Vietnamese tourists explore 'a crack in the Earth'.

The United States attracts tourists not only with magnificent cities like New York or Los Angeles. Besides the beauty of modern urban life, it would be remiss not to mention the natural beauty of America with its 63 national parks, of which the Grand Canyon is perhaps the most famous.

Grand Canyon, one of the most famous tourist destinations in the United States.

For tourists from Vietnam, a trip to the West Coast of the United States often includes the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon National Park is located in Arizona, approximately 830 km from Los Angeles or 405 km from Las Vegas, Nevada. An ideal itinerary for many tourists would typically start in Los Angeles, travel through Las Vegas, and explore the Grand Canyon before visiting other destinations, depending on the available time.

Each year, an estimated 5 million tourists visit Grand Canyon National Park.

This is the second most visited national park in the United States, according to 2022 data. The top spot goes to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located between Tennessee and North Carolina.

From Boston, I flew to Las Vegas to begin my road trip with my friends. In the US, the term "road trip" is quite familiar to travel enthusiasts, referring generally to exploration trips by car. Road trips can last from weeks to months, depending on the routes chosen. Summer is a busy time for road trips in the US, especially on the West Coast, which has a large number of national parks. Arizona alone has three national parks for visitors to explore.

Grand Canyon National Park covers an area of ​​over 1 million hectares, larger than the state of Rhode Island (the smallest state in the United States). Visitors to Grand Canyon are astonished by the beauty of nature. The mountain ranges and cliffs stretching nearly 500 km in Grand Canyon create a natural landscape with shades of brown, red, and orange from sandstone, shale, and magma rocks. Many studies believe that Grand Canyon was formed approximately 60-70 million years ago.

Visitors to the Grand Canyon have two destination options: the North Rim and the South Rim. Most visitors choose the South Rim due to its accessibility and numerous tourist facilities. During peak season, it can be difficult to book hotel rooms directly at the Grand Canyon. Our group spent the afternoon in Flagstaff, a city located about 130 km from the South Rim.

The scenery was like something from another world .

There are several ways to pay for admission to the Grand Canyon. Groups traveling by private vehicle pay $35 per car (approximately 800,000 VND). Individuals pay $20 per person (approximately 450,000 VND). We used the America the Beautiful National Park Pass, which allows access to all national parks for a year for only $80. These passes are very popular in the US if you live there and enjoy exploring national parks.

With a one-day itinerary, visitors can choose to explore the main viewpoints on the South Rim. You can use the Grand Canyon shuttle bus to reach your desired destinations completely free of charge.

Besides sightseeing tours, adventurous travelers can hike down the Colorado River – a small river winding through deep gorges. However, this activity is not for the faint of heart. Even the shortest trekking route to the Colorado River is over 10 km long one way. Visitors are advised against day-trips. Therefore, trekking is primarily for those who plan to camp overnight.

At first glance, visitors might see Grand Canyon National Park as a vast, arid landscape of rocky mountains and deep ravines. However, Grand Canyon National Park is home to approximately 1,500 plant species, over 400 animal species, and more than 200 bird species.

Wandering around the national park, we encountered many squirrels and deer roaming freely...

Today, excavation and geological and fossil research activities continue at the Grand Canyon. Recently, US President Biden decided to expand the Grand Canyon National Park and strengthen conservation efforts in the area...

For tourists, Grand Canyon National Park is a wonder of nature, a symphony of mountains, deep rivers, and abysses. For the Hopi tribe, who have lived on this land for a very long time, the Grand Canyon is likened to a gateway to the "afterlife," opening up an important spiritual world. If I were to look at the Grand Canyon from a few hundred years ago, its awe-inspiring, vastness would probably evoke similar thoughts in me.

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