In the surface of the world, there are wide and deep cuts that took place over millions of years. The results of water and wind erosion leave these canyons and gorges sat there for everyone to marvel over.
An example of the canyon being these erosions that are generally large in any dimension, such as length, depth, or width.
While there are many others aside from the list of canyons, we have here. Some of the largest canyon in the world is not accessible by humans. Some may be in remote areas, or you can have many of the slot canyons such as Antelope Canyon, where you can only venture down a small portion.
Here, we have seven of the largest canyons in the world, and while some names of canyons may be unfamiliar, you will see they are spectacular in their own right, no matter which country they are located.
7 Most Famous Canyons
1. Tiger Leaping Gorge – China
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a stunning slice in the landscape of Yunnan. It is one of the deepest gorges seen anywhere in the world. Measuring from the Jinshajiang River to the peak of the mountains, it is a whopping 3900 vertical meters.
Tiger Leaping Gorge offers one of China’s most excellent hikes, so you get double bang for your buck. It comprises 22 km of “high trail”, starts close to popular Lijiang, and weaves through the gorge and the Yangtze River to end up in the village of Walnut Grove.
The trail’s switchbacks have become infamous; however, it isn’t as severe or difficult as others may be.
They say the gorge gets its name from a tiger jumping across the narrow part of the gorge as it was being hunted. While it was supposed to have used a rock in the middle, the distance was still an impressive 25 meters.
2. Kali Gandaki – Nepal
Once you head to the area of Kali Gandaki, you see it splits two of the highest mountains in the world. Measuring from the lowest point in the bed of the river in the deepest canyon part to the uppermost tip on Dhaulagiri, you have a measurement of 5.5 km (22,000 feet). It is easy to see why they say it is the deepest canyon in the world.
On the other side, you have the monolithic mountains of Annapurna. It was the Gandaki River, which carved out the deepest canyons and they say it is older than the mountains.
Besides all the fantastic views, the depth is so great; there are plenty of precious stones to be found in the flowing waters of the river.
3. Colca Canyon – Peru
If you have ever seen the canyon in the USA, you may ask if it is possible. “What canyon is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon?”
Well, there is now such a place in South America in the form of the Colca Canyon, Peru. It takes a 3.5-hour bus ride to reach the hub of the Colca Canyon.
Find your way up to the viewpoint of the Cruz Del Condor, and you can see all manner of birds such as the Andean Condors, huge hummingbirds, eagles, and flamingos.
With a depth of 10,730 feet, it is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. You can see why Peru has it as one of the top tourist attractions.
There are also plenty of places around to eat, take in the La Calera hot springs, or you can see the volcanoes from “Mirador De Los Volcanes.”
4. Copper Canyon – Mexico
Canyon names come from anything that makes them stand out. It is the coppery green on the walls of the Barranca del Cobre or Copper Canyon, which gives it its name.
The area comprises six canyons, all formed from six rivers, which are part of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains buried in Northern Mexico. Barranca De Urique has a depth of 6164 ft. and considered one of the deepest in the area.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site who helps to preserve the endangered species that live in the region.
Copper Canyon, Mexico begins at Los Mochis and ends up in Chihuahua City along the Chihuahua al Pacífico Railroad.
From this, you can see one of the best railway experience anywhere on earth. The train climbs up the sides of the canyon, where you can take in the views of the depths below you.
5. Fish River Canyon – Namibia
The Fish River Canyon is epic, and so it should be for being the second biggest canyon in the world. Sitting in Southern part, the Fish River Canyon Namibia is 100 miles in length, and 16 miles in width, besides this, it is 1,800 feet deep.
The area it covers comes to 5900 square kilometers and is a significant attraction for tourists and hikers. It is accessible from the northern end by car leading from Hobas.
The river canyon was formed through the collapse of a valley more than 500 million years ago. When visiting here, it is essential to know that the Fish River is seasonal; therefore, it could be dry from April to December, or you could see torrents of white water in the rainy season of January to April.
You do have the chance to hike along the Fish River Canyon Namibia trails that reach 52 km’s in length.
To complete this, you will need up to 5 days to complete it. It is the second most popular tourist attraction behind the Etosha National Park.
6. The Grand Canyon – United States
At 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and with a depth of around 6,000 feet, as a singular area, the Grand Canyon is the largest canyon in the World.
The Colorado River has been cutting its way through the earth in Arizona for around 2 billion years. It is among the world’s most famous canyons and attracts around 6-million visitors each year.
Because it is one of the largest and can tell us so much about the world’s history, it is one of the Natural Wonders of the World.
Anyone who visits can experience two very different parts with the North Rim and the South Rim. You have two observation decks that offer heights of 1,000 feet and 5,000 feet depending on which region you visit.
One of the most intriguing natural wonders is the way it changes color throughout the seasons. To see the best of the Park, you can take a ride from Vegas to the Hoover Dam or head down to the river. For the ultimate, you can take a helicopter down the length of the most iconic of canyons in the world.
7. Blyde River Canyon
The Blyde River Canyon may not be the largest canyon in the world, yet it has to be one of the greenest canyons there is.
The length of the canyon runs at 16 miles, and you can find endless varieties of plant-life that comes with the large number of climate conditions that occur in the region. With various soil types, there is a range of fauna that grows at multiple levels.
The beautiful canyon has an average of 763 meters, yet the largest is 1,373 meters deep (4,500ft.).
Numerous animal species thrive along the rivers, in the waterfalls and through the wetlands surrounding the Swadini Dam. Some of the animals are hippos and crocodiles.
Thanks to its abundant flora, birds find virtually any type of habitat that matches them, all of which is conserved in Blyde Canyon Nature Reserve.
Across the border into Mozambique, the canyon has some of the most spectacular overlooks of nature in South Africa.
While all the above canyons offer something extraordinary, others deliver their own unique experience.
For example, the widest canyon in the world isn’t on the list. The honor for this goes to the Capertee Valley, which you can find in New South Wales in Australia.
Besides this, you have what is now termed as the longest canyon in the world, and it falls to Greenland’s Grand Canyon at 466 miles long. While this has been there for years, they only discovered it in 2013.
Because most on the list are vast canyons, one that misses out but does deserve a special mention is Waimea canyon in Hawaii.
It is easily the largest canyon in the pacific. At 14 miles long with a mile in width and a depth of 3,600 feet, it is nowhere close to the largest, but for beauty, it tops the list.
It is packed full of reds, coppers, grays and purples with ruddy waters flowing along the Waimea River.
All canyons here are exceptional and can leave you with sights you may only ever see once in a lifetime.
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