Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most special places on Earth. Located in Northern Arizona in the United States it is not just spectacular to see as a tourist from the edge, but it is a living science museum. It is a record of time on this planet and is a home for a wide range of animals. Evidence of human life from the past can be found as well as dinosaur fossils. From the rim of the canyon, to the canyon floor, amazing discoveries wait to be found. There is a lot to explore because the Grand Canyon is 277 miles long and 18 miles wide. It is bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. Today you can visit the park, hike trails, take a helicopter ride above the canyon or even ride a mule from the top to the Colorado River deep within the canyon walls. 

The first European explorers to reach the Grand Canyon were Spanish Conquistadors led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. The first American to actually make it down the Colorado River from one end of the canyon to the other was Major John Wesley Powell. His group started the trip in May of 1869 in Wyoming. There were 10 people in the beginning. By the time they reached the exit of the Grand Canyon there were 6 people left. One man, Frank Goodman, stayed behind at a settlement in July thinking they would never make it down the river. Three other men were killed by Native Americans when they decided to leave the boats and hike out. The adventure was almost 1,000 miles and took 98 days.  One amazing thing about this expedition is that John Powell completed the trip with only one arm. He lost the other arm during a battle in the Civil War.

Archaeologists have found artifacts and other evidence that people lived in the canyon almost 12,000 years ago. This culture is called the Paleoindians and they lived in the canyon for around 3,000 years. Not only are there about 2,000 Anasazi ruins but the oldest ones are almost 2,000 years old. The Tusayan Ruins have been a popular place to visit and learn about the Anasazi people. There are 11 Native American Tribes that believe the Grand Canyon is a sacred place.  The Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, and Paiute, along with other tribes, have legends and stories about the canyon. 

There are many animals that live in the canyon now, but there is also evidence of animals from thousands of years ago. Within the national park there are five different ecosystems. This means there is an enormous amount of wildlife that calls it home. Mammals that live in the Grand Canyon include small animals like bats, squirrels and ring tailed cats (the Arizona state mammal) and rabbits. If you're looking for something larger you may spot some elk or bighorn sheep. There are two very shy animals in the park that you may never see, one is the largest wild cat in North America, the mountain lion. The other is the smaller bobcat. Soaring between and above the walls of the canyon you may spot a California Condor, ravens, hawks and eagles. At the bottom of the canyon in the Colorado River there are six species of fish you won't find anywhere else in the world. Spiders, snakes, lizards, butterflies and other insects inhabit the area.