Archeological artifacts suggest that people lived in and around the canyon some 12,000 years ago. Today, it is still considered a sacred place to 11 Native American tribes, despite being moved onto reservations in the 1800’s. The United States did not really explore the area until the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo seated over 500,000 square miles of land to the U.S. included the Grand Canyon.

Thus, in 1857, the U.S. government sent an expedition led by Lieutenant Joseph Ives to explore the Colorado River. While admiring the scenery, in his report he wrote, “The region is, of course, altogether valueless. Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality.”

History proved Ives wrong, but throughout the late 1800’s, companies struggled to make the area profitable. And few were considering this harsh landscape as a tourist destination. Even so, President Benjamin Harrison saw the need to protect this inspiring place, and created the Grand Canyon National Forest Reserve in 1893.

The Grand Canyon’s popularity grew tremendously after that. In 1901, a new rail line ran directly to the Grand Canyon Village where most tourists, to this day, start their visit. A comfortable train ride, and the brand new El Tovar hotel enticed the elite class to visit the Grand Canyon, including President Theodore Roosevelt. During his 1903 visit, he emphasized the importance of preserving the Grand Canyon in a speech, “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”

In 1908, Roosevelt declared the Grand Canyon a national monument. During this time, more visitors made use of the traditional Native American walking trails like, the Bright Angel Trail, for mule rides and hiking. More people meant more lodging. Architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was hired to design many of the park’s most iconic buildings. Thanks to her groundbreaking work, she earned the nickname “Grand Canyon’s architect”.

Finally, three years later, the National Park Service was created. On February 26th, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park into law, making it the nation’s 17th national park. Over 37,000 people visited the newly enshrined park in its first year.

Today, the park has hosted more than 211 million guests. However, all this momentum led to some growing pains. Commercial flights, which were gaining popularity in the 1950’s, would treat passengers to a view of the Grand Canyon while en route to their destination. 

Sources: Arizona dream, Authentic USA, US News, Visit Arizona, The Canyon, Grand Canyon