What's the best vacation destination in America? According to U.S. News and World Report, it's Arizona's very own natural wonder.
The magazine recently released its annual rankings of vacation spots around the world, and Grand Canyon National Park topped the list of United States destinations. Here's what the publication's editors had to say about the Canyon:
"Grand" doesn't begin to do this canyon justice. Measuring approximately 277 miles in length, up to 18 miles in width and a mile deep, this massive chasm in northern Arizona is truly a natural wonder. For six million years, the Grand Canyon has expanded with the help of the mighty Colorado River, and for centuries, people from all over the globe have traveled to gaze out over its red and orange grandeur. Managed by the National Park Service and officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Grand Canyon leaves its approximately 4.5 million visitors per year awestruck.
U.S. News and World Report noted that the Canyon can be crowded, particularly on the South Rim, and that more seclusion can be found on the remote North Rim if you're willing to put in the drive time. It also provided the following tips for saving money at the park: Stay at a campground, rather than in a hotel room; visit at the end of August to find deals on rooms; and use the park's free shuttles to save on car rentals, gas and parking.
Of course, we doubt this comes as any surprise to Arizona Highways readers, who know all about the things to do at the Canyon — whether it's dinner at El Tovar, a hike down the Hermit Trail or a rugged scenic drive to the North Rim's Point Sublime.
The magazine's vacation rankings are based both on reader votes and on editor rankings, which incorporate a variety of factors. Rounding out the U.S. top three were Maui and Yellowstone National Park.