The Ultimate Grand Canyon National Park Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
The Ultimate Grand Canyon National Park Quiz
Image: Michele Falzone/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Located in Northwestern Arizona, the Grand Canyon can truly be considered one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world. Join us in an unforgettable journey there by taking this quiz.
When was the Grand Canyon National Park established?
1919
1929
1939
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It was established in 1919.

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Where is the park located?
Southeastern Arizona
Southern Nevada
Northwestern Arizona
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

It is situated in Northwestern Arizona.

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What is the size of this park?
719,575 acres
1,218,375 acres
1,815,874 acres
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This park covers an area of 1,218,375 acres

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How many visitors does the Grand Canyon attract annually?
five million
seven million
nine million
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

About five million people visit every year.

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What are the South Rim and the North Rim ?
mountain ranges surrounding the park
plateaus of the Grand Canyon
divisions of the Grand Canyon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These are the two distinct Grand Canyons, situated about 12 miles apart.

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Which is the taller of the two?
South Rim
North Rim
both the same height
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The North Rim is some 1,000 feet (305 meters) higher.

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Which is the more accessible?
same access
North Rim
South Rim
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The South Rim is directly accessible from Interstate 40 and Flagstaff.

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What percentage of visitors go to the more popular site?
90 percent
80 percent
70 percent
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Roughly 90 percent visit the South Rim, which is considered to be more impressive.

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When is the North Rim closed?
It is open all year round.
It closes only when avalanches block access.
It is closed from fall to spring.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Snow closes the roads from early fall to early spring.

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Where would be the best place to enjoy views of Kanab Plateau and the volcanic Pine/Uncared Mountains?
Tuweep
South Rim
Powell Observation Point
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tuweep is the ideal location.

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Where would you head for the best panoramic views of the canyon, the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch?
Colorado River Station
Yavapai Observation Station
Pine Mountain Outpost
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This would be the Yavapai Observation Station.

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How many major rapids are there along the Colorado River in the area of the Grand Canyon?
60
100
140
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are some 140 major rapids.

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Who was John Wesley Powell?
first European to visit the Grand Canyon
first modern explorer
purchased the area from the Pueblo people
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was a U.S. Army surveyor and the first modern explorer, whose journals are still used by modern river travelers as guides.

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Who was the first European to visit the area?
Coronado
Yavapai
Maclean
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado explored the area about 1540.

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When did sightseeing trips into the canyon begin?
1919
1900
1880
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They began in the 1880s.

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Who led these first trips?
Norman Maclean
John Hance
John Wesley Powell
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A prospector by the name of John Hance led these first trips.

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What did the Native Americans believe about the canyon?
a path to the land beyond death
ancient burial ground
beginning of mankind
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They believed it was a path to "the land beyond death."

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What did Norman Maclean call the canyon?
cradle of civilization
the basement of time
timeline of history
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He called it the basement of time.

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According to researchers, when did the Colorado River begin to cut through the upper layers of rock?
10 million years ago
eight million years ago
six million years ago
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

They believe this process began about six million years ago.

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How high is the South Rim?
7,000 feet
8,000 feet
9,000 feet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The South Rim is 7,000 feet (2,135 meters) high.

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You Got:
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Michele Falzone/Getty Images