About The Grand Canyon: Fun Facts

277 Miles of Majesty: Grand Canyon Facts You May Not Know

The Grand Canyon, as the course of the Colorado River twists through it, is 277 miles in length from end to end.

Its narrowest width, at Marble Canyon, is only 600 yards across. In contrast, its average width from rim to rim is 10 miles across. At its widest, the Grand Canyon spans 18 miles.

The average depth of the Grand Canyon is one mile. The elevation of the South Rim is 7,000 feet above sea level, while the elevation of the North Rim is 8,100 feet.

Running from Colorado's Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the Colorado River is 1,450 miles long. Within Grand Canyon National Park itself, the Colorado River's 277 miles flow at an average speed of four miles per hour. The river's average width is 300 feet across, although it narrows to only 76 feet wide at mile 135, where the river, 85 feet deep, is also at its deepest. On average, the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon is 40 feet deep.

In addition to its geologic wonders, the Canyon contains outstanding biological diversity, containing five of the seven life zones, including Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian and Hudsonian, which is the equivalent of traveling from Mexico to Canada. It is home to numerous rare, endemic (found only at Grand Canyon), and threatened/endangered plant and animal species. The park contains over 1,500 plant species, 355 bird species, 89 mammalian species, 47 reptile species, 9 amphibian species, and 17 fish species.

There are 11 tribes that have historic connections to the lands and resources now found within Grand Canyon National Park: Havasu'baaja Havasupai Tribe – AZ, Hopi Tribe – AZ, Hwal'bay Hualapai Tribe – AZ, Nungwu Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians – AZ, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe – NV, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians – NV, Diné Navajo Nation – AZ, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah – UT, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe – AZ, A:shiwi The Pueblo of Zuni – NM, and Yavap'e - Nṉéé Yavapai-Apache Nation – AZ.