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to call the Grand Canyon home but have been extirpated. These include the grizzly, gray wolf, black-

footed ferret, jaguar, Bear Valley sandwort, Colorado pikeminnow, bonytail, razorback sucker,

roundtail chub, and northern leopard frog. The introduction of exotic species, air pollution and tainted

water have been some causes of these species disappearance. There are

also many endangered plants and animals that are still found in the park.

Endangered animals include the California condor, humpback chub,

southwestern willow flycatcher, razorback sucker, Mexican spotted owl,

Kanab ambersnail, Little Colorado River spinedace, Yuma clapper rail, and desert tortoise. There is

only one endangered plant in the park, the sentry milk-vetch, but there are nine species of special

concern. Also there are an additional 25 vascular plants of management concern due to limited

distribution.

To preserve endangered species as well as the park itself a management plan is needed. The

Grand Canyon created a General Management Plan in 1995. This plan guides the management of

resources, visitor use, and the general development in the Grand Canyon. While the General

Management Plan outlines the overall direction for park management there are other documents

dedicated to the management of individual areas or events; such as fire management plans, or the plan

for the South Rim. All of these plans were created with the help of local citizens, American Indian

tribes, public and private agencies. The central purpose of these plans is to provide a foundation in

order to protect park resources while still providing a meaningful visitor experience.

To create your own meaningful visitor experience there are several

places to visit while in the Grand Canyon area. The two rims of the

canyon are the South Rim, and the North Rim. The South Rim is the

most visited and more assessable. It is open all year and has easy car

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access. The North Rim is a few thousand feet higher than the South Rim and less assessable. It is

closed from October to May each year due to heavy snow; even in good weather it is hard to get into.

There is only one assess for automobile otherwise you can hike-there is no other way to get in. The

Inner Canyon, everything below the rim, can be seen by hikers, mule riders, and river runners. There

are also Ranger Programs and guided tours as well as campgrounds and restaurants.

Before you plan you visit it might be helpful to know how to get there. The Grand Canyon is

located in the northwest corner of Arizona, close to the border of Nevada and Utah. How you get there

depends on where you are coming from and what you use a transportation. There is a Grand Canyon

Airport but there is limited air service into it. Commercial airlines serve in some near by towns

including Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Las Vegas. Most tourists will fly into one of these larger town and

rent a car to travel to the park or to where they are staying. There is also varying shuttle and bus

transportation services as well as a railroad service into Flagstaff with a connecting bus service into the

canyon. Tourists can stay at campgrounds inside the park or in a near by town. Some of the closest

towns, all located in Arizona, include Flagstaff, Sedona, and Williams. If you plan on driving some

major roads near the Grand Canyon include interstate 40 (which runs east to west), interstate 15 and

interstate 17 (both running north to south). To enter the park traveling from Williams take route 64,

from Flagstaff take route 180 north. To enter the North Rim from Flagstaff take highway 89 north. On

the next page there is a map showing these places and roads. Attached to this document is a larger

map-the one that Rangers give out at the entrance to the park.

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Student Info:

For students or anyone else looking for more information on the Grand Canyon attached is an

example copy of a letter one might send to the park and a copy of a letter received back from the park.

Also there is a copy of some website information that you would find on the National Park website

concerning the Grand Canyon. For more resources please see the bibliography.

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Bibliography

A. Internet Sources:

"Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service. U.S.

Department of the Interior, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm>.

Uhler, John W. "Welcome to the Grand Canyon." Grand Canyon National Park. Hillclimb Media,

2007. Web. 16 Jan. 2012. <http://www.grand.canyon.national-park.com/>.

B. Newspapers:

"What to Do and Where to Go in Grand Canyon National Park." The Guide 5 Sept. 2011: 2-16. Print.

C. Pamphlets:

Martin, Steve, ed. Grand Canyon Park Profile. Grand Canyon: National Park Service, 2010. Print.

Pittenger, Tom, ed. Grand Canyon Geology/Life Along the Rim. Grand Canyon: National Park Service,

2004. Print.