This panoramic photograph of Grand Canyon National Park was taken by Christopher Gjevre featuring a view from the South Rim, facing towards the North Rim. Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 1,218,375 acres in Arizona. First protected as Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893, it became Grand Canyon National Park in 1919. The canyon was formed due to erosion and the down cutting nature of the river. The river also sweeps away sediment that is eroded into the river. The floor of the canyon is approximately 4,500 feet below the South Rim and more than a mile below the North Rim. The bottom of the canyon averages 15 to 30 warmer than the temperature on the rims.