In 1857-1858, Lt. Joseph Ives attempted to navigate the Colorado River by steamboat, traveling upriver from the delta to just below Black Canyon.

John Wesley Powell conducted two expeditions down the Colorado River during the late 1800s, and he and his crews were the first to map and photograph the Grand Canyon.

Louis Boucher, otherwise known as the "Hermit," lived in the Grand Canyon in the late 1800s and is responsible for the construction of the entire network of tails within Hermit Basin.

Between 1945 and 1987, Harvey Butchart hiked over 12,000 miles in the Grand Canyon, discovered more than 100 rim-to-river routes, and made 25 first ascents within the Canyon.

In 1963, Colin Fletcher became the first person to hike the entire length of Grand Canyon National Park in a single trip.