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About 70 million years ago the collision of tectonic plates caused the Colorado Plateau to rise from sea level to 10,000 feet. Then the Colorado River began its work of cutting through the rock, a powerful force chiseling away at limestone, sandstone, shale, schist and gneiss. Wind, rain and melting snow contributed to the erosion. Rocks split off and came crashing down. Slowly, the canyon's magical formations took shape. As the Colorado River continues to wind its way through the Grand Canyon like an unfurling ribbon, the process of sculpting also goes on one inch every 500 years. Today, some of the exposed canyon walls are a fascinating geology lesson, their layers a history of the earth through time. The oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon (gneiss and schist) go back 2 billion years. Kaibab Limestone, deposited 260 million years ago, forms most of the cap rock.  Experiencing the Grand Canyon The majority of the Grand Canyon's four million visitors drive along park roads on the canyon's South Rim, stopping at scenic viewing points, such as Desert View, Mather Point and Grandview Point, marveling at formations such as the Vishnu Temple. Nearly as striking as the Canyon's size and shape are the exquisitely varied colors, from pale pinks and creams, to purples, crimsons, sandy yellows and blacks. The sunlight changes their tone and hue, creating the most spectacular display at sunrise and sunset. 
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