Grand Canyon - RVing with Rex

20-Year-Old Found Dead 1,000 Feet below Grand Canyon

The body of a 20-year-old man and his vehicle has been recovered from 1,000 feet below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a breathtaking natural wonder that attracts millions of visitors each year. With its awe-inspiring views and challenging terrain, it’s no wonder that the Grand Canyon is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the world. However, with its wonder comes a tragic reality—the Grand Canyon is also one of the most deadly national parks in the United States.

The Grand Canyon is a massive natural wonder that spans over 270 miles and is up to 18 miles wide in some areas. It’s a place of stunning beauty with its towering red rock formations, deep canyons, and crystal-clear streams. However, with its size and rugged terrain it’s no surprise that the park has its fair share of dangers. Every year, people die in the park due to a variety of reasons including falls, dehydration, and other accidents.

Grand Canyon National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Body of 20-year-old man, vehicle recovered from below Grand Canyon rim

On Monday, February 10, 2025, multiple reports were given to park rangers that there was a broken wall and car parts scattered on the road just east of the Yavapai Geology Museum.

An aircrew was sent immediately into action. Upon investigation, a vehicle was located nearly 1,000 below the South Rim.

After the location of the vehicle was identified, first responders were able to recover the man inside. The man was later identified as a 20-year-old from California. His identity has yet to be released.

The circumstances of the man’s death are still unknown. Investigators are combing through the scene to try to piece together what led to the deadly accident.

The National Park Service (NPS) released a statement extending its thanks to all who participated in the recovery efforts. The NPS reiterated that an investigation was still ongoing.

“We would like to extend our deepest thanks and appreciation to all the personnel who played a crucial role in this recovery. The investigation is ongoing and is being coordinated with the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.” – National Park Service

Repairs of the damaged wall at the South Rim are underway. Those who plan on visiting the South Rim will still have access. However, there will be a bypass around the site until February 26, 2025.

Road closures were not a factor at the time of the crash at the South Rim

With it being the heart of winter, it is not surprising that the North Rim is closed for the season. This has to do with conditions being considered unsafe for visitors.

Despite it being Arizona, the North Rim can receive over 245 inches of snow per year where there are average depths of 40 inches located at the northern portion of the park. This, in conjunction with a lack of infrastructure that makes it difficult to man park ranger stations, the decision was made to instead close the North Rim until spring.

The same cannot be said for the South Rim. This side of the park remains open year-round with trail closures from time to time for weather conditions making it unsafe to hike.

At the time of the crash, temperatures during the day were mild, there was not any inclement weather, and there were no road closures. Therefore, it is unlikely that weather played a factor in the crash.

Car accidents are on the rise in the Grand Canyon

In general, fatalities have been on the rise at the Grand Canyon. To put this in perspective, there is an average of 12 deaths at the Grand Canyon annually. In 2024, this number jumped to 16. But, even with the increase in fatalities, the odds of dying while visiting the Grand Canyon are one for every 1.8 million visitors.

Of the causes of death, car accidents have continued to rise yearly, according to Hastings & Hastings. The reasons for the crashes vary but what is interesting is that the most recent crashes in 2014, 2022, and 2023, all occurred at the South Rim.

Unfortunately, also tied to car crashes are those who choose to take their own lives.

In the case of the Californian man who was located 1,000 feet below the South Rim there have been no indications of what led to the crash. The investigation is ongoing and it could be weeks to months before a reason is released.

How many people have died at the Grand Canyon?

Around 900 people have died at the Grand Canyon since the 1800s. The Grand Canyon was officially established as a National Park on February 26, 1919.

How many Grand Canyon deaths happen per year?

An average of 12 deaths happen at the Grand Canyon each year.

The deadliest time at the Grand Canyon was during the 1980s. In the 2000s, however, deaths from environmental factors like the heat have increased.

How do people die at the Grand Canyon?

The book, Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon contains all of the Grand Canyon fatality data through 2017. Based on that information, here are the causes of death starting with the most common.

Airplane and helicopter deaths at the Grand Canyon: 379

Even if you disregard the major airplane crash from 1956 that killed 128 people, dying in the air over the Grand Canyon is still the most common cause of death.

Falling deaths at the Grand Canyon: 198

This is probably the most commonly asked question: How many people have died while taking a selfie at the Grand Canyon? While that exact answer is hard to know, there were two confirmed selfie deaths in 2019.

Here is a breakdown of where people have fallen from:

60 people have fallen off the ledge
63 people have fallen from inside the canyon
75 people in this category purposefully jumped or fell to commit suicide

If we ignore the suicides, only 123 people have accidentally fallen to their deaths at the Grand Canyon making it almost a tie with environmental deaths.

Environmental deaths at the Grand Canyon: 124

Environmental factors are a common cause of fatalities at the Grand Canyon.

Dehydration and overhydration

Temperatures in the Grand Canyon can reach extreme highs especially in the summer. Many hikers are not prepared for just how hot it can get—up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the bottom of the canyon. Most environmental deaths happen from dehydration which can lead to cardiac arrest. Around 100 people have died this way.

Additionally, some people have died from drinking too much water. People get worried about staying hydrated and consume lots of water without eating enough food making sodium in the blood drop to dangerously low levels.

Starvation

Others have died from starvation after getting lost in the canyon. These numbers are hard to pin down especially because there are still bodies in the canyon that have yet to be discovered. Evidence of these types of deaths has been confirmed by skeletons found and by notes left behind such as, “4 days without food or water. Lost.”

Freezing

Another environmental cause of death is freezing. At high elevations there can be snow in the winter and many hikers are not prepared for a snowstorm.

Flash floods

Flash floods are another environmental event that has been known to cause fatalities. Because the Grand Canyon is in the desert, there is not much vegetation to soak up water. This means that when it does rain, water flows quickly across the soil causing flash floods in the side canyons.

Lightning

In 1997, two people drowned in a flash flood and one hour later another two visitors were struck by lightning. They survived but lightning does strike an average of 25,000 times per year at the Grand Canyon.

Drowning deaths at the Grand Canyon: ~100

There are many water activities enjoyed in the Colorado River including boating, river rafting, swimming, and waterfall excursions. However, many people underestimate just how rapid the river is. Some people died trying to cross the river back before bridges were built for that purpose. Others have taken a soak to cool off in the summer heat only to be swept away.

The most famous drowning was in 1928. Newlyweds Bessie and Glen Hyde were rafting down the river attempting to establish the fastest time through the canyon. Bessie also would have become the first woman to raft through the canyon. However, they never made it and their bodies were never found. Rumors have spread that Bessie actually survived and had purposely staged the incident to kill her husband but to this day it remains an unsolved mystery.

Murder at the Grand Canyon: 39

The Grand Canyon is unfortunately a convenient place to murder someone and stage it as an accident. In 1993, serial killer Robert Spangler took his third wife to the Grand Canyon and pushed her off a 160 foot cliff. The death was ruled an accident at the time but Spangler later confessed.

Another example is newlyweds Michael and Charlotte Sherman who were found shot dead in 1977. Their bodies were found in a heavily wooded area of the Grand Canyon National Park and it appeared to be a robbery had gone wrong.

Other people have gone missing in the Grand Canyon and in some of these cases murder is strongly suspected. Human remains have been found in the canyon but they cannot always be identified and properly linked to a missing person.

Suicide at the Grand Canyon: 91

People have committed suicide at the Grand Canyon in a number of ways. As mentioned above, 75 people have jumped to their death. Another 13 people have taken their own lives by driving off the edge of the canyon. Three of these happened in 1993 not long after the movie Thelma & Louise premiered. This movie depicts the protagonists driving off the edge of a cliff at the end of the movie and as with anything there were copycats. Others have jumped off a bridge, jumped out of a helicopter, or used a gun.

Car accidents at the Grand Canyon

Although we don’t have as much data on them, serious car accidents happen at the Grand Canyon. Back in 2014 there was a fatal accident when two cars crashed on South Entrance Road around 3 miles from the park’s South Entrance Station. Then in 2022, a woman suffered fatal injuries when she crashed into a tree also near the South Entrance Station. And as recently as February 2023, two nurses visiting from the UK died in a car accident while on vacation at the Grand Canyon.

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Safety tips for the Grand Canyon

With spring break coming up and the Grand Canyon being a popular spot for families for their week vacation, this crash serves as a reminder to not only hike safely but drive safely when taking in the sights of the Grand Canyon. All it takes is just a moment of eyes off the road for tragedy to occur, turning a trip of a lifetime to one of the most incredible national parks in the country into a nightmare.

While the Grand Canyon can be a dangerous place there are steps visitors can take to stay safe. Here are some tips for staying safe in the park:

Stay on designated trails: One of the easiest ways to stay safe in the Grand Canyon is to stay on designated trails. Venturing off-trail can be dangerous and can increase the risk of falling off unstable rocks or getting lost.
Bring plenty of water: As mentioned earlier, dehydration is a serious risk in the Grand Canyon. Visitors should bring plenty of water and drink regularly to stay hydrated. Be sure to eat some salty snacks with your water throughout the day; hikers perspire a lot which means they need electrolytes to replenish their sodium levels.
Dress appropriately: Visitors to the Grand Canyon should dress appropriately for the weather and terrain. This may include wearing sturdy hiking shoes, a hat or visor, and sunscreen.
Check the weather forecast: Before venturing out into the park, visitors should always check the weather forecast. Flash floods, extreme heat, and other weather conditions can make hiking dangerous or even deadly.
Don’t overexert yourself: Hiking in the Grand Canyon can be physically demanding and visitors should avoid overexerting themselves. Taking regular breaks and listening to your body is crucial to staying safe in the park. If you feel dizzy or disoriented, it’s important to stop, drink water, and find a shady place to rest.
Bring a map and compass: Visitors should always bring a map and compass with them when hiking in the Grand Canyon. GPS devices can be helpful but they are not always reliable in the canyon’s rugged terrain.
Travel in groups: Traveling in groups can help reduce the risk of accidents in the Grand Canyon. Hiking with a friend or joining a guided tour can be a great way to stay safe and learn more about the park.

Conclusion

The Grand Canyon is a natural wonder that offers visitors a chance to explore some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in the world. However, with its beauty comes danger: the Grand Canyon is also one of the most deadly national parks in the United States. By taking the necessary precautions, visitors can stay safe and enjoy all that the park has to offer.

Worth Pondering…

Take care of yourself. You’ll find it hard to get a replacement.

Top 10 Scenic National Park Hikes Under 5 Miles

Panoramas, waterfalls, and other natural wonders await you on these quick, rewarding hiking routes

Hiking in national parks is high on the list of many visitors and long trails don’t always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike and on our adventures to the national parks, I discovered that you don’t always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So I’ve compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

And remember to follow Leave No Trace principles—plan to pack out everything you pack in (garbage, etc.) and have a plan for when nature inevitably calls.

Park Avenue Trail, Arches National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

1. Arches National Park, Utah

Trail name: Park Avenue Trail

Distance: 1.8 miles

The Park Avenue Trail is most aptly named for New York City’s famous street. Early travelers noticed a similarity between these sandstone spires and the famous skyscrapers along New York’s Park Avenue and the name stuck. The main difference, of course, is that the skyscrapers of Arches National Park were sculpted by nature. You’ll really be missing something if you leave Arches without taking this short hike—it is 2 miles out and back.

While you can see the Courthouse Towers, Tower of Babel, Three Gossips, the Organ, and other grand skyscrapers from the scenic drive, walking among them can’t be beat. Remember to pack water for the whole family and be aware that daytime temperatures in the peak of summer can exceed 100 F.

Check out Arches National Park: Park Avenue Trail for more inspiration.

Plan your next trip to Arches National Park with these resources:

Bumpass Hill Trail, Lassen Volcanic National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

2. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name: Bumpass Hell Trail

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features but don’t want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell apart from having an amazing name is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. This trail goes by Big Boiler, Pyrite Pool, and Turquoise Pool.

After stretching your legs on the trail take a dip in Lake Helen just across Lassen National Park Highway and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Plan your next trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park with these resources:

Grand View Point Trail, Canyonlands National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

3. Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name: Grand View Point Trail

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails I’ve hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. A stunning out-and-back trail, this walk showcases spectacular panoramic views as it follows the canyon edge.

Start from Grand View Point Overlook and if you’re not afraid of heights and cliff edges meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail with views stretching into a maw of the earth where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Plan your next trip to Canyonlands National Park with these resources:

Boardwalk Loop Trail, Congaree National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

4. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Trail name: Boardwalk Loop Trail

Distance: 2.6 miles

The boardwalk begins on a bluff at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center with an elevated section that leads down into the old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. A variety of different tree species can be observed including bald cypress and tupelo trees in the lowest elevations.

Loblolly pines, oaks, maples and holly can also be observed. The boardwalk has benches along the way and is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Pick up the Self-guided Boardwalk Tour brochure at the Visitor Center before beginning your walk to learn more about the the natural and cultural history of Congaree.

Plan your next trip to Congaree National Park with these resources:

Big Room Trail, Carlsbad Caverns National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

5. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name: Big Room Trail

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldn’t create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor center’s elevator which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level).

You will be rewarded with spectacular views, cave formations of all shapes and sizes, and a rope ladder used by explorers in 1924. Marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Plan your next trip to Carlsbad Canyons National Park with these resources:

Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

6. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Trail name: Navajo Loop Trail

Distance: 1.4 miles

From Sunset Point descend into Bryce Canyon on the Navajo Loop trail. This popular trail makes a short 1- to 2-hour loop from the rim to the floor of Bryce Canyon. The trail visits favorite hoodoo formations such as Wall Street, Twin Bridges, and Thor’s Hammer. Though somewhat steep with 550 feet of elevation change the Navajo Loop is only 1.4 miles.

The Navajo Loop is often combined with Queens Garden into one of the best 3-mile hikes anywhere.

Plan your next trip to Bryce Canyon National Park with these resources:

7. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point

Distance: 1.8 miles

Hikers seeking panoramic views unparalleled on any other trail at Grand Canyon will want to consider a hike down the South Kaibab Trail. From Ooh Aah Point, a drop-dead gorgeous spot located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead you’ll be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas stretching out as far as the eye can see.

Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to Cedar Ridge (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Plan your next trip to Grand Canyon National Park with these resources:

Blue Mesa Trail, Petrified Forest National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

8. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Trail name: Blue Mesa Trail

Distance: 1 mile

Descending from the mesa, this alternately paved and gravel trail loop offers the unique experience of hiking among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay as well as petrified wood. Numerous plant and animal fossils have been found by paleontologists in the sedimentary layers of Blue Mesa.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen along as there is no shade on the route other than a sun shelter near the trailhead.

For those trying to photograph this area, the most spectacular colors are easiest to capture after rainfall but regardless of the weather the wonder and majesty of the park is ever present.

Plan your next trip to Petrified Forest National Park with these resources:

Skull Rock Trail, Joshua Tree National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

9. Joshua Tree National Park, California

Trail name: Skull Rock Trail

Distance: 1.7 miles

Hike through the large, granite boulder fields around the Jumbo Rocks area including the namesake rock near Park Boulevard that closely resembles a skull. The trail meanders through boulders, washes, and the Jumbo Rocks Campground. This is an excellent trail for anyone who wants to get up close to the rough granitic rock formations that Jumbo Rocks Campground was named after.

The Discovery Trail connects The Skull Rock Trail with the Split Rock Loop for approximately 5-6 miles of hiking for those who enjoy longer hikes.

Plan your next trip to Joshua Tree National Park with these resources:

Congress Trail, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

10. Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name: Congress Trail

Distance: 2.8 miles

If you’re in Sequoia and planning on visiting the General Sherman Tree which is the largest by volume on earth (and why wouldn’t you?) I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. And best of all, a few hundred feet past General Sherman, you’ll escape the lion’s share of the crowds.

Plan your next trip to Sequoia National Park with these resources:

Since I’m talking hiking, here are a few related articles:

Worth Pondering…

As soon as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an Adventure was about to happen, and he brushed the honey off his nose with the back of his paw and spruced himself up as well as he could, so as to look Ready for Anything.

—A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

The Complete Guide to Grand Canyon National Park

Experience the majesty of the natural wonder—gorges, alcoves, and rocks resembling castles

President Teddy Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon in 1903 telling applauding crowds at the South Rim that “Arizona has a natural wonder which … is absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world … one of the great sights which every American … should see.”

He declared the Grand Canyon a national monument in 1908 with it finally achieving national park status in 1919 after a long political battle with powerful local mining interests.

Nowadays, Grand Canyon National Park with its 1.2 million acres of sweeping landscapes, raging rapids, and winding trails is well on its way to fulfilling Teddy Roosevelt’s desire welcoming more than 6 million visitors annually. And it is indeed a grand canyon: Carved from millions of years of the Colorado River’s powerful waters, the multicolored layers of eroded rock drop a full mile of elevation from the rim split by a chasm averaging 10 miles wide overlooking 277 miles of a river that has challenged rafters since John Wesley Powell’s legendary pioneering journey in 1869.

The Grand Canyon’s majesty is much more than just facts and figures. This natural wonder has an overwhelming presence that must be experienced in person as even the best photos and words can hardly do it justice. But naturalist John Muir tried: “I cannot tell the hundredth part of the wonders of its features—the side canyons, gorges, alcoves, cloisters, and amphitheaters of vast sweep and depth carved in its magnificent walls; the throng of great architectural rocks it contains resembling castles, cathedrals, temples and palaces, towered and spired and painted, some of them nearly a mile high, yet beneath one’s feet.”

Visitors can experience the Grand Canyon’s grandeur in ways as varied as the canyon’s rocky ridges. From bus tours and easy strolls along the canyon rim to the famed mule rides or educational ranger programs, helicopter rides flying above it all, and rafting tours in the Colorado River there’s something for everyone.

Plan your trip

Grand Canyon National Park is located in northern Arizona about 80 miles from both Flagstaff to the southeast and the Utah border to the north, 230 miles from Phoenix to the south, and 275 miles from Las Vegas to the west. You can visit the 277-mile-long canyon from entrances on the North, South, East, and West rims but the South Rim entrance receives about 90 percent of visitors.

It also hosts most of the facilities, on-site lodging and activities, and is more easily accessed than the North Rim. The eastern entrance, a lesser-trafficked gate lies about a 25-mile drive from the South Rim facilities while Grand Canyon West is a Hualapai tribal development outside of Grand Canyon National Park’s boundaries with a glass-bottom scenic skywalk jutting precariously over the canyon cliff as well as a zipline, rafting excursions, cultural demonstrations, food and lodging.

The North Rim closes November through April but the rest of the park remains open year round. Admission is $35 per vehicle, valid for seven days ($20, Annual Seniors Pass for ages 62 and older). Save time at the gate by buying a digital pass in advance at recreation.gov or from an outlet in the towns of Tusayan, the South Rim gateway just a mile outside the park or Williams, 60 miles south.

Summer months and holidays are the park’s busiest times. If you visit then, avoid traffic, parking hassles and lines at the South Rim entrance by taking a free shuttle bus from Tusayan, about a 20-minute ride to that gate’s South Rim Visitors Center. You can also detour to the East Entrance via AZ 64 and then take a scenic 25-mile-drive along the canyon to reach the South Rim.

Or for a particularly fun way to get there, ride the Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim from Williams in old-time Pullman cars.

Amtrak stops at Williams and farther south at Flagstaff where it offers shuttle service to the park. Once at the South Rim, hop on ADA-compliant shuttle buses that operate on four routes for easy access to viewpoints, trailheads, lodging and dining (though lines can be long at bus stops in peak seasons).

To avoid the crowds altogether visit in the slow season from November to February (not during holidays) and potentially get treated to a phenomenal snow-covered version of the park. After a fresh snowfall, the canyon looks like an epic orange layer cake with vanilla frosting.

Park weather can surprise visitors given the rim’s altitude of more than 7,000 feet above sea level. The high temperature in midwinter averages in the 40s with lows in the teens and regular snowfall. Even in summer when highs average in the mid-80s and can easily top 100 degrees, mornings and evenings remain chilly with temperatures dropping precipitously into the 40s. Temperatures at the canyon’s base, a mile below, can be more than 30 degrees warmer than at the rim. On any visit, dress in layers, and—given the high and dry environment—stay hydrated.

The South Rim facilities are grouped in three main areas spread over approximately three miles near the canyon. The South Entrance Road winds first past the Visitor Center area then continues west for a mile to Market Plaza, a practical hub with shops, Park Headquarters, lodging, and campgrounds. Another mile west brings you to Grand Canyon Village, the historic center and activity base for visitors with food, lodging, museums, and the train depot. Limited parking is available at each area with remote lots served by free shuttles.

Cell phone access within the park can be spotty (and nonexistent in the valley) but the Grand Canyon Lodges’ six properties in the park recently upgraded their wireless systems providing much improved connectivity for guests. You’ll find free Wi-Fi at the Park Headquarters as well as the Canyon Village Market Deli and the Community Library (a half-mile from the train depot).

El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Where to stay and eat

Whatever your taste in lodging perhaps super deluxe or maybe no frills—Grand Canyon National Park has you covered. But it’s important to know that the park’s accommodations are typically booked up a year in advance for summer and holiday visits.

The 78-room El Tovar Hotel built in 1905 and perched proudly like a mountain chalet footsteps from the South Rim’s edge has been called the “Crown Jewel of National Park Lodges.” With moose and elk hunting trophies jutting from vaulted wood ceilings towering over roaring fireplaces you can imagine Teddy Roosevelt sitting in the lounge trading tall tales with his Rough Rider mates, one of whom built a still extant cabin nearby. You can rent it—the Buckey O’Neill Cabin—at the Bright Angel Lodge which has 37 basic rooms many with a shared bathroom and 53 cabins.

Other South Rim options include the 55-room Kachina and 49-room Thunderbird lodges (affordable and contemporary accommodations) and the Maswik Lodge (280 motel rooms).

On the North Rim, Grand Canyon Lodge has 40 basic motel rooms and 179 cabins (nestled in pines) ranging from basic to more deluxe, six with rim views.

At the canyon’s base, Phantom Ranch is a rustic destination available only via tour operators and a lottery system.

If camping is more your style you’ll have plenty of company. On the South Rim, the 325 sites at the Mather Campground (near Market Plaza facilities, no RV hookups) and the 123 at Trailer Village (about a half-mile from Mather, full RV hookups) are often booked up. Both have laundromats and pay showers and there are nearby markets.

The more rustic Desert View Campground has 50 first-come-first-served campsites for tents and RVs. Sites fill up by noon in high season. The North Rim has a 90-site campground (no RV hookups) with shower facilities and a nearby market. To escape it all, backcountry permits are available. Permit costs vary among the campgrounds ranging from $6 to $50 per night with a 50 percent discount for the Seniors Pass. Reservation policies vary, as well.

South Rim food options are plentiful. Bite into the filet mignon with jalapeno chimichurri sauce at the classically elegant El Tovar Dining Room. Stop by for a prickly pear margarita even if you’re not dining there.

For more casual fare, try Fred Harvey Burger at the Bright Angel Lodge serving family-friendly fare (with king-size ice cream scoops for dessert and the Maswik Food Court next to Maswik Lodge satisfying appetites with cafeteria food and pizza. Food trucks rove around cooking up tasty tacos and more. For picnic lunches or to stock up for camping head to the Canyon Village Market & Deli in the Market Plaza area near the campgrounds.

Things to do

Staring and marveling at the Grand Canyon is the obvious thing to do but so many other activities available will help enhance your visit. Maybe you can’t do all five of these well-worth-it ones highlighted here but doing at least some should ensure you’ll long remember your time at this spellbinding natural wonder.

Note: An accessibility guide helps those with impaired mobility or vision decide the best options for them.

Explore 1.8 billion years of history

Sure, the canyon looks pretty but how in the world did it get here? The park becomes so much more than a scenic hole in the ground when you learn about the area’s natural and human history. Joining a free ranger-led tour from the park’s three visitor’s centers is a great way to get started. A self-guided walk along the Trail of Time (see below) reveals 1.8 billion years of geologic change in the canyon culminating in displays at the Yavapai Geology Museum at the trail’s east end.

Also learn about the people who have made the park what it is. Grand Canyon Village tells the story of native tribes at the Hopi House, of pioneering photographers at Kolb Studio, and the naturalists and explorers at Verkamp’s Visitor Center.

Go for a hike

Whether you want a casual stroll to a viewpoint or a heart-pounding climb into the canyon the variety of Grand Canyon National Park’s 35 miles of paved trails and 560 miles of unpaved paths ensures you’ll find what’s just right for you. While the treks into the canyon can be extreme you don’t need to go below the rim to appreciate the park. When going into the canyon even on shorter hikes it’s still important to know your limits especially with the heat and elevation at the park.

The most easily accessible and popular hike is the paved Rim Trail, a 13-mile path along the canyon from the Hermit’s Rest viewpoint west of the Village to Yaki Point to the east with many scenic overlooks and photo-worthy stops.

Insider tip: To provide human scale within a photo walk a bit outside the Village then snap a shot back at people gathered at the overlooks there.

Within the Rim Trail, the Trail of Time segment is the most worthwhile combining awe-inspiring views with interpretive signage detailing the canyon’s history. The 2.8-mile route lies between the Yavapai Geology Museum and Verkamp’s Visitor Center with benches for resting, occasional shady spots, and rock displays from the 1.8 billion years of geologic history.

For something a little more adventurous but still relatively moderate take a guided 1.8-mile round-trip walk down and back up the South Kaibab Trail leaving from Verkamp’s. The turnaround spot at Ooh Aah Point delivers stunning 360-degree views of the canyon depths and up to the rim.

Follow the sun

Come to the park early or stay late for bucket-list worthy sunrises and sunsets. The changing light reveals colors and contours not visible under the blazing midday sun almost like you’re visiting three different parks in one as the day changes. See the shadows play behind towering rock spires as the sun dips to the horizon, bright reds and oranges dimming to soft hues like a movie fading to a close. At sunrise, nature’s theater curtain opens with hints of light gradually revealing the majesty below.

The South Rim’s popular viewpoints can get crowded particularly near the South Rim Visitor Center at Mather Point (sunrise) and at Hopi Point (sunset) so stroll along the Rim Trail to a quieter spot—even if it isn’t the ultimate overlook it’s still going to be pretty darn good. Along Desert View Drive, Pima and Lipan points are less crowded for catching the sunset; try Yaki Point for sunrise. Or tap into local savvy with a Grand Canyon Lodges’ sunset or sunrise bus tour; in-the-know tour leaders take you to the best spots that particular day given the conditions.

Hop on a mule

While fun, riding a sure-footed mule to the canyon floor, a longtime park tradition may sound a bit too grueling and nerve-racking for you. If so, enjoy a similar experience, minus any angst with an easy and relaxing mule ride along the South Rim—two hours in the saddle with frequent stops for talks with the rangers. Riders are shuttled from Grand Canyon Village to a corral where wranglers help with riding instructions. At the North Rim, Grand Canyon Lodge offers slow-paced, one-hour and half-day rides with shuttles from the lodge.

Watch the stars

The Grand Canyon has been designated a Dark Sky location due to its prime viewing conditions—high elevation, dry atmosphere, and limits on artificial light. The dazzling display including a Milky Way so bright and close you feel you can touch it makes the Grand Canyon seem small. Yes, small.

The less-developed, darker North Rim draws stargazers year round but even at the South Rim Yavapai Point provides an easily accessible spot to set up a telescope or just gaze upward. Or park along Desert View Drive at Lipan Point for excellent gazing.

Gateway towns

In the small town of Tusayan (population: 587), the South Rim’s gateway be sure to visit the privately run Grand Canyon Visitor Center for a good orientation to the park—it has an information center, tour-operator section, and a popular IMAX theater that showcases the Grand Canyon on a six-story screen.

The town’s half-dozen lodging options range from the budget 7 Mile Lodge to the upscale Grand Canyon Lodge. Dine at the Big E Steakhouse and Wagon Wheel Saloon for some Old West-style ambience and hearty burgers, ribs. and steaks.

The North Rim doesn’t have any gateway towns of note but is served by a one-stop shop: The family owned and operated Jacob Lake Inn, 42 miles north of the park entrance offers a hotel, motel, and cabins along with dining and a gift shop. Jacob Lake is also a good jumping off point for excursions to southern Utah’s national parks such as Bryce and Zion.

The park’s eastern entrance near the village of Cameron has a couple of small souvenir shops, diners, and Cameron Trading Post with a motel, RV park, gift shop, gallery, and restaurant. It’s nearby the little-known but worth-visiting Grand Falls waterfalls over 181 feet tall and aka The Chocolate Niagara for its sometime muddy waters. Nearby, you can go flat-water rafting.

En route

Williams, 60 miles south of the park has a downtown full of charming Route 66 kitsch with a dozen gift shops, a few friendly diners, cowboy street performances, and the Grand Canyon Railway depot. While there, try the delicious burritos at El Corral 66 or the family-friendly pub grub (and tasty microbrews) at the Historic Barrel and Bottle House. Williams is also a base for area activities such as fishing, golfing, and hiking.

Flagstaff is a destination in itself, a high desert retreat particularly popular with Phoenix residents who drive the 80 miles north (and nearly 6,000 feet uphill) to escape the summer heat. Three top things to do around the area: Visit the Lowell Observatory (the place where Pluto was discovered) and its science center; go to the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort for summer hikes as well as downhill skiing in winter (yes, in Arizona); and tour the Bearizona wildlife park for its cute bear cubs and other wildlife. Dining and shopping options pack Flagstaff’s downtown and there’s plentiful lodging and campgrounds in and around town.

Do make a side trip to Meteor Crater National Landmark, 45 miles east of Flagstaff even if you think you’ll get your fill of canyons at the national park. The mile-wide, 550-foot-deep impact crater is an impressive cosmic contrast to the Grand Canyon’s gently eroded landscape. Take time to stop at the visitor’s center for fascinating science exhibits and films and stay overnight in their RV park.

Grand Canyon National Park offers a unique and unforgettable experience. I hope this guide helps you plan your adventure and that you’ll soon discover the magic of this park.

Here are a few more articles to help you do just that:

Fact box

Location: Northwest Arizona, 80 miles north of Flagstaff
Acreage: 1.2 million acres
Highest peaks, lowest valley: North Rim sits at about 8,000 feet, South Rim at 7,000 feet with the canyon dropping a mile below them
Miles of trails: 35 miles of paved trails and 560 miles of unpaved paths (and 277 miles of river)
Main attraction: Views from atop the canyon and adventures into it by foot, mule, or raft
Entry fee: $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days; Annual Seniors Pass, $20 for visitors 62 and older
Best way to see it: From scenic rim-top viewpoints at sunrise and sunset
When to go to avoid biggest crowds: September through April

Worth Pondering…

The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself.

—Major John Wesley Powell, Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons

Grand Canyon National Park: A Guide for RVers

For millions of years, the Colorado River has carved its way through the Colorado Plateau forming this expansive, awe-inspiring landscape that we call the Grand Canyon. And it certainly is grand. Words cannot describe what it is like to gaze across the Grand Canyon for the first time.

Grand Canyon National Park is a breathtaking natural wonder that offers an unforgettable experience for RVers. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you plan your RV adventure.

This segment of nature’s highways needs to address the elephant in the room… the Grand Canyon. In 2023, Grand Canyon National Park came in second as the most visited park in the U.S. (4.7 million) just edging out Zion (4.6 million) but way behind Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.3 million).

The area’s numbers are impressive. Through the 1.2 million acres, the Colorado River carved the Canyon 277 miles long, 18 miles at its widest, and over one mile deep. Three distinct areas define the park: Colorado River/Canyon Floor, North Rim, and South Rim. The South Rim attracts 90 percent of visitors.

Getting there

On Interstate 40 Exit 165 at Williams, Arizona, State Route 64 takes you north 59 miles to the South Rim Visitors Center. Keep in mind that parking is limited.

If coming from the north, Fredonia, Arizona, to North Rim Visitors Center is 74 miles via U. S. Highway 89A to Arizona Route 67, aka Grand Canyon Highway.

Staying in the park

All campgrounds within the park are booked well in advance.

Mather Campground

Mather Campground is located in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. There are 327 sites. Each includes a campfire ring/cooking grate, picnic table, parking space, and room for up to six people, three tents, and two vehicles. There are flush toilets and drinking water throughout the campground. No hookups are available; however, there is a free dump station. Most RV spaces are pull-through. Pine loop is a tent-only area where generators are not permitted. Campground reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance.

Trailer Village RV Park

Trailer Village RV Park is the only in-park RV campground with full hookups (sewage, water, and electrical with 30 amp and 50 amp sites available) at Grand Canyon National Park. It is open year-round and can accommodate vehicles up to 50 feet long. Reservations can be made up to 13 months in advance.

Desert View Campground

At the East Entrance, Desert View Campground offers a peaceful setting with 49 campsites. 30 feet combined total length is the maximum length for RVs. Due to high demand, Desert View Campground now requires advanced reservations.

Campsites for the 2024 season are by reservation only through recreation.gov. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance for the 2024 season that runs from Saturday, April 13 through Sunday, October 13, 2024 with the campground closing for the season on Monday, October 14, 2024. Desert View Campground does not hold back any campsites for first-come, first-served camping during peak season and does not have a wait list or call back system.

North Rim Campground

Open from May 15 through October 15, 2024, the North Rim Campground is located on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The canyon’s rustic and less populated North Rim is home to abundant wildlife, hiking trails, and unparalleled views of the Grand Canyon. The facility is at an elevation of 8,200 feet with pleasant summer temperatures and frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Due to the popularity of the Grand Canyon National Park you should make reservations up to 6 months in advance.

Forestry campgrounds

South Rim: Tusayan Mountain, a National Forest campground is open May 13 through September 30, 2024. No hookups. Located 9 miles south of Village. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance through recreation.gov.

North Rim: De Motte Campground, a National Forest campground is open mid-May to mid-October, 2024. No Hookups. Located 7 miles north of the park boundary. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance through recreation.gov.

You are there; now what?

Before you go, download the NPS app to your phone or tablet. This provides an excellent overview of everything you need to know.

Visitor centers, information desks, and museums

There are four visitor centers: South Rim, Verkamp’s, Desert View, and North Rim.

Note: If you arrive when a visitor center is closed, trip planning and hiking information is available outside through a series of sidewalk signs.

South Rim Visitor Center

This is the main visitor center located in Grand Canyon Village. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. To get a sense of the park watch the park’s 20-minute orientation film, Grand Canyon: A Journey of Wonder. Afterward, browse through the exhibits.

You can walk a short distance from there to Mather Point, the quintessential photo-op location. Be prepared for many others positioning for the same. Alternately, you might stroll a few hundred yards either way along Rim Trail—good views, fewer folks.

From here you can catch the free shuttle (Blue Route) through Market Plaza to the Village and Verkamp’s Visitor Center.

Verkamp’s Visitor Center

Located in the Village Historic District, Verkamp’s Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is frequented by visitors who arrive on the train, Verkamp’s features exhibits about the history of Grand Canyon Village and a museum store.

It is named for John Verkamp who set up a souvenir tent for tourists in 1898 which the family later expanded into the present site. The center leads you through the history of the Village community. From here, walk out to the Trail of Time for a stroll through the geologic history of the canyon.

For a historical tour through the Village, open the NPS app to Grand Canyon National Park and select Self-Guided Tours, Full Steam Ahead (for download info, see above). Begin at the train depot for a 1 to 2 hour walking audio tour.

Kolb Studio

Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. This restored building was a family home, auditorium, and photography studio. As you enter the upper level there is a shop with books, gifts, and souvenirs. Photographers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb helped turn the Grand Canyon into a national icon. Kolb Studio was an early tourist destination. Celebration of Art Exhibit: September 15, 2024-January 20, 2025.

Desert View

The easternmost visitor center of Grand Canyon National Park presents a unique structure, the Watchtower. Originally designed as a rest stop for visitors, the site gives you a different look at the eastern part of the canyon especially through the reflectoscopes. A few steps beyond one can gaze down the canyon to the Colorado River’s Big Bend, its sharp 90-degree turn from its southward course toward the west.

Desert View Watchtower Retail Store (View Room) is open daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The upper floors of the tower are open most days from 8:20 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. There is ticketed entry. A National Historic Landmark, the Watchtower was constructed in 1932. The design by Mary Colter is based on the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan people of the Southwest. Cultural handicraft demonstrations take place in the View Room during spring, summer, and fall.

Tusayan Pueblo Ruins and Museum

A few miles down the road finds the Tusayan Pueblo Ruins and Museum dedicated to 10,000 years of cultural history of the Ancestral Puebloans.

The Tusayan Pueblo Museum is CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The adjacent pueblo site and self-guiding trail is open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is located 3 miles west of Desert View Watchtower. The Museum and Pueblo interprets a small Ancestral Puebloan village. When the museum reopens, view exhibits including 2,000 to 4,000-year-old cultural items along with traditional handicrafts made by Grand Canyon’s tribal communities.

North Rim Visitor Center

Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Grand Canyon Conservancy’s Park Store within the North Rim Visitor Center building features a wide variety of books, maps, and gifts to help you plan or remember your trip to Grand Canyon and to learn more about its geology, ecology, and history. Store employees can direct you to the nearby Ranger Roost for additional information services. Open for the season between May 15 and October 15, 2024.

Because this is the other side of the Grand Canyon fewer than 10 percent of the visitors make it here. Those adventurous enough to travel up from the South Rim can expect a 220-mile trek. The closest town for supplies is Jacobs Lake, about 40 miles north. Kaibab Camper Village st Jacobs Lake offers full hookups with pull-through and back-in sites and can accommodate big rigs.

At an elevation of 8,000 feet, the views are no less amazing. From the lodge, make your way to Bright Angel Trail, a relatively easy half-mile round trip though steep and narrow in places with an elevation gain of 200 feet. At the end, you can discover Bright Angel Point with Bright Angel Canyon to the east and Transept Canyon to the west. NPS offers an informational guide.

Note: North Rim is at 8,000 feet elevation which may cause difficulties for those with respiratory or heart problems.

South Rim Shuttle Buses

The National Park Service has provided free shuttle bus service on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park for more than 40 years. All of the park’s buses are fully accessible and run on compressed natural gas which means fewer harmful emissions for people and the environment. And the roadways are far less crowded!

Grand Canyon’s shuttle system provides a hassle free way to access South Rim trails, viewpoints, and other points of interest—some areas are only accessible by bus. The shuttle system is not an experience in and of itself but a means to access all that the South Rim has to offer: hiking, cycling, scenic views, and historical structures. So, park your car and begin your Grand Canyon explorations!

This summer, four shuttle bus routes are in service from May 25 through September 6, 2024. Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route, right, transports visitors to S. Kaibab Trailhead and outstanding views at Yaki Point. Village (Blue) Route, center, connects Visitor Center with lodges, campgrounds, Backcountry Information Center, and Market Plaza (general store and post office). Hermit Road (Red) Route travels a 7-mile scenic road with spectacular overlooks. Tusayan (Purple) Route to the gateway community.

Hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park

Over 250 people are rescued from the canyon each year. The difference between a great adventure in Grand Canyon and a trip to the hospital (or worse) is up to YOU. DO NOT attempt to hike from the rim to the river and back in one day especially during the months of May to September.

Many options are available for day hikers. Both the South Rim and the North Rim offer rim trail hikes that have spectacular views of the inner canyon some on paved trails. Or you can choose to day hike into the canyon. Permits are not required for non-commercial day hikes.

Day hiking can be a safer and more enjoyable choice than an overnight trip into a difficult area that is beyond the capabilities of any single member of your group.

WARNING: There are no easy trails into or out of the Grand Canyon!

Grand Canyon National Park provides hikers with an array of trails. For the ultimate ease in hiking the South Rim follow the Rim Trail mostly paved with a slight elevation gain. If you get tired or the weather changes abruptly, just hop on the shuttle bus for a ride back to the visitor center. If you are in good hiking shape, there are other trails ranging from 3 miles to 10 miles long. All are very steep and rated strenuous.

The North Rim offers more of a variety of easy to moderate trails. Cape Royal is an easy half-mile hike with a view of the Colorado River. Uncle Jim is a moderate five-mile loop with great canyon views.

Remember, always check with the rangers at the visitor center for trail conditions, wildlife spotting, and permits, if required.

Flora and fauna

Because so many folks visit the Grand Canyon encountering wildlife is uncommon. However, you can expect to be found by the most prevalent critter in the park… the rock squirrel. You do not have to look for them as they will find you often begging for food. They may be cute but they are still wild animals that can and will bite.

If hiking a trail, you may come upon a bull elk. These weigh upwards of 800 pounds with antlers as wide as five feet across. Look, but do not approach. If you hold up your thumb and cannot see the animal then you are probably at a safe distance. They are most aggressive during rutting season from August to October. However, you are more likely to hear their bugle sound like rubbing metal on metal.

Looking skyward you will see canyon wrens and ravens. Both are very common sights. Actually, the raven is the smartest animal in the canyon. Be aware of any food left out as they are notorious thieves. Some are even known to unzip a backpack with their beaks.

If you catch a glimpse of a huge bird soaring along the canyon walls, congrats. You have spotted a California condor. Due to preservation activity, the population has grown from 22 in 1982 to more than 500 today. As of 2018, there were 90 birds in the wild Southwest population including Grand Canyon National Park.

Ponderosa pines cover both the North and South Rims ranging in elevation from 6,500 to 8,200 feet. They are most notable for the pyramid-shaped crown above an orange-red trunk.

Stargazing

The Grand Canyon isn’t just a daytime marvel; it’s a nighttime sanctuary. As an International Dark Sky Park, it boasts some of the world’s darkest skies. Its vast landscapes and majestic red rock formations provide a breathtaking backdrop for an endless horizon of stars. Under the expansive Arizona skies, the Milky Way and countless stars reveal their full glory offering an unparalleled stargazing experience.

No matter where you wander in the Grand Canyon, a star-studded sky awaits you especially as you venture away from Grand Canyon Village. Here are the top picks for the best stargazing spots on the South Rim:

Yavapai Point: Renowned for its stunning sunsets, this location transforms into a stargazing paradise at night offering clear, expansive views of the heavens.
Desert View Watchtower: With its sweeping canyon views and eye-catching stone tower, this spot is ideal for stargazing and astrophotography attracting both casual observers and dedicated astrophotographers.
Mather Point: It is located near the Visitor Center and provides easy access for a night of spectacular sky viewing just steps from the parking lot.
Moran Point and Lipan Point: These less-visited locations off Desert View Drive offer serene environments for stargazing away from the crowds.

Wait. What?!

Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa) can grow up to 200 feet in height and live up to 600 years.

Want more travel ideas for this area?

Grand Canyon is the first step of our climbing the Grand Staircase–Escalante. In the following series we will travel up the staircase visiting Utah’s Mighty Five.

Happy travels!

Worth Pondering…

Leave it as it is. You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American if he can travel at all should see.

—Theodore Roosevelt

The 14 Most Beautiful U.S. Landmarks to Visit This Fourth of July

When you can go to the beach all summer why not try something new and more meaningful on Independence Day?

The Fourth of July holiday is rapidly approaching promising crowded beaches, sunburns, and lots of travel traffic. Take your weekend in a new direction and visit American landmarks on the anniversary of its birth. Celebrate the natural, industrial, and historic wonders of the US by visiting these iconic sites. From the Grand Canyon to the Alamo, this list of 14 American landmarks proves America has much to offer.

So many great places—so little time.

Grand Canyon *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World alongside the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and Mount Everest, the spectacular gorge stands alone as perhaps the most iconic symbol of the stunning beauty of American. The Grand Canyon encompasses a 277-mile stretch of the Colorado River about the distance from Boston to Philadelphia. It is up to 18 miles wide and more than 1 mile deep standing as the world’s greatest example of the erosive power of water.

“The extent and magnitude of the system of canyons is astounding,” wrote U.S. Army explorer Joseph Christmas Ives, the first European American to explore the canyon in 1857-58. The Grand Canyon still astounds visitors today.

Savannah *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Savannah Historic District, Georgia

The colonial south lives today amid the verdant squares of Savannah, a nearly 300-year-old city that enjoyed a rebirth following its haunting, captivating portrayal in the 1994 bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Visitors love Savannah for its charming thoroughfares including the iconic cobblestones of River Street, delicious restaurants highlighting the best of southern fare such as Paula Deen’s flagship eatery The Lady and Sons, and its historic squares such as Chippewa Square featured in Forrest Gump.

Mount Washington Cog Railway *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

The centerpiece of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains is nothing less than the tallest peak in the northeast (6,288 feet). More famously Mount Washington habitually witnesses the globe’s most severe weather—due to its elevation and its location at the convergence of several major storm patterns.

Mount Washington’s brutal wind and cold is proclaimed locally as a testament to the hearty nature of Live Free or Die state residents. The summit held the record for highest wind speed ever recorded (231 mph) for several decades and reached a record low temperate of -50 degrees Fahrenheit in January 1885. The Mount Washington Observatory recorded a wind chill of -103 degrees as recently as 2004. The mountain today is a popular attraction for tourists who ascend the top via hiking trail, precarious auto road, or popular cog railway.

White Sands National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

This geological oddity is an American wonder for its natural beauty and sobering role in the history of modern warfare. White Sands National Park includes 275 square miles of glistening gypsum sand—the largest dune field of its kind on Earth surrounded by the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range. The park today offers spectacular vistas and touring by automobile, hiking, biking, or pack animals.

It was on this site in July 1945 that American scientists led by J. Robert Oppenheimer first unleashed the power of the atomic bomb, a victory of American ingenuity and industrial power amid World War II. The achievement also had lingering ramifications for mankind. The Trinity test at White Sands was a prelude to the atomic attacks the following month on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan that ended World War II.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

The rugged and wild parkland is celebrated for its rugged badlands, free-roaming bison, and its namesake’s Elkhorn Ranch on the Little Missouri River. Stargazing is a popular activity in the isolated park hundreds of miles from the nearest major city, with weekly events and viewing parties highlighted by the August annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival.

Gettysburg National Military Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

The stunning human cost of preserving the nation is best seen in this sprawling battlefield in rural south-central Pennsylvania. Gettysburg pitted about 160,000 men in a pitched three-day battle that turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the Union. Some 50,000 soldiers of both sides were killed or wounded. It remains the largest battle in North American history.

Visitors today can stand where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ordered the 20^th Maine to fix bayonets and charge down Little Round Top to save the southern end of the Union line or walk in the footsteps of brave Confederates slaughtered during Pickett’s charge on the decisive day of battle or tour the vast battlefield by exploring the hundreds of haunting monuments that dot the landscape today.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established by the United States Congress in 1934 and formally dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. It was the first national park to be endowed with land and other expenses paid in part with federal money; previous parks had been entirely funded by state or private donors. The park is divided between the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a subdivision of the broader Appalachian Mountain chain and the Great Smoky Mountains part of the larger Southern Appalachians.

The national park is notable for its mountains, waterfalls, biodiversity, and spruce-fir forests. The park also houses several historical buildings that were part of early European-American settlers’ settlements in the area. The park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1988.

The Alamo *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The Alamo, Texas

Remember the Alamo! It was the battle cry of Texas freedom fighters during the decisive Battle of San Jacinto led by Sam Houston against Mexico in April 1836. And it is a memorial to the doomed defenders of the Spanish mission turned Texas fort; they had tried without success to hold off Mexican general Antonio López de Santa Anna in late February and early March of that year. The Alamo became a bloody battlefield and a hallowed final resting place for those who would never leave these grounds alive.

On the 13th day—March 6, 1836—the Alamo finally fell and its defenders became American legends. The aftermath has inspired Americans for almost 190 years and the battle cry “Remember the Alamo?” has been repeated over and over again.

The Breakers, Newport *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Newport Mansions, Rhode Island

The wealth of the Gilded Age springs to life in Newport where the nation’s titans of 19th-century industry built ostentatious summer homes on the cliffs where scenic Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Breakers owned by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt II is probably the most spectacular built of limestone in the ornate style of an Italian palazzo.

Newport’s legacy as a playground of wealthy lives on today, amid its charming and busy downtown waterfront. The city is home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and hosted the America’s Cup, the world’s premier sailing race, for decades.

Middleton Place, Charleston *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Charleston plantations and gardens, South Carolina

The antebellum South both its beauty and the disturbing legacy of human bondage live on today and its vast collection of some 2,000 plantations many of which are centered around historic Charleston and open to visitors.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens features what it calls “America’s last large-scale Romantic-style garden”. Middleton Place, named for Declaration of Independence signatory Arthur Middleton claims “America’s oldest landscaped gardens” across 65 acres. Boone Hall dates back to 1681 and is famed for its Avenue of the Oaks with its moss-covered limbs forming a photogenic canopy along with an array of brick homes that housed slave families.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

This monumental sculpture of four U.S. presidents, each of their faces an amazing 60-feet tall, turned a remote area of a remote state into a beloved symbol of the national narrative. Law school student William Andrew Burkett summed up the purpose of the monument in 1934 in a winning essay he submitted to a contest hosted by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum.

“Almighty God, from this pulpit of stone the American people render thanksgiving and praise for the new era of civilization brought forth upon this continent,” Burkett wrote, his essay immortalized in bronze at the park. Mount Rushmore attracts some 2 million visitors a year and is a prominent place in the nation’s cultural lexicon with its images of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln staring stoically across the American continent.

Monument Valley *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona and Utah

The spectacular images of eroded sandstone buttes rising from the red rock of the Colorado Plateau along the Arizona-Utah state line are firmly ingrained in America’s natural and cultural landscapes. Monument Valley was forged by tectonic forces some 250 million years ago. It was inhabited by Navajo for centuries who set aside the land as a park within the Navajo Nation in 1958.

Its stunning landscape has reached audiences around the world as the backdrop of classic western movies such as Stagecoach, the 1939 John Ford flick that made John Wayne a star. More recently its jagged cathedrals of stone framed war hero and shrimp tycoon Forrest Gump as he abruptly ended his famous silver-screen jog across America on U.S. Route 163 hear Mexican Hat, Utah.

Lake Champlain *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Lake Champlain, New York and Vermont

The “Sixth Great Lake” has loomed large in both Native and European American history. Lake Champlain divided the Mohawks to the west and Abenaki to the east while British and continental forces fought for control of the 107 mile-long lake throughout the American Revolution.

Lake Champlain today is a perfect place to enjoy the pristine wilderness and especially the fall foliage of northern New England or search for Champy. The mysterious Loch Ness monster-like creature was first known to the Abenaki allegedly witnessed by French explorer Samuel de Champlain himself and reported by dozens of other witnesses in the centuries since.

New River Gorge National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

America’s newest national park has long been a symbol of an Appalachian Mountain state so beautiful it’s known around the world as Almost Heaven. New River Gorge achieved its federal designation in December 2020. The park is celebrated most notably for its spectacular New River Gorge Bridge. It was both the world’s highest auto bridge and longest single-span arch bridge when it opened in 1977 though it has been surpassed in both global superlatives since.

The park offers many recreational opportunities along with insight and exhibits exploring West Virginia’s coal mining history and culture. Among the figures celebrated: coal miner and son of slaves Carter Woodson who recorded the stories he heard digging ore and turned them into a published legacy as the “Father of Black History.”

Worth Pondering…

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.

—Albert Einstein

Grand Canyon: Where UPS and FedEx Fear to Tread

The Grand Canyon is one of Earth’s most beautiful and mysterious places. Its depths stretch seemingly forever and its sheer size can be breathtaking.

The Grand Canyon attracts millions of visitors to northern Arizona each year all hoping to snap an amazing photo of the canyon’s vast landscape. The mile-deep gorge is the centerpiece of such an expansive view that it can’t all be seen at once; at 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide the Grand Canyon is so large it creates its own weather. Deep canyons and rough terrain strongly influence solar heating and air circulation. Consequently, many different microclimates are found throughout the canyon. In fact, getting a view from its two most popular rims (aka tops) requires nearly five hours of driving time.

The Grand Canyon is under the care of the National Park Service yet the park boundaries don’t contain it entirely; the portion protected by Grand Canyon National Park totals 1,904 square miles, a span larger than the smallest U.S. state. In comparison, the tiny East Coast state of Rhode Island contains just 1,214 square miles.

Today, the Grand Canyon is the second-most-visited national park (bested only by the Great Smoky Mountains in 2022).

The Grand Canyon was one of the first North American natural wonders to be discovered by Europeans. In 1541, a party of the Coronado expedition under Captain García López de Cardenas stood on the South Rim, 138 years before explorers found Niagara Falls, 167 before Yellowstone, and almost 300 before Yosemite. A group scrambled down toward the river but failed to reach it and returned to announce that the buttes were much taller than the great tower of Seville. Then nothing! Some Coronado chroniclers did not even mention this side trip in their accounts.

Francisco Tomas Garcés, a Franciscan friar traced tribes up the Colorado River then visited the rim in 1776, discovered the Havasupai tribe, and departed. Fur trappers based in Taos knew of the great gorge which they called the Big Cañon and shunned it. When they guided exploring parties of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographic Engineers in search of transportation routes they steered the expeditions away from the canyon which offered no passage by water or land.

Then in 1857, Lt. Joseph C. Ives led a steamboat up the Colorado River in explicit quest of the Big Cañon. After the steamboat struck a rock and sank near Black Canyon, Ives traveled down Diamond Creek to the inner gorge, briefly touched at the South Rim and in 1861 concluded with one of the most infamous proclamations to ever emerge from an American explorer: The region is, of course, altogether valueless … after entering it there is nothing to do but leave. Ours has been the first and will doubtless be the last party of whites to visit this profitless locality.

>> Related article: How Theodore Roosevelt Saved the Grand Canyon

Eight years later Major John Wesley Powell descended the Colorado River through its gorges renamed the Big Cañon as the Grand Canyon and wrote a classic account of the view from the river. In 1882 Captain Clarence Dutton in the first monograph published by the new U.S. Geological Survey wrote an equally classic account, this time from the rim.

Something had changed. Mostly it was the advent of geology as a science with broad cultural appeal. The Grand Canyon might be valueless as a corridor of transport but it was a wonderland for the new science. It helped enormously that artists were drawn to landscapes of which the canyon seemed both unique and dramatic. Urged by Powell and Dutton, Thomas Moran and William Henry Holmes transformed a supremely visual scene into paint and ink.

Before Powell and Dutton, the Grand Canyon was a place to avoid. Now it was a marvel to admire. Twenty years later Teddy Roosevelt stepped off a train at the South Rim and added nationalism to the mix by declaring it “a natural wonder … absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world.”

It was an astonishing reversal of perception. The geologic mystery of the canyon is how the south-trending Colorado River made a sudden turn westward to carve its way, cross-grained, through four plateaus.

Unlike most great features, the Grand Canyon is invisible until you stand on its rim. You aren’t drawn to it as to a river’s source or a mountain’s peak. You have to seek it out and then cope with its visual revelation. It simply and suddenly is.

President Benjamin Harrison first moved to protect the area in 1893 as a forest reserve; President Theodore Roosevelt designated it a national monument in 1908. It would take a third President—Woodrow Wilson—and 11 more years for the Grand Canyon to become the awe-inspiring national park it is today.

Numbers don’t lie

1,000: Estimated number of caves within the Grand Canyon

5: Species of rattlesnakes found in Grand Canyon National Park (including the pink Grand Canyon rattlesnake, only found there)

278: Miles of the Colorado River that run through the Grand Canyon

4.7 million: Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in 2022

Mail is delivered to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

Got mules? The most unusual mode of delivery used by the Postal Service is the mule train.

Most visitors to the Grand Canyon admire the landscape from overlooks never venturing to the gorge’s bottom. Yet mail-carrying mules trek 3,000 feet down to the floor of the canyon three hours down but five hours back up, five days a week delivering packages, food, and supplies every day to the Supai village where the Indigenous Havasupai people have lived for nearly 1,000 years.

It’s unclear how long mail has been delivered this way but mule postal deliveries were first documented in 1938. Up to 22 mules are part of the all-weather mail train carrying up to 200 pounds of goods each and traveling 9 miles down into the canyon outside the national park’s boundaries. The trip takes three hours down and five hours on the return and according to the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum is the last official mail-by-mule route in the country and possibly, the world.

The mail supplies the Havasupai people with a multitude of modern amenities from packaged food to medicine to small appliances. The village could not sustain itself without the mail.

Insulated by its own remoteness and towering red cliffs, this village of a few hundred people is a step back in time: no paved streets, no cars, and no streetlights.

>> Related article: Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon

One of the mule train’s last stops before the canyon is in Peach Springs, Arizona. It’s the only post office in the country with a walk-in freezer to keep frozen food as cold as possible before the next leg in its journey.

For the Havasupai Indians, the mule train is a lifeline; the nearest supermarket is 120 miles from the top of the canyon.

From there a contractor picks up the mail and drives it an hour on a rough road to the top of the canyon. It’s then handed over to the mule team. According to Daniel Piazza, chief curator of philately (the study of stamps) at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, the same person has held the contract with the Postal Service for more than 25 years and chances are good his son will inherit it when he retires—there aren’t many people clamoring to run the mule mail.

Another unofficial route carries mail to a tourist lodge called Phantom Ranch—it’s not through a U.S. Postal Service contract but the mail that comes and goes as a courtesy to guests does get a special marking that it was mailed by mule.

These areas are not accessible by road. There are only three ways to reach them: by hiking (mule optional) down the canyon, rafting down the Colorado River, or by helicopter.

Since the 1930s, mules have been carrying mail and goods to the Havasupai people located inside the Grand Canyon:

10-22 mules are used daily along with one wrangler on horseback, 5 days a week, traveling 9 miles down into the canyon to the Supai Post Office
It takes 3 hours to get down and 5 hours to get back up
On the way back up, the wrangler untethers the mules and sends them back up on their own
Each mule can carry up to 200 pounds and the weight is loaded equally on each side for balance
The Supai Post Office has a special Mule Train postmark

Worth Pondering…

—Theodore Roosevelt

How Theodore Roosevelt Saved the Grand Canyon

Theodore Roosevelt’s bold Grand Canyon move

—Theodore Roosevelt

What makes the United States special? Not everyone agrees. A growing number of people think that it is not special at all. But in at least one respect, they are dead wrong: America is home to unique land formations of unparalleled beauty. These sacred spaces used to embody the essence of what it means to be an American—and in the eyes of many, still do.

Most of the annual visitors to the Grand Canyon probably count themselves among this number. It is difficult to gaze into the seemingly limitless, mile-deep ravine and not feel a sense of awe mixed with pride. But were it not for Theodore Roosevelt, it is unlikely that millions of people would be able to have this experience.

The Beginnings of Conservation

While the Grand Canyon has a long geological history, the political side of its story begins in 1872. In that year, two things happened: President Grant inaugurated Yellowstone as the first national park and he signed the General Mining Act declaring all mineral deposits on federal public land to be “free and open for exploration and purchase.” These two pieces of legislation set in play contradictory aims of conservation and economic extraction that, to this day, remain unresolved.

The Grand Canyon was one place where these competing ambitions clashed. Some gazers beholding its breathtaking rock strata reflected dollar signs in their eyes. In the 1880s, Senator Benjamin Harrison tried three separate times to introduce legislation naming the Grand Canyon a national park. On each occasion his bills were defeated by private interest groups. After becoming president, Harrison was able to name the site a forest reserve in 1893.

Establishing this was problematic, though, since the Canyon’s only forests were located on its rim. Furthermore, having Forest Reserve status did not offer sufficient protection against mining claims or even loggers or ranchers, all of whom simply ignored the new law.

Arizona politicians and businessmen had a vested interest in both extracting natural resources and developing the area around the canyon for tourism. Ironically, it was the encroachment of the railroad that aided the goal of furthering the site’s protection.

A New Champion

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt took a cross-country trip by train. One of his stops was the Grand Canyon. Peering over the edge of its rim, he fell silent with awe. Then in a speech, he delivered before a large crowd, he stated, “I shall not attempt to describe it, because I cannot.”

He admonished his audience to “Leave it as it is. Man cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children and your children’s children and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see.”

Roosevelt’s words carried weight. He had a reputation for being a great outdoorsman. Though asthmatic and frail as a child, Roosevelt cultivated athletic prowess and later explored the Dakota Badlands. He witnessed firsthand the closing of the frontier, the exploitation of the West for economic gain, and the disappearance of species (admittedly contributing to this latter effect through his own big game hunting).

In his chosen career as a politician and statesman, he developed a vision of promoting the public good over personal profit. While Harrison was president, Roosevelt played his part by founding a club dedicated to championing laws protecting America’s beautiful spaces. He even helped get the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 passed.

When Roosevelt accidentally became president after McKinley’s assassination in 1901, Big Business had a new enemy in the White House. Although Roosevelt was a part of the emerging progressive movement, this term had a somewhat different meaning than it does today.

Like the present-day conservative movement, the progressives saw the political philosopher Edmund Burke as their great precursor. Roosevelt went so far as to quote Burke in his Fifth Annual Message to Congress in 1905, to the effect that “Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites.”

Roosevelt had a hard time reining in corporate appetites, though, despite his forceful personality. He created five new national parks but like Harrison failed to add the Grand Canyon to that number when he encountered the same entrenched opposition. Something more would be needed to safeguard it.

The Antiquities Act

Conservation laws took a giant leap forward in 1906 when Roosevelt signed into law “An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities.” It classified a new type of public land, the national monument. This classification was made necessary not only due to industrial exploitation but also because thieves were plundering ancient archeological sites in search of valuable relics. Local and state organizations were ineffective in their efforts to stop them.

The meat of the Antiquities Act is the clause opening Section 2 where it states that the president is authorized “to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments…the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected.”

The Antiquities Act gave the president unprecedented domestic powers in a way that no other law has before or since. While he could designate national monuments without resort to Congress, it took an act of Congress to abolish the proclamation. He named Devil’s Tower the first such monument in September of that year. It did not extend far beyond the rock formation itself and clearly corresponded to the Act’s scope of keeping a designated space “confined to the smallest area compatible with proper care and management.”

Within the first six months of signing the act, Roosevelt designated four other monuments. Archaeological sites like the Gila Cliff Dwellings of New Mexico were unambiguous antiquities that could easily be classed as “objects of historic or scientific interest.”

The Grand Canyon was a different case entirely. Fortunately, it contained prehistoric ruins that were of historic interest. But the canyon itself, though, lent scientific interest by virtue of its unique geology and was much more than a mere archaeological site. The landscape was larger than the state of Rhode Island extending for nearly 2,000 square miles. How could such a vast area be managed?

Under Roosevelt’s tenure, the Forest Service had been created in 1905 as a way of managing the 150 national forests he established. Another agency would be needed to manage national parks and monuments. For the time being, this function would be carried out by the Department of the Interior. But neither Gifford Pinchot, first chief of the Forest Service, nor any administrators of the Interior Department, had any clear idea of how to appropriately deal with these landmarks.

Roosevelt was not one to allow legal terms or procedures to get in the way of realizing his vision of America. Specific methods could be worked out later. He interpreted the vague scope of the clause in a loose manner when, on January 11, 1908, he declared the Grand Canyon a national monument.

Consequences and Influence

Despite the far-reaching powers the Antiquities Act gave Roosevelt, his decision met with predictable opposition from the usual suspects. The most vehement enemy of Grand Canyon National Monument was Ralph Henry Cameron, a party boss and mining investor who became an Arizona Senator. Well into the 1920s, he filed lawsuits against the U.S. government to assert his supposed property rights. It was a blatant use of public office for private gain and fortunately, he was not successful.

Roosevelt’s expansive interpretation of the Antiquities Act was adopted by later presidents. They have used it almost a hundred times. Critics have pointed out that the Act concentrates power in the executive branch to a degree unintended by Congress, even claiming that it grants the president a level of authority approaching European monarchs. But though one may question some of the later selections for monumenthood, the early ones that Roosevelt established are uncontroversial public treasures. His use of the law as a tool of preservation has made it one of the most influential pieces of legislation in American history.

After Roosevelt left office, the National Park Service was created in 1916 to provide competent management of America’s new landmarks. Then, only a month after Roosevelt’s own death in early 1919, Grand Canyon National Park became a reality. Although he did not live to see it receive full protection, his vigorous and shrewd actions made it possible.

In 1932, Herbert Hoover proclaimed a second Grand Canyon National Monument adjacent to the park. Following that, Lyndon Johnson established Marble Canyon National Monument in 1969. Both of these sites have since been merged into the current national park. Finally in 1979, the Grand Canyon was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As one of America’s foremost cultural icons, the Grand Canyon is a self-evident source of wonder and majesty. Less obvious but more profound was Roosevelt’s belief that this beauty was also a source of virtue—that beholding splendor could inspire one towards noble action. This is what he meant when he said, “keep it for your children.” A hundred years after his death, Americans have admirably upheld this aspect of Roosevelt’s vision.

Worth Pondering…

In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

The Ultimate Arizona Road Trip: 25 Places You Must Visit

Arizona is an outdoor-lover’s dream with deep canyons, dramatic landscape, and a host of adventures where the land formations are the star of the show

Arizona is well-known for its beautiful landscapes and scenery. These beautiful, must-experience places are bucket-list worthy; some are well-known while others are hidden gems you might not have known about. From national landmarks to historical towns and breathtaking outdoor landscapes, here are 25 places to visit on your next Arizona road trip.

Grand Canyon

The most obvious landmark and Arizona road trip (and the most breathtaking of them all) is the Grand Canyon. If you have never experienced the sight of this outstanding view you absolutely must add this to your bucket list. You can check into El Tovar Hotel which is a historic property that opened its doors in 1905 and has entertained celebrities and presidents for over 100 years. Just steps away from the Grand Canyon’s edge, El Tovar has breathtaking views from every window and the resort’s dining room is as close to the canyon as you can get with cuisine that’s almost as memorable as the views as well as several hiking trails that will leave you speechless. Plus many photo opportunities!

>> Get more tips for visiting the Grand Canyon

Bisbee

What seems to be one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets is the interesting town of Bisbee. The former mining town is a small, unique community that sits high in the mountains near the Mexican border and in the far southeast corner of Arizona. With plenty of things to do, activities, events and festivals, shops, galleries, and nightlife plus birdwatching, gallery-gazing, dining, or pub-crawling, Bisbee will offer you a plethora of choices to keep you entertained.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Home to Lake Powell, The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a stunning region of blue water with a desert landscape and dramatic stone walls. One of the largest manmade lakes in the United States, this area is known for land- and water-based recreational activities.

This gorgeous lake is located in northern Arizona, stretches up into southern Utah, and is part of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area with nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline. You can enjoy a summer’s day with perfect weather, cool water, amazing scenery, and endless sunshine. This is the perfect place to escape to and rent a houseboat, stay at a campground, or enjoy the lodging and hop aboard a guided expedition.

>> Get more tips for visiting Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

Sedona

Due to its distinctive culture, Sedona is truly a place unlike any other. Visitors can navigate remote canyons, rejuvenate at an energy vortex site, and experience the ancient culture of the Sinagua people. Throughout the red rock are multitudes of secluded viewpoints, cliff dwellings, and well-preserved petroglyphs. In downtown Sedona, you’ll find a vibrant art community dense with unique shops and galleries. Hikers and adventurous types will enjoy the various trails and renowned Pink Jeep off-road adventure tours.

>> Get more tips for visiting Sedona

Catalina State Park

With the Santa Catalina Mountains beckoning in the distance and canyons and seasonal streams dotting the landscape, Catalina State Park provides a delightful respite in the Tucson area. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The park’s 5,500 acres provide miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails that wind through the park and into the nearby Coronado National Forest. More than 150 species of birds call the park home. This scenic desert park also offers equestrian trails and an equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders with plenty of trailer parking. The state park offers 120 campsites with electric and water utilities suitable for RVs of all lengths.

>> Get more tips for visiting Catalina State Park

Globe

In the foothills of the Pinal Mountains sits the former mining camp known as Globe. Founded in 1876 and incorporated in 1907 this lovely town is brimming with century-old buildings, cottages, and hillside houses. The Besh-ba-Gowah Archeological Park features stunning partially restored ruins of a Salado pueblo along with an accompanying museum. The historic downtown area is perfect for strolls and shopping for antiques while the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts is a great spot to explore and experience the talent of some incredible artists.

Apache Trail

As scenic drives go, the 40-mile Apache Trail (Highway 88) winds through the Southwest’s most stunning scenery. It’s a rugged ribbon of hairpin turns and stark drop-offs that meanders past three lakes and carves through canyons and over the Superstition Mountains before concluding at Roosevelt Dam.

Highway 88 runs northeast from Apache Junction passing through Tortilla Flat along the way to Roosevelt Lake. While you can still access the road to Tortilla Flat, the portion north of the town is temporarily closed.

>> Get more tips for driving Apache Trail

Williams

The opium dens, bordellos, and other landmarks of Williams, Arizona’s rough-and-tumble past are long gone. But some kinder, gentler vestiges of this town’s Wild West era remain. Today, the town’s Main Street is a National Historic District. Its storefronts house curio shops, an old-fashioned soda fountain, and classic diners and motels which preserve a bygone era. The town of 3,000 residents, considered the gateway to the Grand Canyon is also home to the Grand Canyon Railway an excursion between a historic depot and the canyon.

>> Get more tips for visiting Williams

Lost Dutchman State Park

Since the 1840s, many have claimed to know the location of the Peralta family’s lost gold mine in the Superstition Mountains but none of these would-be fortune-seekers became more famous than “the Dutchman” Jacob Waltz. The German prospector purportedly hid caches of the precious metal throughout the Superstition Wilderness. Fact or fiction, Waltz’s windfall gave the park its name. You might not find gold during your visit but other treasures include great hiking and biking trails and 138 RV camping sites (68 with electric and water) with sunset views.

>> Get more tips for visiting Lost Dutchman State Park

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Right along the U.S.-Mexico border, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has the kind of scenery you’d expect when you picture the desert. The monument’s tall, skinny namesake cacti abound in every direction. Instead of growing with one massive trunk like the saguaro, the many branches of the organ pipe rise from a base at the ground. Take a ride down Ajo Mountain Drive for great views of the “forests” of Saguaro (another species of cactus native to the area).

>> Get more tips for visiting Organ Pipe National Monument

Picacho Peak State Park

Picacho rises from the desert seemingly out of nowhere, its sharp buttes like lighthouses guiding travelers home. It wasn’t always a sight for road-weary eyes, though. In 1862, Confederate and Union soldiers clashed here in the Battle of Picacho Pass, a fight marked in history as the westernmost battle of the Civil War. These days during the spring, vibrant wildflowers carpet the ground; come winter, the challenging trails that ascend the sunny peaks draw thrill-seeking hikers.

>> Get more tips for visiting Picacho Peak State Park

Hoover Dam

Linking Arizona and Nevada, Hoover Dam is one of America’s great engineering marvels to date and a fantastic Arizona road trip. Completed in 1935, this massive and hard-to-miss structure crosses the Colorado River and sits at a total of 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long. You can drive or walk across the dam for free or take a tour of the dam. The visitor center provides information on the tours and has a café where you can stop for some basic grub.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

With its impressive location tucked in the limestone cliffs in the desert of Camp Verde, Montezuma Castle is sort of like an ancient skyscraper. Towing some 80 feet above the valley floor, the 20-room residence was built by the Sinagua people beginning in around AD 1100 and served as an important shelter to escape floods. It was among the first four sites given the designation of National Monument back in 1906 with the site also including further dwellings around Montezuma Well, six miles from the castle.

>> Get more tips for visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument

Alamo Lake State Park

As far as lakeside parks go, this one in western Arizona has no beach and not much shoreline hiking. But! It’s considered one of the best bass fishing lakes in the country. Anglers: Pack your gear and reserve one of the 15 full-service camping sites or cabins where the front porch makes for an ideal spot to spin yarns about the catch of the day.

>> Get more tips for visiting Alamo Lake State Park

Jerome

An old mining town-turned ghost town-turned tourist attraction, Jerome sits on a mountainside just above the desert floor. Jerome is unique and quirky, to say the least with the Sliding Jail in Jerome that was originally built around 1928 and was built on a clay slick; it soon began to slide and now sits 2,500 feet from its original location. While you’re there, you can visit the town’s most appreciated historical landmarks including the Gold King Mine Museum and the Jerome State Historic Park.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

A comparatively little-known canyon, Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “de shay”) has sandstone walls rising to 1,000 feet, scenic overlooks, well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and an insight into the present day life of the Navajo who still inhabit and cultivate the valley floor. This park is owned by the Navajo Nation and is managed cooperatively. A few Navajo families still live, raise livestock, and farm in the park. For the most memorable experience take a canyon tour with a Navajo guide. It’s a truly authentic, welcoming experience you’ll remember forever.

>> Get more tips for visiting Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Red Rock State Park

Oak Creek runs for nearly 2 miles throughout this 286-acre state park adorning the sandstone mesas and red boulders with leafy riparian habitats. If we’re judging Sedona hiking hot spots, it doesn’t get much better than the park’s juniper-studded trails and vortex-framed vistas. Red Rock State Park is one of the most ecologically diverse parks in Arizona which is why it makes sense that it serves as an environmental education hub. From the Visitor Center’s interactive exhibits and film presentations to guided nature walks and full moon hikes, programming offers insight into Sedona’s majestic landscape.

>> Get more tips for visiting Red Rock State Park

Tucson

Surrounded by mountains, Tucson is a beautiful city set in the Sonoran Desert and is the second-largest city in Arizona. With many historic sites and cultural attractions, Tucson is a place to unwind and explore. Highlights include the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, El Presidio Historic District, and Sabino Canyon. You will also discover hiking trails and afterward find a bite to eat at one of the many wonderful restaurants Tucson has to offer.

>> Get more tips for visiting Tucson

Monument Valley

Along a 17-mile self-drive route along a one-way gravel road, you will find the heart of the valley, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. While visiting this area which straddles the border between Arizona and Utah, you’ll experience the true Arizona desert feel with miles and miles of beautiful landscape and scenery of mesas and buttes, shrubs and trees, and windblown sand, creating all the wonderful and majestic colors of the Valley.

>> Get more tips for visiting Monument Valley

Prescott

With its small-city feel and defined seasons, Prescott has tall Ponderosa pine trees, lakes, and the occasional sprinkle of snow. This charming town has much to offer including the Courthouse Plaza, Sharlot Hall Museum, Smoki Museum, Elks Theatre Opera House, Watson Lake, and numerous hiking areas including Thumb Butte Trail. You can grab a bite to eat at one of the downtown restaurants or spend a night at one of the beautifully restored bed and breakfasts or hotels.

>> Get more tips for visiting Prescott

Saguaro National Park

One of Tucson’s most popular attractions is Saguaro National Park which is a great place to experience the desert landscape around this well-known town and see the famous saguaro cacti up close. With an east and west portion, the park has two sections approximately 30 minutes apart. Both sections of the park offer great opportunities to experience the desert and enjoy hiking trails.

>> Get more tips for visiting Saguaro National Park

Oatman

Once a gold-mining boomtown, Oatman hunkers in a craggy gulch of the Black Mountains, 28 miles southwest of Kingman along Route 66. Rising above the town is the jagged peak of white quartz known as Elephant’s Tooth. Often described as a ghost town, Oatman comes close to fitting the category considering that it once boasted nearly 20,000 people and now supports just a little over 100 people year-round.

Though Oatman is only a shadow of its former self, it is well worth a visit to this living ghost town that provides not only a handful of historic buildings and photo opportunities but costumed gunfighters and 1890s-style ladies as well as the sights of burros walking the streets.

>> Get more tips for visiting Oatman

Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest is known for its treasure trove of fossilized logs exposed after eons of erosion by wind and water. About 60 million years ago tectonic action pushed the Colorado Plateau upwards exposing the layers of rock containing the park’s Triassic fossils. The park is composed of two sections: the north section is a colorful badlands called the Painted Desert, and the southern section contains most of the petrified wood.

The park consists of a 28-mile road that offers numerous overlooks and winds through the mesas and wilderness. Visitors can also choose to hike a variety of trails ranging from easy to difficult.

>> Get more tips for visiting Petrified Forest National Forest

Tombstone

You can’t come to the Wild West and not truly experience the Wild West with staged gunfights in the streets and characters walking through town in period costumes to recreate the glory days of this small Arizona town that is great as an Arizona road trip. With top-rated attractions such as OK Corral, Allen Street, Boothill Graveyard/Gift Shop, and Courthouse State Historic Park, each shop, restaurant, and attraction is designed with tourists in mind and gives you the chance to see and soak in the town’s history.

>> Get more tips for visiting Tombstone

Ajo

With its rich tradition as a former copper mining hub, Ajo is a casual town with relaxed charm. Enjoy its mild climate, low humidity, and clear skies. Take in the historic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, Sonoran Desert flora and fauna, and panoramic views. Step back in time at the Historic Plaza and railway Depot. Gaze at Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the downtown Historic District.

Verde Canyon Railway © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Bonus trip: Verde Valley Railway

Park the RV and board the train as you embark on a spectacular journey accessible only by rail. Powering the train are two EMD FP7 diesel locomotives built in 1953 for the Alaska Railroad. They were painted in 2019 with an apropos American bald eagle motif. Alert passengers may spot the U.S. national bird soaring in the canyon. From December to March, visitors have a greater chance of seeing these special raptors since migrating and resident bald eagles share the canyon during nesting season.

Worth Pondering…

To my mind these live oak-dotted hills fat with side oats grama, these pine-clad mesas spangled with flowers, these lazy trout streams burbling along under great sycamores and cottonwoods, come near to being the cream of creation.

—Aldo Leopold, 1937

Independence Day: 12 Must-see Landmarks to Celebrate on 4th of July

Celebrate the natural, industrial, and historic wonders of the US by visiting these iconic sites

So many great places—so little time.

Skyrocketing gas prices have consumers looking twice at their fuel budget, yet Americans are determined to hit the road. Experts say that fuel costs may actually boost domestic tourism and the 4th of July holiday travel plans.

Car and RV travel “will set a new record despite historically high gas prices with 42 million people hitting the road” this week for Independence Day vacations, according to AAA.

The Deloitte summer travel survey reports that 84 percent of American travelers will take an overnight trip, 57 percent will enjoy a road trip and just 15 percent will travel internationally partially due to uncertainty over ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Given all of this, here’s a look at 12 fabulous spots across the country with each location in a different state. Taken together, these selections reveal America’s heroic history, industrial achievement, and natural beauty that, woven together, tell the story of America.

The Grand Canyon, Arizona

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World alongside the likes of the Great Barrier Reef and Mount Everest, the spectacular gorge stands alone as perhaps the most iconic symbol of the stunning beauty of the American continent. The Grand Canyon encompasses a 277-mile stretch of the Colorado River, about the distance from Boston to Philadelphia. It is up to 18 miles wide and more than 1 mile deep, standing as the world’s greatest example of the erosive power of water.

Savannah Historic District, Georgia

Visitors love Savannah for its charming thoroughfares including the iconic cobblestones of River Street, delicious restaurants highlighting the best of southern fare such as Paula Deen’s flagship eatery The Lady and Sons, its historic squares such as Chippewa Square featured in Forrest Gump, and one of the nation’s biggest and best St. Patrick’s Day bashes.

White Mountains *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

The centerpiece of the Presidential Range of the White Mountains is nothing less than the tallest peak in the northeast (6,288 feet). More famously, Mount Washington habitually witnesses the globe’s most severe weather—due to its elevation and its location at the convergence of several major storm patterns.

Mount Washington *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mount Washington’s brutal wind and cold are proclaimed locally as a testament to the hearty nature of Live Free or Die state residents. The summit held the record for the highest wind speed ever recorded (231 mph) for several decades and reached a record low temperate of -50 degrees Fahrenheit in January 1885. The Mount Washington Observatory recorded a wind chill of -103 degrees as recently as 2004. The mountain today is a popular attraction for visitors who ascend the top via hiking trail, precarious auto road, or popular cog railway.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

It was on this site in July 1945 that American scientists, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, first unleashed the power of the atomic bomb, a victory of American ingenuity and industrial power amid World War II. The achievement also had lingering ramifications for mankind. The Trinity test at White Sands was a prelude to the atomic attacks the following month on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan that ended World War II. The park today offers spectacular vistas and touring by automobile, hiking, biking, or pack animals.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

The rugged and wild parkland is celebrated for its aptly named badlands, free-roaming bison, and its namesake’s Elkhorn Ranch on the Little Missouri River.

The park recently had one of its busiest years ever attracting 800,000 visitors in 2021. Stargazing is a popular activity in the isolated park hundreds of miles from the nearest major city with weekly events and viewing parties highlighted by the annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival. Typically held on Labor Day weekend, date of the 2022 event is still pending.

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

The stunning human cost of preserving the nation is best seen in this sprawling battlefield in rural south-central Pennsylvania. Gettysburg pitted about 160,000 men in a pitched three-day battle that turned the tide of the Civil War in favor of the Union. Some 50,000 soldiers from both sides were killed or wounded. It remains the largest battle in North American history.

Visitors today can stand where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain ordered the 20th Maine to fix bayonets and charge down Little Round Top to save the southern end of the Union line, walk in the footsteps of brave Confederates slaughtered during Pickett’s charge on the decisive day of battle, or tour the vast battlefield by car exploring the hundreds of haunting monuments that dot the landscape today.

The Breakers *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Newport Mansions, Rhode Island

International Tennis Hall of Fame *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The Breakers, owned by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt II, is probably the most spectacular built of limestone in the ornate style of an Italian palazzo. Newport’s legacy as a playground of the wealthy lives on today around its charming and busy New England downtown waterfront. The city is home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame and hosted America’s Cup, the world’s premier sailing race, for decades.

Magnolia Plantation *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Charleston plantations and gardens, South Carolina

The antebellum South, both its beauty and the disturbing legacy of human bondage, live on today, and its vast collection of some 2,000 plantations many of which are centered around historic Charleston and open to visitors.

Middleton Place *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Magnolia Plantation & Gardens features what it calls “America’s last large-scale Romantic-style garden” while offering 45-minute tours of its slave cabins. Middleton Place, named for Declaration of Independence signatory Arthur Middleton, claims “America’s oldest landscaped garden” across 65 acres. Boone Hall dates back to 1681 and is famed for its Avenue of the Oaks with its moss-covered limbs forming a photogenic canopy along with an array of brick homes that housed slave families.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial , South Dakota

This monumental sculpture of four U.S. presidents, each of their faces 60 feet tall, turned a remote area of a remote state into a beloved symbol of the national narrative. Law school student William Andrew Burkett summed up the purpose of the monument in 1934 in a winning essay he submitted to a contest hosted by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum.

Mount Rushmore attracts some 2 million visitors a year.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Utah

The spectacular images of eroded sandstone buttes rising from the red rock of the Colorado Plateau, hard by the Arizona border, are firmly ingrained in America’s natural and cultural landscapes. Monument Valley was forged by tectonic forces some 250 million years ago. It was inhabited by Navajo for centuries who set aside the land as a park within the Navajo Nation in 1958.

Its stunning landscape has reached audiences around the world as the backdrop of classic western movies such as Stagecoach, the 1939 John Ford flick that made John Wayne a star. More recently, its jagged cathedrals of stone framed war hero and shrimp tycoon Forrest Gump as he abruptly ended his famous silver-screen jog across America on U.S. Route 163 near Mexican Hat, Utah.

Lake Champlain, Vermont

The “Sixth Great Lake” sits on the border of New York and is best explored from the quintessential New England college town of Burlington. It has loomed large in both Native and European American history. Lake Champlain divided the Mohawks to the west and Abenaki to the east while British and continental forces fought for control of the 107-mile-long lake throughout the American Revolution.

Lake Champlain today is a perfect location to enjoy the pristine wilderness and especially the autumn foliage of northern New England, or search for Champy. The mysterious Loch Ness monster-like creature was first known to the Abenaki, allegedly witnessed by French explorer Samuel de Champlain himself, and reported by dozens of other witnesses in the centuries since.

New River Gorge *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

America’s newest national park has long been a symbol of an Appalachian Mountain state so beautiful it’s known around the world as “almost heaven.” New River Gorge achieved its federal designation in December 2020. The park is celebrated most notably for its spectacular New River Gorge Bridge. It was both the world’s highest auto bridge and longest single-span arch bridge when it opened in 1977 though it has been surpassed in both global superlatives since.

The park offers many recreational opportunities, along with insight and exhibits exploring West Virginia’s coal mining history and culture.

Worth Pondering…

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.

—Albert Einstein

The Grand Canyon Is Hosting a Star Party This Week—and It’s Totally Free

The annual party takes place from June 18 to June 25

Imagine being able to see billions of stars in the Milky Way just with your naked eye from your own backyard. It was once a common reality until artificial lights from our growing cities started encroaching upon the night sky. Today to see the Milky Way and most constellations other than, say, the Big Dipper you have to trek far, far away from humanity. The darker the sky, the better!

The ultimate stargazing spots are fittingly called Dark Sky Places: designated pockets where light pollution is at a minimum and the stars are out in all their glory. And the keepers of those Dark Sky Places are the International Dark Sky Association (IDA).

What began in 1988 as a grassroots movement among astronomers in Tucson is now international with 170 certified Dark Sky Places in 21 countries. Its mission is to protect natural landscapes, educate, and counteract the harmful effects of excessive light pollution linked to everything from insomnia to obesity to cancer. “It messes with our circadian rhythms,” says Ryan Parker, Chair of the Colorado chapter of the IDA. “Our body naturally needs to sleep and rest and rebuild. And when we don’t allow that to happen, it interferes with our natural homeostasis.”

Grand Canyon National Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2016. Many of the best protected night skies in the country are found within national park boundaries.

Grand Canyon joined eleven other national park sites certified by IDA. Including Grand Canyon, eight of the national park sites with IDA Dark Sky Park status are located on the Colorado Plateau. The NPS especially focuses on sustainable outdoor lighting because it combines technology, design, and practice in a way that allows parks to increase energy efficiency and enhance visitor experiences.

Between its Dark Sky status and its ease of accessibility, the Grand Canyon attracts the astronomically inclined. There’s an annual Grand Canyon Star Party held in June and the Desert View Watchtower is a popular spot for capturing the Milky Way with astrophotography.

For over 30 years, the Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy have hosted a week-long June stargazing party with free entrance to the park and a multi-day program. And while during the COVID-19 pandemic the annual event went viral, the in-real-life celebration runs between June 18 and June 25 this year.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), the event kicks off Saturday after sunset. So, 9 p.m. is reportedly the best time for viewing and visitors are encouraged to bring a red flashlight rather than a white one as that can interfere with the viewing.

“Skies will be starry and dark until the moon rises the first night,” the NPS wrote on its website. “It rises progressively later throughout the week of the Star Party.”

On the South Rim, the seven-day event kicks off with a Mars Perseverance presentation on June 18 where visitors can learn about the Red Planet rover from the person who built it followed by presentations throughout the week on everything from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to learning how astronauts trained in northern Arizona in the 1960s and 1970s.

Each evening, the NPS will also host a telescope viewing behind the Grand Canyon Visitor Center while park rangers will offer constellation tours. Night sky photography workshops will also be available.

On the North Rim, an astronomy-related evening program will be offered at 8 p.m. in the auditorium of the Grand Canyon Lodge and constellation talks will also be given throughout the night. During the day, solar telescopes will also be set up at the lodge.

Things to Know about the 2022 Star Party

Attend this free, open-to-the-general public, event. The park entrance fee ($35/vehicle) is valid on both South and North rims for 7 days. No additional tickets or sign-up is required.
The event begins at sunset although the best viewing is after 9 p.m. and many telescopes come down after 11 p.m.; however, on nights with clear and calm skies, some astronomers continue sharing their telescopes into the night.
Campground or lodging reservations are recommended.
Dress warmly. Temperatures drop quickly after sunset—even during summer months.
View an assortment of planets, double stars, star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies by night and perhaps the Sun or Venus by day.
Skies will be starry and dark until the moon rises the first night. It rises progressively later throughout the week of the Star Party.

South Rim Star Party 2022

Events include an outdoor evening program nightly just outside Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 8 p.m. followed by telescope viewing in the large lot behind the Visitor Center. To attend the evening programs arrive before 8 p.m. to be sure of getting a good view of the screen or arrive after dark and head straight to the telescope lot.
Park rangers offer constellation tours at 9, 9:30, and 10 p.m. The slide show, constellation tours, and at least one telescope are wheelchair accessible. The closest accessible parking is in lot 4. Lots 1 through 3 offer additional parking. During the Star Party, the Village Route (blue) shuttle bus runs every half-hour until 11 p.m. sharp.
The South Rim Star Party is sponsored by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association. Amateur astronomers from across the country volunteer their expertise and offer free nightly astronomy programs and telescope viewing.

North Rim Star Party 2022

Telescopes are set up on the porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge every evening. An astronomy-related evening program will be presented at 8 p.m. in the auditorium of Grand Canyon Lodge. Check park bulletin boards for the evening program schedule. Constellation talks are also given, throughout the evening.
By day, solar telescopes are set up at the lodge, the Visitor Center, and the general store (by the campground.)
The North Rim Star Party is sponsored by the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix, Arizona.

Park Alerts in Effect

Alert 1, Severity danger, Inner Canyon High Temp of 100 °F (38 °C) Excessive Heat Warning – Saturday, June 18, 2022; hiking into Grand Canyon is not advised this week. If you do, don’t hike between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Bring water and electrolytes, food and salty snacks, sunscreen, sunglasses, a water spray bottle, loose/protective Clothing, wide-brimmed hat.
Alert 2, Severity danger, Grand Canyon National Park is in STAGE 2 FIRE RESTRICTIONS. Campfires are prohibited. Wood burning and charcoal fires including campfires and warming fires are prohibited.

Worth Pondering…

I have long thought that anyone who does not regularly—or ever—gaze up and see the wonder and glory of a dark night sky filled with countless stars loses a sense of their fundamental connectedness to the universe.

—Brian Greene