Page 535 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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California Condors
America’s largest bird, the California condor, has a wingspan of
over 9 ft (2.7 m). The bird was nearly extinct in the 1980s, and
the last 22 condors were captured for breeding in captivity.
In 1996, the first captive-bred birds were released in
Northern Arizona. Today, about 70 condors fly
the skies over Northern Arizona and
Southern Utah. They are frequent
visitors to the South Rim, though
visitors should not approach or
attempt to feed them.
A pair of California condors

(45 km) of scenic roads along The Bright Angel trailhead is
Desert View’s stone Watchtower on the North Rim as well as hiking at Grand Canyon Village on
Desert View Drive trails to high viewpoints or the South Rim. The trail begins
down to the canyon floor near the Kolb Studio at the
life. The road finally ends at the (particularly the North Kaibab western end of the village. It
stunning overlook of Desert Trail that links to the South then switches dramatically
View. The Watchtower here was Rim’s Bright Angel Trail). down the side of the canyon
Colter’s most fanciful creation, The picturesque Cape Royal for 9 miles (13 km). The trail
its upper floor decorated with Road starts north of Grand crosses the river over a
early 20th-century Hopi murals. Canyon Lodge and travels suspension bridge, ending a
Just east of Grand Canyon 23 miles (37 km) to Cape Royal little farther on at Phantom
Village is Yavapai Point from on the Walhalla Plateau. From Ranch. There are two rest
where it is possible to see here, several famous buttes and houses and a fully equipped
Phantom Ranch. This is the peaks can be seen, including campground along the way.
only roofed accommodation Wotans Throne and Vishnu It is not advisable to
available on the canyon floor, Temple. There are attempt the whole
across the Colorado River. also several short, trip in one day.
easy walking trails Many walk from
The North Rim around Cape Royal, the South Rim to
Standing at about 8,000 ft along the top. one of the rest
(2,400 m), the North Rim is A 3-mile (5-km) stops and then
higher, cooler, and greener than detour leads to Point return up to the
the South Rim, with dense Imperial, the highest Mule deer on the rim. Temp eratures at
forests of ponderosa pine, point on the canyon canyon’s North Rim the bottom of the
aspen, and Douglas fir. Visitors rim, while along the canyon can reach
are most likely to spot wildlife way the Vista Encantada has 110°F (43°C) or higher during
on the North Rim. Mule deer, delightful views and picnic the summer. Day-hikers should
Kaibab squirrel, and wild turkey tables overlooking the gorge. therefore carry a quart (just
are among the most common under a liter) of water per
sights. The North Rim is reached The Bright Angel Trail person per hour for summer
via Highway 67, off Highway This is the most popular of hiking. Carrying a first-aid
89A, ending at Grand Canyon all Grand Canyon hiking trails. kit is also recommended.
Lodge, where there are visitor
services, a camp ground, a gas
station, restaurant, and a
general store. Nearby there
is a National Park Service
information center, which offers
maps of the area. The North Rim
and all its facilities are closed
between mid-October and mid-
May, when it is snowed in. The
North Rim is twice as far from
the river as the South Rim, and
the canyon really stretches out
from the overlooks giving
a sense of its 10-mile (16-km)
width. There are about 30 miles Hikers at the trailhead of the Bright Angel Trail

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