In Depth

How Grand Is the Grand Canyon?

Size: 1,904 square miles (more than 1 1/2 times the size of Rhode Island)

Length of River in Canyon: 277 miles

Vertical Drop of River in Canyon: 2,215 feet

Average Width of Canyon: 10 miles

Widest Point: 18 miles

Narrowest Point: 600 feet (in Marble Canyon)

Average Depth: 1 mile

Lowest Point: 1,200 feet (at Lake Mead)

Highest Point on South Rim: 7,461 feet

Highest Point on North Rim: 8,801 feet

Colorado River Facts (as it flows through the canyon)

Length: 277 miles

Average Width: 300 feet

Average Depth: 40 feet

Average Gradient: 8 feet per mile

Recommended Reading--Among the hundreds of books written on the canyon, several stand out. For a general overview, leaf through Grand Canyon: A Natural History Guide (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1993) by Jeremy Schmidt. Schmidt reveals the larger beauty of the canyon by exploring the smaller relationships between its dwellers -- human and otherwise.

If you're the type who doesn't know schist (but would like to), pick up An Introduction to Grand Canyon Geology (Grand Canyon Association, 1999) by L. Greer Price. The author explains the geology of Grand Canyon in terms anyone can understand. A recommended book describing the canyon's incredible ecological diversity is An Introduction to Grand Canyon Ecology (Grand Canyon Association, 1980) by Rose Houk.

To read John Wesley Powell's own account of his 1,000-mile expedition on the Colorado River from 1869 to 1871, pick up a copy of Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons (Penguin USA, 2003).

If people interest you most, look for Living at the Edge (Grand Canyon Association, 1998) by Michael F. Anderson. This carefully researched book traces the canyon's human history from the prehistoric desert cultures through the present.

The Story of the Grand Canyon Railway (Grand Canyon Railway, 2005) by Al Richmond looks at all the people who have formed the railway's history, including cowboys, miners, presidents, and kings.

All of the above titles can be ordered through the Grand Canyon Association (tel. 800/858-2808).