Location & Route

The Region

Grand Canyon Country is located in northern Arizona on what's called the Colorado Plateau. Most of the plateau is set at 5,000 feet elevation. However, the plateau includes Williams and the Grand Canyon, both at about 7,000 feet elevation, and the San Francisco Peaks, the highest point in Arizona at over 12,600 feet elevation. What this means is out your window you'll pass through different landscapes, from Ponderosa pine forests down to the open and dry high desert, and then the train rises back into the forest as it gets close to the canyon. There is a 1,500 foot vertical drop along the way. This can be very challenging to engineers. In fact, for years, the Santa Fe brought out engineers-in-training to teach them how to operate steam locomotives on the Grand Canyon line.

 

Native Peoples

Many Native American reservations are in and around Grand Canyon National Park and Northern Arizona. This includes the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai and Paiute. Their culture and way of life have made an indellible impression on the region. Designers like Mary E.J. Colter, who is responsible for many of the structures built on the South Rim, drew upon the inspiration of the surrounding native cultures.

 

Diverse Climate

The Colorado Plateau is semi-arid and water can be scarce. However, communities like Williams and Flagstaff typically see snowy winters and the snowmelt provides the region with its water base. The late summer months usually see "monsoon" rains, which occur almost daily, typically in the afternoon. When visiting the area, the best advice is to dress in layers.

 

Wildlife

It's not uncommon to spot some of the region's natives. Keep your eyes out for elk, mountain lions, mule-deer, squirrels and even skunks while in the forests. In the high desert, it's common to see pronghorn, which look like antelope. You'll notice a variety of birds, from bald eagles to horned owls to ravens to California condors. While at the South Rim, you'll notice the animals are accustomed to humans, but please don't feed the animals as this increases their dependency on people for food.

 

Plants

Along the way, you'll see a variety of plants and trees as you change in elevation. In the first part of the trip leaving Williams and as you approach the Grand Canyon, you'll be at over 6,000 feet elevation where you'll be surrounded by forests of Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, spruce and aspen. In the middle part of the journey, the Upper Sonoran Zone, you'll see Pinyon-Juniper woodlands, sagebrush, grama grass, and a variety of brush like live oak, salt bush and mountain ash.

 

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