Photo credit: CC license by Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon is one of the most photographed, unique and identifiable landscape of its kind in the world. For centuries this area was home to indigenous people and was a destination for explorers. Over time it became the awe-inspiring obstacle that molded the futures of western settlers and helped shape the history of a nation. Let’s take a look at 14 things you might not have known about this scenic landscape in America.
1. Canyon History Beginnings
The first known visitors to the Grand Canyon, other than Native Americans, were a party of Spanish explorers under the direction of Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenas in 1540. Over 200 years later, the Powell Geographic Expedition, led by U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell, explored the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River. The first pioneer settlements did not arrive in the region until the 1880’s.