• Slug: BC-CNS-Grand Canyon Timeline. 175 words.
• Video here.

By LAUREN SCHIELER
Cronkite News

GRAND CANYON VILLAGE — One hundred years ago last month, President Woodrow Wilson signed the law designating Grand Canyon a national park. That first year, the park welcomed about 38,000 visitors, the majority of whom arrived by train. Today, more than 6 million visitors from around the world visit the canyon every year, and most of them arrive in motor vehicles.

The Grand Canyon is the second most visited national park after Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the National Park Service. Grand Canyon, like all national parks, is tasked with managing visitors while protecting the canyon for the enjoyment of generations to come.

Cronkite News has charted pivotal moments in the history of the park.

— Video by Lauren Schieler and Jonah Hrkal/Cronkite News

This story is part of Elemental: Covering Sustainability, a new multimedia collaboration between Cronkite News, Arizona PBS, KJZZ, KPCC, Rocky Mountain PBS and PBS SoCal.

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