Video of Grand Canyon NP rock formations

The Grand Canyon rightly defies description. Most who see it for the first time say it reminds them of a majestic painting, appropriately suggesting it’s a place that only can be visualized by actually gazing upon it.

But just how large is it?

Here’s a brief video that zooms out from a large rock formation in the canyon:

The entire canyon runs 277 miles from Lees Ferry south of the Utah-Arizona border to Grand Wash Cliffs near the Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona border. It reaches 6000 feet deep from rim to canyon floor at its deepest, 18 miles across from rim to rim at its widest. And then there’s the unfathomable age of the rock, up to 2 billion years old.

To experience the Grand Canyon’s size, try any of these three must-do hiking trails at the national park:
g South Rim Trail (iconic canyon views)
g Bright Angel Trail (links South and North rims)
g Point Imperial Trail (North Rim views)

Read more about day hiking the Grand Canyon in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Grand Canyon National Park guidebook.