Historic Map - Grand Canyon National Park - 1882

The Grand Canyon at the Foot of the Toroweap -- Looking East

Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon has been created by the Colorado River over the course of 17 million years, and the river has continued to erode the area into what it is today. After being visited by President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900's, he established the Grand Canyon Game Preserve. He also added the adjoining forest lands, and the area was designated a US National Monument in 1908. Though land and mining claim holders fought against the area being classified as a national park for eleven years, the canyon was placed on the list in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson, making it the 17th National Park in the United States.