Writers can be forgiven for going overboard when describing a mile-deep, 277-mile-long gash in the earth with some of the planet's oldest rocks on display like a big, beautiful geologic layer cake. Awe-inspiring. Amazing. Breathtaking. The list of clichés goes on. Some 5 million people a year step up to the edge of this natural wonder, and when they first lay eyes on it, even those with a Rhodes Scholar's vocabulary can only muster words like “wow” and “awesome.” This is as it should be. This ain't no fairytale European castle. The Grand Canyon is Mother Nature showing you she's boss. Learn More...