This single-volume encyclopedia examines the Grand Canyon in depth, from the native peoples who have survived there for centuries to the explorers who charted its vast expanses and to the challenges that Grand Canyon National Park faces.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most internationally recognized landscapes and symbols of nature in North America. In this one-volume encyclopedia, readers can dive into the many people, places, stories, and issues associated with the Grand Canyon as well as the scientific, religious, and social contexts of events that have made the Grand Canyon what it is.

At the front of the encyclopedia are thematic essays that examine the Grand Canyon's history, geography, and culture. Essays cover topics including John Wesley Powell, to whom the Grand Canyon "belongs," the Native Americans who live at the Grand Canyon, and the future of the Grand Canyon. Following the thematic essays are approximately 150 topical entries focusing on more specific aspects of the Grand Canyon, such as trails and camps, natural formations, and courageous heroes as well as shameless profiteers who have influenced the Grand Canyon's history. The encyclopedia is rounded out by a chronology of human history at the Grand Canyon, a Grand Canyon "at a glance" section, and multiple fact-based sidebars. Through the people, places, and stories explored in this work, readers will gain a better understanding of how the history of the Grand Canyon is relevant to the world today.