Grandest Canyons from Around the World

Grandest Canyons from Around the World

By: nobert bermosa

Canyons are some of the most interesting and attractive natural wonders and they can be found anywhere else in the world. These geological wonders are tourists' favorite destination because of the panoramic and mesmerizing views that they offer.

1.     Buckskin Gulch: USA

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The state of Utah contains several geological wonders, one of which is the 13 mile-long Buckskin Gulch. It is the longest and deepest slot canyon in the US and may very well be the longest in the world. As such it is one of the premier destinations for slot canyon hikers, and receives a high amount of foot traffic.

2.     Antelope Canyon: USA

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Like Utah, Arizona also contains numerous geological wonders, one of which Antelope Canyon, the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. The canyon is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. Antelope Canyon includes two separate, photogenic slot canyon sections, referred to individually as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack; and Lower Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew.

3.     Three Gorges: China

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The Three Gorges region is a scenic area along the Yangtze River in China with a total length of approximately 200 km. The Three Gorges occupy approximately 120 km within this region. Although it is primarily famous for its scenery, the Three Gorges region is historically and culturally an important region in China. A representation of the westernmost gorge appears on China's currency, the back of the paper 5 yuan note.

4. Sumidero Canyon: Mexico

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Sumidero Canyon or Cañón del Sumidero is located in Mexico. Its cliffs are 900 meters above sea level and overlook the Grijalva River, which extends across the states of Chiapas and Tabasco and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. In its southern entrance, the canyon begins near the city of Chiapa de Corzo, and flows into the reservoir of the hydroelectric dam-Manuel Moreno Torres, best known as Chicoasén. This canyon is a result of a geological fault during the Pleistocene. The canyon is regarded as an important tourist attraction in the state of Chiapas.

5. Copper Canyon: Mexico

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The Copper Canyon or Barranca del Cobre, in Spanish, is a group of canyons consisting of 6 distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The overall canyon system is larger and portions are deeper than the Grand Canyon in the neighboring United States.

6. Bryce Canyon: USA

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Bryce Canyon is part of the Bryce Canyon National Park is a US national park in Utah. Despite its name, this is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater created by erosion. Bryce is distinctive due to its geological structures, called hoodoos, formed from wind, water, and ice erosion of the river and lakebed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views to visitors. Bryce is at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2400 to 2700 m), whereas the south rim of the Grand Canyon sits at 7,000 feet (2,100 m) above sea level.

7. Grand Canyon: USA

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One of the most magnificent and popular canyons in the US and in the world is the Grand Canyon, a steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, USA. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

8. Chicamocha Canyon: Colombia

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The Chicamocha Canyon, a 1,524-meter-high vertical wall, is one of the most breathtaking sites of Colombia. The Chicamocha River winds its way southeastward through this impressive canyon. The panoramic view from the rim extends for hundreds of miles across towering mountain ranges and deep valleys bathed in tropical greens and blues.

9. Colca Canyon: Peru

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Colca Canyon of the Colca River in southern Peru is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US. However, the canyon's walls are not as vertical as those of the Grand Canyon. The Cotahuasi Canyon to the northwest is a deeper canyon at 11,488 ft (3,501 m). Since they are such major features of the landscape, the Colca and Cotahuasi canyons are both easily recognizable in even low-resolution satellite photos of the region. The Colca Valley is a colorful Andean valley with towns founded in Spanish Colonial times and formerly inhabited by the Collaguas and the Cabanas. The local people still maintain ancestral traditions and continue to cultivate the pre-Inca stepped terraces.

10. Cotahuasi Canyon: Peru

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Cotahuasi Canyon in Peru is considered deepest of the Americas. Its maximum depth is 3,535 meters in the sector of Ninancocha, 335 meters more than the Colca Canyon, but less deep than several canyons in the Himalayas. The Cotahuasi Canyon is an impressive edge that the river has opened between two enormous mountainous bulks: the Coropuna and the Solimana. One extends from spurs of the snow-covered Solimana to the confluence with the Ocoña River.

11. Charyn Canyon: Kazakhstan

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One of the most magnificent canyons in Asia is the Charyn Canyon, an 80 km long located in Kazakhstan on the Charyn River. One part of it is known as Valley of Castles for its unusual rock formations. It has similarity with the Grand Canyon in some aspect.

12. Nine Mile Canyon: USA

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This gorgeous canyon named as Nine Mile Canyon is approximately 40 miles (60 km) long, located in eastern Utah, US. Nicknamed "the world's longest art gallery," the canyon is known for its extensive rock art, most of it created by the Fremont culture and the Ute people. The rock art, shelters, and granaries left behind by the Fremont make Nine Mile Canyon a destination for archeologists and tourists alike.

13. Tara River Canyon: Montenegro

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This magnificent canyon is the longest in Europe and the second longest in the world. The Tara River Canyon also known as the Tara River Gorge is 82 kilometers long and is 1,300 meters at its deepest. The canyon is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Click here for Magnificent Canyons in the Solar System

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