One of the most spectacular natural beauties on earth is the Grand Canyon. It has earned the designation as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The scenery is nothing short of stunning and the formations found there are windows into the region's ancient past. The canyon covers a massive million acres, so there is plenty to see. Grand Canyon plane tours are the best way to see a large portion of this magnificent region.

Here are some facts about the Grand Canyon you might find fascinating:

The canyon is an average of 10 miles across but the widest portion is 18 miles

277 miles in length

Over a mile deep

It took the Colorado River hundreds of millions of years to create the chasm by eroding the rock of the Kaibab Plateau

Some of the most ancient exposed rock is found here in the Vishnu Basement layer, the other two strata are the Supergroup layer and the Paleozoic layer

Air Tours From Vegas

Grand Canyon plane tours fly every day from Las Vegas. You have to decide if you want to take a landing tour or an air only tour, but both of them fly right over the immense Hoover Dam and beautiful Lake Mead. Air-only tours are terrific for folks who are short on time or have a limited budget. That being said, I have to admit that landing tours are my favorites. There are some fantastic options for landing tours.

Personally, I think the best of them is the package that includes a chopper flight down to the canyon's bottom and a float trip down the Colorado. One of the other popular air tours includes VIP access to the amazing Grand Canyon Skywalk. At the farthest point, you will be standing on a glass bridge 70 feet beyond the canyon wall and 4000 feet above the bottom!

One of the other Vegas air tours flies directly to the South Rim in less than 60 minutes. That is sure more convenient than taking a 5-hour bus tour to get there! These Grand Canyon plane tours come with a 2-hour bus tour of the National Park. A fabulous helicopter ride through Dragoon Corridor is an exciting optional add-on.

South Rim Flights

South Rim airplane tours depart daily from GCN, or the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, which is located in Tusayan, Arizona. You can choose a short thirty-minute flight or a longer fifty-minute version. I strongly recommend the longer tour.

You will see many notable landmarks on your aerial tour including Marble Canyon in the eastern part of the canyon. You will also fly over the bridge that connects the South Rim and the North Rim, as well as the Colorado Confluence, which is where the Colorado River joins up with the Little Colorado River.

You will also fly over remote wilderness areas in the North Rim, which is off limits to the public from November to April. The largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the U.S. is there along with an abundance of wildlife such as big horn sheep, hawks, gray fox, elk, California condors, and mountain lions. On your way back to the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, you will fly along the impressive Dragoon Corridor, which happens to be the deepest and widest section of the canyon.

Summing Up

The Grand Canyon is huge, and it's impossible to see much of it from the ground in just a day or two. It would be a shame to see only a small portion of the National Park while you're there. You won't see it all, even from an airplane, but you will see most of it. That is why airplane tours are so popular among visitors to the Grand Canyon!