10 Places That Are Off-Limits To Ordinary Public

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Even in a free country with all the freedoms an ordinary citizen can hope to have, there are places that are for some reason off-limits to ordinary public. These places are highly secured and can get you in real trouble if you ever decide to storm in. Take a look at the 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public:

Places That Are Off-Limits To Ordinary Public

10. Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway

In number 10 position of places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It’s a secure seed bank located in the remote Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. Conservationist Cary Fowler and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) together built this bank to preserve seeds on occasion of a global crisis. It all began in 1984 when frozen seeds were being stored in an abandoned coal mine. Over the year there accumulated 300 different species of seed in the place. Construction of the vault was funded by the Norwegian government. Now it is managed by the joint efforts of Norwegian government, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) and the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT).

9. Metro-2, Russia

In number 9 position of 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Metro-2. It’s a secret underground metro system located in Moscow. Under the codename D-6, the system was supposedly built and functional during the time of Joseph Stalin. It is believed to run parallel with the public Moscow Metro but its length exceeds that of the public Metro. According to rumours the metro connects to all the significant government places. Though several people have suggested its existence no one has said for sure that its there. Attempts to look for it is not allowed however in 2004 an urban explorer’s group claimed to have found its entrance.

8. The Jiangsu National Security Education Museum, China

In number 8 position of 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Jiangsu National Security Education Museum. It’s a spy museum located in the eastern city of Nanjing states. It’s off-limit to everyone who is not a Chinese citizen. From guns disguised as lipstick to maps disguised as a deck of cards, there a number of intriguing stuffs in that museum including Chinese security equipments dating back from 1927. Whoever doesn’t look Chinese is turned back from the door.

7. Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, U.S.

Also known as the High Point Special Facility (HPSF), the facility is made for protecting the most important people in the country in case of a sudden disaster like a nuclear attack or something. Naturally the place is equipped with the highest level of security and standard of living condition. According to The Washington Post, after the 9/11 attacks many leaders were evacuated to Mount Weather. The success of the programme largely depends on how far in advance the warning of the attack is received. Having this mysterious air around a place has caught the imagination of several people. Mount Weather has been extensively depicted in novel, television series etc.

6. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan

In number 6 position of 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Ise Grand Shrine. Located in the city of Ise, there is a shrine so sacred that people are not allowed to go inside to offer prayers. The Ise Shrine actually consists of over 123 Shinto shrines. The shrine is taken care of a chief priest or priestess who comes from the Japanese imperial family. Believed to be established in 4 B.C.E, the Ise Shrine is one of Shinto’s holiest and most important sites. The shrine is literally hidden behind fences and anyone standing outside can only see the thatched roofs of the central structures.

5. Poveglia, Italy

It’s a small island located in northern Italy between Venice and Lido. The island has long been inhabited by people and therefore has a long history of human suffering. However around 1379 in fear of an attack, Poneglians left the place and the island was practically uninhabited for centuries after. Around 1776, ports were built on the island as checking point for ship and from 1793 ships infected by plagues were docked in that port while the sick were being taken care of in the island. In the 20th century the island was transformed into an asylum for the mentally ill but years later it was completelyabandoned. Due to a number of deaths, the island is said to be haunted and kept off-limits to citizens.

4. Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City

In number 4 position of 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Vatican Secret Archives. Located in the Vatican City, The Vatican Secret Archives is said to hold some of the darkest secrets in the world. Over the years, correspondence, papal account books, the state papers and several other documents of worth have accumulated in the Archives. Very few people have access to the place which is practically owned by the Pope. On occasion of his death or resignation, the ownership is passed down to the next successor. It was only since 1881, that few researchers are allowed inside each year to examine the old documents. In 2012, an exhibition showcasing 100 original documents dating from the 8th to the 20th century was organised.

3. Lascaux Caves, France

The Lascaux caves are famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings.  Estimated to be 17,300 years old, they are part of the Upper Paleolithic art. The caves were discovered in 1940 by an 18-year-old boy named Marcel Ravidat. The painting primarily depict large animal whose fossils have been found around the area. The caves were not always off-limit to public. In 1955, it was opened to outsiders but contaminations caused it to shut down in 1963. Today listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Lascaux caves are facing many problems due to the uncontrollable microbial and fungal growths.

2. Snake Island, Brazil

In number 2 position of 10 places that are off-limits to ordinary public is the Snake Island. Originally known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, the island is located off the coast of the state of São Paulo. Its home to one of the most deadly snake on the planet, theGolden Lancehead Viper or Bothrops. The vipers’ existence was at risk and it was the only snake species on the island. Therefore the island was made off-limit to ordinary citizens. Only scientist and researchers are allowed into the area. In 1909 a lighthouse was constructed and for a long time the lighthouse keeper was the only inhabitant of the island. In 2015 a documentary on the Discovery Channel stated presently the population is stable with around 4000 Golden vipers living on the island.

1. The Sentinelese People, Andaman Island

Located in a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal is a group of indigenous last known isolated tribe. The Sentinelese has reportedly lived on that island for over 60,000 years resisting any approach from the outside world. Repeatedly researchers have tried to established contact with this tribe but they have reacted with sheer violence. Ranging in population between 50 to 400, in 2006 they murdered 2 fishermen who had lost their ways and landed on the island. During the 2004 tsunami, observation data revealed that the group had moved to high ground before disaster struck as if they knew what was coming. Agriculture is unknown to them, they are largely hunter-gatherers.

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10 Terrifying Tales of Pittsburgh Haunting

Although the “smoky city” of Pittsburgh is best known for its prestigious hospital systems, devout sports teams, and handful of higher learning institutes, Pittsburgh is not without its fair share of macabre stories. Besides bearing strong ties to the makeup wizardry of Tom Savini and George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, Pittsburgh also boasts its fair share of haunting. What follows are ten terrifying tales of Pittsburgh haunting!

10. Byers-Lyons Mansion

Constructed in 1898 by Alexander Byers, the site of the former Byers-Lyons mansion is located on the same avenue as the Congelier mansion. The location is now Byers Hall, which serves as a student union building and administrative office for the Community College of Allegheny County.

While Byers resided in one wing of the mansion, Byer’s daughter Maude and her husband, John Lyon, resided in the other wing. In 1902, the Lyons’ nanny dozed off while watching the Lyons’ daughter. The Lyons’ daughter managed to crawl atop a skylight and plummeted to her death when the window broke. The following day, overcome by guilt, the Lyons’ nanny wrote “please don’t blame me” in dust and then hung herself.

Many have sighted the Lyons’ daughter. Some have even heard the nanny’s sobbing or the loud thud of the girl’s body hitting the ground. Others have seen an apparition of the nanny roaming the building’s staircase. In 1990, the Community College of Allegheny County removed the building’s skylight but paranormal encounters continued.

9. The Congelier Mansion

Also on Pittsburgh’s north side in the quiet residential neighborhood of Manchester is 1129 Ridge Avenue, the former site of the Congelier Mansion, a site whose veracity of paranormal occurrences is often debated. Those who believe paranormal events occurred at the site have gone so far as to refer to the former mansion as “the house that hell built.”

Allegedly, Charles W. Congelier, a carpetbagger, constructed the mansion. In 1871, Congelier’s wife, Lyda, is claimed to have discovered that her husband and the family’s maid were having an affair. Congelier’s wife stabbed Congelier to death and decapitated the maid. Railroad workers are said to have been driven out of the house by ghostly screams. Later, a Dr. Adolph C. Brunrichter is claimed to have performed experiments at the location on the severed heads of young women. In 1920, Thomas Edison announced his plans to invent a machine to communicate with the dead upon visiting the address.

In 1927, one of Congelier’s heirs is claimed to have inherited the house. Ultimately, on November 14, 1927, the house is reported to have mysteriously exploded. While the story is remarkably eerie, the real tale is likely a combination of fact and fiction. Various parts to the story are pure fiction: (1) no records exist of Charles W. Congelier or his wife, (2) no records of the 1871 murders exist, (3) the house at the location was not a mansion but a simple row house, (4) no records exist of Dr. Adolph C. Brunrichter, (5) no record exists that Edison ever visited the residence, and (5) while the explosion of gas storage tanks at the Equitable Gas Company occurred on November 14, 1927, the house only suffered minor damage from the explosion.

8. Western State Penitentiary

Pittsburgh’s National Aviary is located in Allegheny Commons West, a municipal park located in Pittsburgh’s north side. From 1826 to 1882, the National Aviary was the Western State Penitentiary where 118 officers of General John Morgan’s Confederate Cavalry were incarcerated. Six men died at the location and another man was killed trying to escape. After hours at the National Aviary, the apparitions of Civil War Confederates have been seen drifting through the location. Additionally, the sound of phantom footsteps has been heard resonating through the building in addition to sounds emanating from the location’s basement. In July 2009, paranormal investigators contacted spirits in the Aviary’s kitchen who admitted playing with a radio to gain a staff member’s attention. The spirit further mentioned that six other spirits haunted the Aviary and that each spirit loved the Aviary’s birds.

7. Troy Hill Fire House

Troy Hill, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh’s North Side, is home to Engine House #39. Constructed in 1901, Engine House #39 was the last station to use horse-drawn fire carriages. Firemen who worked at Engine House #39 were subjected to a variety ofparanormal encounters. Blankets were yanked off sleeping fire-fighters. Window shades randomly raised and lowered. The sound of phantom footsteps echoed throughout the building. The apparitions of fire-fighters were seen sitting around table playing cards. The ghost of Queenie, the firehouse dog, was even seen running around the station. Forced to close due to budget cuts in 2005, Engine House #39 lies abandoned in Troy Hill except for its various spectral inhabitants.

6. Point State Park

In an extraordinary case of Pittsburgh haunting, Point State Park is the original site of Fort Duquesne upon which brutal and torturous acts were committed. A particularly gruesome battle, The Battle of Grant’s Hill was also fought on the site. In the 1750’s and 1760’s, the French along with the Delaware and Seneca Indian tribes captured British soldiers and hoisted the soldiers by the fort on pillars along the Ohio River Bed. The soldiers were further tortured by having wet leather straps placed around their necks, which slowly shrank thereby slowly strangling the victim. Later, in the early 1970’s, a re-enactor participating in a war re-enactment was murdered. Now called the Fort Pitt Museum, security guards at the location have seen apparitions floating around the location. Objects are said to have vanished or been found in unusual locations. Even strange sounds have been claimed to emanate from empty areas of the museum.

5. Papa J’s Centro

More strange events have occurred at a long abandoned building, which is located on the Boulevard of the Allies, a four lane road connecting Downtown Pittsburgh with the Oakland district. While most recently an Italian restaurant, the building, which dates back to 1860, was also previously an upscale brothel. The location is the site of at least three murders. In one of the building’s bathrooms, a jealous husband caught his wife working in the brothel and shot her.

In an extraordinary case of Pittsburgh haunting, in the building’s front room, another woman was stabbed to death by her boyfriend when he discovered she was employed by the brothel. The paranormal events rumored to occur at the building are myriad. Children, who are depicted along a hall in old photographs, are said to haunt the location. Washing his hands in the restroom, a customer is said to have seen the reflection of an elderly woman in a babushka. The ghost of a girl who once lived in the building is said to tip over food trays. Glasses are even claimed to fly off the shelves. After a priest blessed the location, the amount of paranormal activity was said to increase.

4. Shiloh Grille

Nestled on the hill of Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington is the Shiloh Grlile, home of Katherine Soffel. In 1902, Soffel, the wife of the Allegheny County jail warden, fell in love with Ed Biddle, an imprisoned criminal who was part of the “Chloroform Gang” and awaiting execution. After smuggling a gun into the prison, Soffel and Biddle were eventually caught at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. While Biddle died, Soffle spent several years in the Allegheny County jail. Later released, Soffle died in the house which later became the Shiloh Grille and is said to haunt the property. The 1984 movie, Mrs. Soffel, starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson further depicts the events.

3. The Lady in White

Point Park University’s performing arts center, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, boasts three theaters including the Hamlet Street Theater. While the Playhouse holds a handful of ghost stories, the most famous tale concerns The Lady in White, who is believed to be the spirit an actress who performed during the 1930’s at Hamlet Street Theater. On her wedding day, the woman discovered her husband was having an affair with a woman from a local brothel. In a passionate rage, the woman shot her husband and the husband’s lover then ascended the Hamlet Street Theater balcony before jumping to her death. Years later, a stage tech was fixing a lighting rig when he saw the ghost of a woman dressed in white aiming a gun at him. The stagehand promptly ran out of the Playhouse and never returned.

2. Thaw Mansion

The Thaw Mansion located in Pittsburgh’s former Allegheny City was built by William Thaw, who gained his fortune in the railroad industry. Thaw’s son, Harry, fell in love with Evelyn Nesbit, a beautiful woman who Harry convinced to marry him. After the dissolution of the marriage, Nesbit moved to New York City where she commenced a relationship with the famous architect, Sanford White. During a 1906 dinner theater presentation, Harry shot White three times, exclaiming “You ruined my wife!” Harry and Nesbit later divorced. Some visitors to the Thaw Mansion have seen a gray silhouette of a woman, which some is Nesbit. Pittsburghers have taken to affectionately calling this spirit, “the gray lady.”

1. Slag Pile Annie

Situated a few miles south of Pittsburgh’s Monongahela River, the former Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation mill is home to Slag Pile Annie. Annie is said to be the ghost of a World War II era woman who worked the mill collecting slag that dripped from the furnaces and died in an accident. In the most well known story about Slag Pile Annie, in the 1950’s a Jones and Laughlin steel worker was in one of the mill’s poorly lit tunnels when he noticed a woman dressed in a red bandana and work clothes. When the man said “Lady, you better get out of here before you get killed,” the woman answered “I can’t get killed. I’m already dead.” Strangely enough, there are no reports of Slag Pile Annie since the furnace was demolished.

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10 Record Setting Attractions in the United States

America is simply large, it blessed with an abundance of natural attractions. At 3.8 million sq. miles, it’s the home to spectacular deserts, mountain ranges, ancient forests, volcanic features, waterfalls, glaciers, canyons, caves, and swamps. However that reality doesn’t diminish the awesomeness of those places. But what are the most beautiful of all these natural attractions? Here, we’ve compiled a top 10 list (according to CNN) of nature’s record setting attractions in U.S., decide the most beautiful amongst these.

10. Missouri River – Longest river in the U.S.

At more than 2,341 miles, Missouri River is the longest river in North America, beginning in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, winding generally south and east before joining the mighty Mississippi River (about 2,300 miles) near St. Louis, Missouri. After combined with the great Mississippi River, it forms the world’s fourth longest river system.

9. Hells Canyon – Deepest canyon in North America

The Grand Canyon in Arizona may be immense, boasting nearly 277 river miles in length, but for sheer depth, Hells Canyon in eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and western Idaho wins hands-down. The deepest canyon in North America, at its deepest, it plunges 8,043 feet from the tip of He Devil Peak to the Snake River, which flows more than 1.6 km below the canyon’s west rim on the Oregon side and 2,300 m below the peaks of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains range to the east.

8. Northwest Angle – Northernmost point in the continental U.S.

The Northwest Angle Inlet in Minnesota, near the Ontario border, is a part of northern Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota. Known simply as ‘Angle Township’, by locals, and at 49.22 north latitude, it is the northernmost point in the contiguous United States (the only place in the United States outside Alaska).

7. Yuma, Arizona – The sunniest place in the world

Yuma, Arizona, is noted for its weather “extremes”. According to the National Climatic Data Center, It is the driest, sunniest city and the least humid place in the United States. It also holds the Guinness World Record for sunniest city on Earth. The city has the lowest frequency of rain and snow, and has the most number of days, 175, per year. It experiences an average of 4015 hours of sunshine per year, and 11.0 hours of sunshine per day.

6. Rainbow Bridge – Tallest natural bridge in the U.S.

The amazing natural structure at Rainbow Bridge National Monument in southern Utah is often described as the world’s highest natural bridge. The bridge is estimated to be more than 200 million years old. It is 290 feet tall, at the top it is 42 feet thick and 33 feet wide. Rainbow Bridge was known for centuries by the Native Americans who have long held the bridge sacred.

5. Mount McKinley – Highest mountain in North America

Mount McKinley is the highest mountain peak in North America, with 20,237 feet above sea level. The Mount Mckinley is considered the largest of any mountain situated entirely above sea level, with some 18,000 feet base to peak rise. Located in the interior of US state of Alaska, McKinley is the third most prominent peak after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.

4. Mauna Kea – World’s tallest mountain

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii. About one million years old, Mauna Kea is the highest point in the U.S. state of Hawaii, standing 13,803 ft above sea level. However, much of Mauna Kea is below sea level, when measured from the ocean floor, its height is 33,100 ft, more than twice Mount Everest.

3. Death Valley – Lowest and hottest spot in the U.S.

Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it is the lowest (282 feet below sea level) and driest area in North America. Death Valley is currently the hottest place in the world. with a scorching record high of 134° F (57°C) on July 10, 1913. Death Valley may sound like a depressing destination to visit, but it boasts some of the most adaptable plant and animal life on the planet.

2. General Sherman – Largest living tree in the world

The second on record setting attractions in U.S. is ‘General Sherman’, world’s largest living tree. The General Sherman is not only the largest giant sequoia, but it is also the world’s biggest living tree. By volume, it is the largest known living single stem tree on earth. The tree was named after American Civil War general, William Tecumseh Sherman, is located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, in the U.S. state of California.

1. Crater Lake – The Deepest lake in the U.S.

Deepest lake in the U.S. The Crater Lake is one of the record setting attractions. Located in south-central Oregon, in the western United States, Crater Lake is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The dazzling body of water is nearly 2,148-feet (655 m) deep. The lake formed by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama more than 7,700 years ago. The Lake is also known for the “Old Man of the Lake”, a full-sized tree which is now a stump that has been bobbing vertically in the lake for over a century.

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Top 10 Awe-Inspiring Wonders of America

The Most Awe-Inspiring Wonders of America. Below is the list of top 10 wonders of America, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Niagara Falls and the Carlsbad Caverns. These are some best Tourist Attractions in U.S.A.  Have a look.

10. Times Square at Night

Although Times Square in New York City is ordinary by day, it turns into a dazzling universe of flashing neon and huge billboards at night. Yes, Times Square is glitzy, not esthetic, but it’s a unique spectacular sight that everyone should experience at least once.

9. Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World or simply Disney World, is an entertainment complex that opened October 1, 1971, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Over 52.5 million annual visitors make Walt Disney World the most popular entertainment destination on earth. It covers 25,000 acres (10,117 ha; 39 sq mi), in which it houses 24 themed resorts, four theme parks, two water parks, and several additional recreational and entertainment venues. Its energy and fun spirit appeal to kids of all ages, from 3 to 99.

8. Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. is the largest and one of the finest museum complexes in the world. It has 19 major museums, a national zoo, and a number of research centers. It was established in 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Institution’s thirty million annual visitors are admitted without charge; funding comes from the Institution’s own endowment, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, government support, and retail, concession and licensing revenues.

7. Yosemite National Park

One of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. Established on October 1, 1890, Yosemite National Park covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2). Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. The valley is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. The Yosemite Valley has been inhabited for nearly 3000 years. The Paiute and Sierra Miwok people lived in the area long before the first explorations by American settlers into the region. A band of Paiute called the Ahwahneechee were living in the Yosemite Valley when the first known group of European Americans entered it.

6. Niagara Falls

It is one of the mightiest falls on earth. Although Niagara Falls is smaller and less breathtaking than Iguazu Falls in South America and Victoria Falls in Africa, it is awe-inspiring in its own right. Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. With the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. >> Top 10 Natural Wonders of the World.

New York City has the world’s most recognized skyline. Its buildings soar upward, as if sprouting. This occurs in two Manhattan clusters, midtown and downtown, with a “valley” of low buildings in between. Midtown Manhattan, the largest central business district in the world, is home to such notable buildings as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Citigroup Center and Rockefeller Center. Lower Manhattan comprises the third largest central business district in the United States. Lower Manhattan was characterized by the omnipresence of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center from its completion in 1973 until its destruction in the September 11 attacks, 2001.

4. Yellowstone National Park

It is the first officially designated national park on our planet. Yellowstone, widely known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park. Located primarily in the state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho. It was established in 1872.

Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Half of the world’s geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years. The region was bypassed during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 19th century.

3. Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, located in New York City, is the largest art museum in the United States, and one of the ten largest in the world, with the most significant art collections. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided among seventeen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan’s Museum Mile, is by area one of the world’s largest art galleries.The Met’s Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens.

2. Carlsbad Caverns

At the Chihuahuan desert’s northern reaches, underneath the Guadalupe Mountains, lies one of the deepest, largest, and most ornate caverns ever found. The Carlsbad Cavern, named Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. It includes a large cave chamber, the Big Room, a natural limestone chamber which is almost 4,000 feet (1,220 m) long, 625 feet (191 m) wide, and 255 feet (78 m) high at the highest point. It is the third largest chamber in North America and the seventh largest in the world.

Water molded this underworld four to six million years ago. Some 250 million years ago, the region lay underneath the inland arm of an ancient sea. Near the shore grew a limestone reef. By the time the sea withdrew, the reef stood hundreds of feet high, later to be buried under thousands of feet of soil. Some 15 to 20 million years ago, the ground uplifted. Naturally occurring sulfuric acid seeped into cracks in the limestone, gradually enlarging them to form a honeycomb of chambers. Millions of years passed before the cave decoration began. Then, drop by drop, limestone-laden moisture built an extraordinary variety of glistening formations—some six stories tall; others tiny and delicate. (travel.nationalgeographic.com).

1. Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the state of Arizona. It is among the earth’s greatest on-going geological spectacles and the most spectacular gorge in the world. At its extremes, the Grand Canyon is 446 kilometers (277 miles) long, up to 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide from rim to rim, and over 1600 meters (a mile) deep. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history of the past 2 billion years. There are also prehistoric traces of human adaptation to a particularly harsh environment. For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540. >> 10 Best Hiking Trails Around The World.

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