» Is The Grand Canyon in Nevada or Arizona?

Is The Grand Canyon in Nevada or Arizona?

Posted By Wayne on February 3, 2010

Over the years - 24 - that I have been sharing my love of the Southwest with visitors from all over the world, I have heard this question asked or some version of it hundreds of times. With Canyon West being opened in the last few years and it being only a couple hours drive from Las Vegas, the question has become more prevalent.

The answer is unequivocally ARIZONA!

People from all over the world travel to visit the Grand Canyon. The two closest major gateway cities to the Grand Canyon are Phoenix and Las Vegas. Both are also major tourist hubs with international flights bringing tourists from all over. Both cities advertise they are the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Over the 20 plus years I have watched these two cities duke it out to attract foreign visitors, I have seen Las Vegas grow in popularity.

It seems to me Las Vegas has built its entertainment industry by building one monster hotel and casino after another; they also continue to grow the amount of advertising money they spend on their attractions, one of which is the Grand Canyon.

Barry Aarons, lobbyist for the Arizona Tourism Alliance, said there’s more than just pride involved in having it known world wide that Arizona is the Grand Canyon State. He cited a survey done more than a decade ago of foreign visitors to the Grand Canyon.

“Seventy-one percent think the Grand Canyon is in Las Vegas,’ he said.

That, he said, is not surprising.

He said many of the tours of the canyon, both by air and bus, originate in Las Vegas. And he said, that may lead foreign visitors to believe that the canyon is simply an extension of the city on its far outskirts.

This has led to a movement to officially declare Arizona the Grand Canyon State with Arizona State lawmakers taking the first steps Tuesday to officially declaring Arizona “The Grand Canyon State” - - quick, before Nevada claims it!

The push for HB 2447 follows the discovery by Marshall Trimble, the state historian, that the phrase that appears on license plates, tourist brochures and even signs welcoming visitors to Arizona actually has no official status. And Trimble said he discovered that only because a school girl asked him about it.

“So I made a promise to this girl that I would see what I could do,’ Trimble told members of the House Government Committee. He convinced Rep. Sam Crump, R-Anthem, to sponsor the required legislation.

“With our centennial coming up, it would be a nice gift to the people of Arizona,’ Trimble said. Arizona became a state on Feb. 14, 1912″.

Let’s all give Marshall Trimble a hand in promoting this through the Arizona legislature by writing letters to the editor, commenting on this blog and any others talking about this bill and talking it up to all we meet. Let’s give our children and our children’s children the legacy that Arizona is truly the Grand Canyon State.

To add legitimacy to this claim, all 277 miles of the Grand Canyon National Park are in the state of Arizona, so what better way to claim it than by making it official?

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Wayne

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About Travel to the West.com

Travel to the West is the place for great travel tips about the Western U.S.

Travel to the West blog is my way of sharing 45 years of travel expertise and enthusiasm about the breathtaking places to visit in the Western U.S. if you want great advice on where to go and what to do, be sure to check back often!

About The Author

My love of travel goes back many years. I was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota's School of Business. I was active in music and was a member of the University of Minnesota marching band as well as a jazz band that played locally and in Chicago and New Orleans. During my youth, my parents traveled extensively between Minneapolis and Los Angeles on road trips, stopping along the way at scenic attractions to learn about the areas they traveled.

After college I had jobs that kept me on the road as well. On all of my trips I would blend business with exploring each destination. One job ended up transferring me from Minneapolis to Phoenix, Arizona. It was from, here that I began traveling throughout the beautiful and intriguing West. This began a long love affair with the West that continues today. As an avocation, I began running -- 10Ks which then developed into half-marathons, full marathons and ultra marathons. Running became a second love to travel and I combined the two by putting together running trips for my friends and acquaintances.

On a marathon run from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to the South Rim, I met my future wife at Ribbon Falls at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Certainly, there was no better career for the two of us than travel! Over twenty years ago, we founded a tour company providing adventure and sightseeing tours of the Southwest. As the business grew, so did my knowledge of the West. Our groups kept coming back, some year after year, requesting new and exciting areas for them to visit. Now, I've decided to share my knowledge of the West with you via my blog. Be sure to check back regularly for great travel ideas!!