Hirschi Law Group PLLC

February 24 - March 2

This Week in History  
A Natural Wonder  

 

February 26, 1919 - Grand Canyon National Park was established through an act of Congress. Located entirely within the State of Arizona the park is 1,902 square miles in area and contains most of the 227-mile long Grand Canyon within its boundaries. Over 4.3 million people visit the park every year, mostly to the South Rim. While the vast majority of visitors only view the park from the rim, there are multiple trials throughout the canyon. Those wishing to hike into the canyon should plan to get in and out within a day or make reservations in advance since there are a limited number of permits for overnight camping in the canyon.

 

American Alps 

 

February 26, 1929 - Grand Teton National Park was established in western Wyoming. The park is 484 square miles in area and contains over 200 miles of trails. Nearly 2.6 million people visit Grand Teton park each year. The picturesque mountains have been compared to Europe's Alps, in part because of the resemblance between Grand Teton and the Matterhorn, which lies on the border of Switzerland and Italy. The uniqueness of the Teton Range is that it rises dramatically from the floor of Jackson Hole (elevation 6,500 feet) without any foothills. Thus visitors are able to get a close-up view of the peaks, eight of which are over 12,000 feet in elevation, with the highest, Grand Teton, reaching to 13,770 feet. It is unknown how many people climb Grand Teton each year since no permit is required, but it is estimated to be hundreds. There are over 35 routes to the top, even the easiest of which still requires technical rock climbing skills and equipment

 

The Mother of All Parks  

  

March 1, 1872 - The world's first national park ever was created when Congress voted to create Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming. The park, which spans an area of 3,468 square miles and welcomes 3.3 million visitors every year, is famous for its wildlife and its geothermal features. The park is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano in North America. Perhaps the most famous feature of Yellowstone is Old Faithful Geyser, a hot water geyser that erupts every 90 minutes sending boiling water 145 feet into the air. The largest geyser in Yellowstone is Steamboat Geyser, which has had eruptions reach as high as 300 feet. However, Steamboat does not erupt on a predictable schedule with recorded intervals between major eruptions ranging from 4 days to 50 years.

 

More Parks to Visit  

 

Other National Parks that were established this week in history:  

Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah) on February 25, 1928.

Denali National Park (Alaska) on February 26, 1917.

Acadia National Park (Maine) on February 26, 1919.

Mount Rainer National Park (Washington) on March 2, 1899.

 

 

"The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison -- beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world."

 

-- Theodore Roosevelt
  

National Park Trivia 

 

- There are 58 national parks located in 27 States and two U.S. Territories.

 

- The states with the most national parks are California and Alaska, each with eight.

 

- The largest national park is Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska, with a total area of 20,929 square miles.

   

- The smallest national park is Hot Springs in Arkansas, with a total area of only 14 square miles.     

  

- The total area of the eight national parks in Alaska is 81,794 square miles, an area equal to the size of Kansas.

  

Join Our Mailing List