Today in History

February 26, 1919

The Grand Canyon becomes a National Park

In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt signed legislation giving the Grand Canyon status as a National Monument. On February 26th, 1919, by an act of the United States Congress, Grand Canyon National Monument became Grand Canyon National Park. Today, the Grand Canyon National Park receives over 4 million visitors and contains over 1.2 million acres, about the same size as the state of Delaware. It is now also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In many places the Grand Canyon is well over a mile deep, and its width ranges from a quarter mile to over 18 miles wide. At Point Imperial its elevation is 9,000 feet. The exposed rock layers display over two billion years of geologic history. Temperatures on the North Rim tend to be 30°F cooler than at the river level in summer. Few visitors walk to the river, and far fewer walk from rim to rim. Park rangers and visitors often find novice hikers in distress along the canyon trails, and a few fatalities occur each year from dehydration and other hiking maladies. Organized river camping treks are available, and official programs, interpretive talks, museums and Junior Ranger programs are offered through the National Park Service.

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