Grand Canyon Facts

The largest list of Grand Canyon facts on internret.

- No one has ever found a fossilized reptile skeleton or bone within the Grand Canyon. Fossil footprints were left by more than 20 species of reptiles and amphibians, but no teeth or bones!


- The Grand Canyon below Yavapai point is 2,400 feet above sea level, about 4,500 feet below the South Rim and 5,400 feet below the North Rim for an average depth of about one mile.

- The Grand Canyon took 3-6 million years to form; erosion continues to alter its contours.

- Grand Canyon is located at Latitude 36°, Longitude -112°

- State: Arizona

- County: Coconino - Grand Canyon lies within Coconino County. This is the official site for the county.

- Time Zone: Mountain (never changes to Daylight Savings Time, so much of the year the time is the same as in California).

- Grand Canyon established as a forest preserve in 1892

- Became a national monument in 1908

- Designated a national park in 1919

- National park enlarged in 1975

- Total acreage: 1,215,375

- Length in air miles: 190

- Length in river miles: 277

- Minimum width: 600 feet at Marble Canyon

- Maximum width: 18 miles

- Average width: 10 miles

- Minimum width of Colorado River: 76 feet

- Average width of Colorado River: 300 feet

- Maximum depth of river: 85 feet

- Average depth of river: 40 feet

- Number of rapids: 160

- River average gradient: 8 feet per mile

- Total miles of trails in the park: 400

- Total number of those trail miles that are maintained: 30.7

- Number of miles of roads: 355

- Number of bird species in park: 287

- Number of mammal species: 88

- Number of reptile and amphibians species: 58

- Number of plant species: 1,500

- Number of fish species: 26

- Number of biotic life zones in the park: 5 (the same as traveling from Mexico to Canada)

- Endangered wildlife species: 3 (bald eagle, peregrine falcon, humpback chub)

- Endangered plant species: 2 (Brady pincushion cactus and sentry milkvetch)

- Number of known archaeological sites within the park: 2,700

- Number of Indian reservations in the park: 1 (Havasupai)

- Number of buildings listed as National Landmarks: 120

- Number of structures on National Register of Historic Places: 136