Looking for trip inspiration can be a frustrating experience especially if you’re super reliant on tour books. You’ll find quickly that you’ll be overloaded with tons of recommendations for busy tourist traps open only during the day.
This new park gives different views of the Grand Canyon—with no crowds
01.09.2023 - 18:49 / nationalgeographic.com
Grand Canyon National Park draws 4.7 million visitors a year to the northwest corner of Arizona to hike, camp, or watch wildlife. But most of them don’t realize that the lands within and surrounding the park are sacred to the region’s 12 Indigenous tribes, which include the Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, and several bands of Paiute.
That changed on August 8 when President Joseph Biden signed a decree creating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Sprawling across more than 960,000 acres directly north and south of the national park, the new monument offers more rugged, less crowded recreation than its neighbor. It also provides a view of the landscape through Indigenous eyes.
“Baaj nwaavjo in Havasupai means ‘where the ancient people roamed,’” says Carletta Tilousi, coordinator of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition. “I’tah kukveni is the Hopi translation of ‘ancestral footsteps’. This reaffirms their creation stories.”
Here’s how the monument came to be, and how to explore it.
It took two million years for the Grand Canyon itself to form and around 40 years for Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni to become reality. “The protection for these lands is something the tribes have focused on since as far back as the 1980s,” says Amber Reimondo of the Grand Canyon Trust, a nonprofit devoted to preserving the region.
(Learn how a years long effort led to Arizona’s new national monument.)
Many of these Indigenous people were expelled from their territory when Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919. They campaigned for decades to receive stronger protection for their lands around the park, overcoming entities that wanted fewer legal obstacles to development and mining. After President Biden’s election in 2020, the 13 tribes formed a coalition which led to the lands receiving federal status.
Though the National Park Service oversees Grand Canyon National Park, monuments such as Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni are run by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Monuments generally have fewer restrictions regarding their use (e.g., sometimes hunting or logging is allowed), as well as fewer facilities for visitors.
Like many national monuments, Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni exudes raw nature. It has no bathrooms or visitor center; access is primarily via dirt roads or rough trails; you’ll need a four-wheel-drive to reach many sections of the park.
What it offers is solitude and peace amid the forests and grasslands of northern Arizona. You can gaze at the Grand Canyon without thousands of other people jostling for the same space, hike trails where yours are the only footsteps, and make camp at secluded spots. Plus you might encounter wildlife
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
forbes.com
17.09.2023 / 13:59
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Announces Closure For ‘Ring Of Fire’ Solar Eclipse
I’m the world’s only “eclipse journalist.” For the very latest on the “ring of fire” solar eclipse—including the latest travel and lodging options—please press the big blue “follow” button above or check my main feed for new articles each day.
lonelyplanet.com
17.09.2023 / 06:27
The best times to visit Arizona from winter snow to wildflower season
Bold, big and beautiful, Arizona has plenty to brag about. Framed by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California, and with Mexico at its southern reaches – the state gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has four distinct seasons, so you can bask in summer, hike and bike in spring and fall and ski in winter.
travelandleisure.com
15.09.2023 / 18:37
The Cheapest Places in the U.S. to Visit for October's Solar Eclipse, According to Priceline
Those looking to travel for the solar eclipse in October have an array of affordable options when choosing what city to head to.
nationalgeographic.com
15.09.2023 / 17:55
It’s leaf-peeping season: Avoid the crowds on these scenic drives
Come fall, there are many leaf-peeping opportunities in America’s national parks. But the great outdoors extends far beyond official park boundaries.
edition.cnn.com
15.09.2023 / 16:56
This luxury tent camp has celestial credentials
Sleeping under the stars is a romantic notion but getting a really good look at them in today’s artificial-light-filled world can be challenging.
travelandleisure.com
14.09.2023 / 18:23
Rent a $14 Electric Car to Watch the October 14 Solar Eclipse — Here's How
The next big solar eclipse is just a month away, and car rental company Turo wants to help travelers see it in style.
lonelyplanet.com
14.09.2023 / 16:57
The ultimate guide to getting around Arizona
With 114,000 square miles of canyons, deserts and forests, Arizona is the sixth-largest state in the US, and the country's favorite Wild West wilderness. As you might expect, this is classic driving country, but with decent rail and bus links, there are alternatives to guzzling gas.
lonelyplanet.com
14.09.2023 / 11:07
The 7 most incredible road trips in Arizona
The sheer size (it’s the sixth-largest state) and scope of Arizona make it tempting to try to explore this wonderland on a seven-day road trip around the American Southwest. But from the vastness of the Grand Canyon in its northern reaches to its gunslinging history in Tombstone near the border with Mexico, Arizona has hundreds of miles to cover.
thepointsguy.com
13.09.2023 / 14:17
The largest and most unique resort in Arizona will have a theme park, concert venue and more
Rising like a phoenix in the Arizona desert, a new resort is taking shape in Glendale, Arizona. Set on 60 acres and just 1,000 feet from the Arizona Cardinals football stadium, Vai Resort promises to be the most unique resort in Arizona when it debuts in 2024.
lonelyplanet.com
13.09.2023 / 10:57
The top 10 places to visit in Arizona, from ghost towns to the Grand Canyon
Travelers are drawn to Arizona by the blinding desert sunshine, but the Grand Canyon state has so much more to offer. Under these flawless blue skies, everything you can imagine to entice, entertain and enthrall is up for grabs.
matadornetwork.com
11.09.2023 / 17:47
13 Luxury Outdoor Hotels With Otherworldly Stargazing Experiences
Scattered across the US are pockets of dark skies that offer some of the best stargazing experiences in the world. Within these often protected and designated areas luxury hotels are catering to the astro-tourism market with expert lead stargazing experiences. Situated in areas with low levels of light pollution and excellent air clarity, the night sky over these properties is so pristine you can enjoy it from the comfort of your hotel room or balcony. But these stargazing hotels have stepped it up by offering a range of astrological events, in-room telescopes and binoculars, outdoor skybeds, and even an on-site observatory. With a focus on the outdoors, these are not only some of the best resorts in the US, they run some of the top dark sky experiences in the nation.