creek Tombstone Courthouse Tonto Natural Bridge Tubac Presidio Verde River Greenway Yuma Quartermaster Depot Yuma Territorial Prison Wildlife areas Becker Lake Cluff Ranch Luna Lake Mittry Lake Powers Butte Santa Rita White Mountain Grasslands Willcox Playa Municipal Nature parks Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area South Mountain Park Papago Park Other National Natural Landmarks See List of National Natural Landmarks in Arizona National Historic Landmarks See List of National Historic Landmarks in Arizona Historic Places See National Register of Historic Places listings in Arizona Arizona State Parks ( web ) World Heritage Sites in the United States Northeast Independence Hall Statue of Liberty Midwest Cahokia South Everglades Great Smoky Mountains Mammoth Cave Monticello and the University of Virginia Poverty Point San Antonio Missions West Carlsbad Caverns Chaco Culture National Historical Park Grand Canyon National Park Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Kluane - Wrangell -- St. Elias - Glacier Bay - Tatshenshini - Alsek Mesa Verde Olympic National Park Pueblo de Taos Papahānaumokuākea Redwood Waterton - Glacier International Peace Park Yellowstone National Park Yosemite National Park Territories La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site Shared with Canada VIAF : 138534683 LCCN : n95049280 ISNI : 0000 0001 2110 6136 GND : 4549234 - 7 SUDOC : 167776509 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Grand_Canyon_National_Park&oldid=808513504 '' Categories : IUCN Category II Grand Canyon National Park 1919 establishments in Arizona Grand Canyon Parks in Coconino County, Arizona Parks in Mohave County, Arizona Protected areas established in 1919 Protected areas on the Colorado River World Heritage Sites in the United States Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from May 2010 All articles needing additional references Coordinates on Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017 Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Articles with DMOZ links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Articles containing video clips Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Azərbaycanca Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español Euskara فارسی Français 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Kurdî Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Runa Simi Русский Shqip Slovenčina Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Zazaki 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 3 November 2017, at 09 : 11. 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Question: when did bryce canyon become a national park
Answer: 1919