Canyon Diablo (canyon)

Canyon Diablo, previously named "Cañon Diablo", is a canyon that winds through the Colorado Plateau approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. It is an example of an incised meander, a river bend carved into the plateau by erosion, creating a gorge. Portions of the canyon experience an ephemeral stream and act as a tributary to the Little Colorado River. Archeologists have discovered evidence of settlements belonging to the Sinagua people near the canyon dating to the 12th century. The 81-mile (130 km) canyon lies within both Coconino County and the Navajo Nation.

Several Old West ghost towns are located near the canyon, including the towns of Canyon Diablo and Two Guns. Three bridges span the canyon today: a railroad bridge originally associated with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway that connected the southern route of the first transcontinental railroad through Arizona across the canyon in 1882, but was later rebuilt and modernized in 1947; a former automobile bridge that once carried Route 66 over the canyon; and the current highway bridge that hosts Interstate 40.