Celebrating the First National Park

On this day, 87 years ago,the Grand Canyon National Park was established in the United States. Hubby and I are planning a trip to this amazing natural wonder.

The beautiful Grand Canyon is located in northwestern Arizona and was carved by the Colorado River over millions of years. The canyon drops more than a mile, and it’s about 15 miles across at its widest point. The canyon is a geological portrait of 2 billion years of the planets history.

The first Europeans to see the canyon were members of an expedition sent by Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in 1540. About 300 years passed before any further exploration occurred because it was such a remote area. That was undertaken by John Wesley Powell, an American geologist who dubbed it the “Grand Canyon.” He was the first to travel the entire length of the gorge.

In January 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon a national monument. Then on this day in February 26, 1919, then President Woodrow Wilson designated it a national park.

Takeaway Truth

I’ve traveled more outside the United States than within this great country. I plan to remedy that starting this year.