GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Depth: 6000 feet
Width: Up to 15 miles
Species: Birds: 355; Mammals: 89; Reptiles: 47
The statistics are impressive.
But wait for sunrise at the Grand Canyon's rim or the sight of a California condor soaring against the canyon's walls and you'll know why numbers alone can never really give you a sense of this place.
Due to the dramatic changes
in elevation, five life zones exist within park boundaries- the Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian.
The park is divided into two parts - the North Rim and the South Rim. Although the canyon is 15 miles at its widest, travel time between the two rims is over five hours by car. The North Rim is higher and quieter, but wildlife - hazed by herds of tour buses - can sometimes be more easily seen at the South Rim. The views are stunning from both.
Hawk Watch International has two monitoring stations on the South Rim, one at Yaki Point and the other at Lipan Point. During hawk migrations, over 10,000 raptors (19 species) fly through the park on the Intermountain Flyway. Ferruginous, sharp-shinned, Cooper's, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, goshawks, ospreys, kestrels and bald and golden eagles are all here.
Cover image of Grand Canyon copyright Steven Holt/soaringseal.com
Width: Up to 15 miles
Species: Birds: 355; Mammals: 89; Reptiles: 47
The statistics are impressive.
But wait for sunrise at the Grand Canyon's rim or the sight of a California condor soaring against the canyon's walls and you'll know why numbers alone can never really give you a sense of this place.
Due to the dramatic changes
in elevation, five life zones exist within park boundaries- the Lower Sonoran, Upper Sonoran, Transition, Canadian, and Hudsonian.
The park is divided into two parts - the North Rim and the South Rim. Although the canyon is 15 miles at its widest, travel time between the two rims is over five hours by car. The North Rim is higher and quieter, but wildlife - hazed by herds of tour buses - can sometimes be more easily seen at the South Rim. The views are stunning from both.
Hawk Watch International has two monitoring stations on the South Rim, one at Yaki Point and the other at Lipan Point. During hawk migrations, over 10,000 raptors (19 species) fly through the park on the Intermountain Flyway. Ferruginous, sharp-shinned, Cooper's, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, goshawks, ospreys, kestrels and bald and golden eagles are all here.
Cover image of Grand Canyon copyright Steven Holt/soaringseal.com
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