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Who was the first European explorer to see the Grand Canyon?
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Grand Canyon
Mount Hayden as seen from Point Imperial, Grand Canyon National Park, northwestern Arizona, U.S.
The first European to see the Grand Canyon was likely Francisco Coronado, during his 1540 expedition. He was searching for the legendary Seven Golden Cities of CĂbola and, while his expedition discovered many landmarks, it did not find the riches he sought. Two Spanish priests, Francisco DomĂnguez and Silvestre VĂ©lez de Escalante, are credited with rediscovering the canyon in 1776 while searching for a route to Monterey.123