• View of Grand Canyon National Park at sunset from the South Rim

    Grand Canyon

    National Park Arizona

Prairies and Grasslands

Meadow on North Rim, NPS Photo

Meadow on North Rim, NPS Photo

Grassland communities in Grand Canyon are rare and few. Mountain meadows on the North Rim are of two types: montane meadows and upland subalpine grasslands. Both are typified by many grass species, with sedges in the wettest areas and forbs and grasses along the dry margins.

Semi-desert shrub-grasslands occur at Toroweap Valley and above the Grand Wash Cliffs. These areas are characterized by big galleta, blue and black grama, Indian ricegrass, and three-awns.

Did You Know?

THE VIEW FROM TOROWEAP OVERLOOK

The view from Toroweap Overlook (North Rim), 3,000 vertical feet above the Colorado River, is breathtaking; the sheer drop, dramatic! Renowned Lava Falls Rapid, just downriver, can be seen and heard easily from the overlook. This remote area is located on the northwest rim of the Grand Canyon. More...