what is there to see near the grand canyon?
Phoenix Grand Canyon National Park Lake Powell
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 = = = Indian Canyon : prayer houses / sweat lodges for ceremony and purification = = = 

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 Famed for its dramatic rapids and canyons , the Colorado is one of the most desirable whitewater rivers in the United States , and its Grand Canyon section – run by more than 22 @,@ 000 people annually – has been called the " granddaddy of rafting trips " . Grand Canyon trips typically begin at Lee 's Ferry and take out at Diamond Creek or Lake Mead , and range from one to eighteen days for commercial trips and from two to twenty @-@ five days for private trips . Private ( noncommercial ) trips are extremely difficult to arrange because the National Park Service limits river traffic for environmental purposes ; people who desire such a trip often have to wait more than 10 years for the opportunity . 

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 Other protected lands in the region include Caribou @-@ Targhee , Gallatin , Custer , Shoshone and Bridger @-@ Teton National Forests . The National Park Service 's John D. Rockefeller , Jr . Memorial Parkway is to the south and leads to Grand Teton National Park . The famed Beartooth Highway provides access from the northeast and has spectacular high altitude scenery . Nearby communities include West Yellowstone , Montana ; Cody , Wyoming ; Red Lodge , Montana ; Ashton , Idaho ; and Gardiner , Montana . The closest air transport is available by way of Bozeman , Montana ; Billings , Montana ; Jackson ; Cody , Wyoming , or Idaho Falls , Idaho . Salt Lake City , 320 miles ( 510 km ) to the south , is the closest large metropolitan area . 

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 The park also has a 7 @.@ 4 magnitude night sky , making it one of the darkest in North America . Stargazers can , therefore , see 7 @,@ 500 stars with the naked eye , while in most places fewer than 2 @,@ 000 can be seen due to light pollution , and in many large cities only a few dozen can be seen . Park rangers host public stargazing events and evening programs on astronomy , nocturnal animals , and night sky protection . The Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival , typically held in June , attracts thousands of visitors . In honor of this astronomy festival , Asteroid 49272 was named after the national park . 

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 Notable geographical features of the park include : Virgin River Narrows , Emerald Pools , Hidden Canyon ( photo ) , Angels Landing ( photo ) , The Great White Throne , Checkerboard Mesa ( photo ) , The Three Patriarchs ( photo ) and Kolob Arch . 
