8. The Grand Canyon drew tourists by automobiles and rail
Like Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon drew tourists eager to take in its storied vistas for decades before the advent of the automobile. Tent campgrounds were established late in the 19th century. The Santa Fe Railway established a spur to the site, called the Grand Canyon Railway, in 1882. Hotel accommodations soon followed, as did other amenities to cater to the average tourist. The first automobile to arrive at the Grand Canyon made the journey from Flagstaff in 1902. It took two full days to cover the 80-mile distance, largely due to breakdowns of the steam-powered car. By the onset of the 1920s, travelers by automobile encountered improved roads and shorter travel times. In 1921, motorists from California and other southwestern states arrived at the canyon and its associated resorts in ever-increasing numbers.
Driving to the Grand Canyon became so popular that 1921 saw the first reports of what over time became a serious threat to the regional environment. Grand Canyon haze can restrict visibility in the canyon dramatically. The internal combustion engines of the 1920s did not burn fuel cleanly, and there existed no means of reducing emissions. Steam locomotives contributed as well, as did coal-burning furnaces and factories, but the automobile became the chief culprit in polluting the air in the 1920s. It has retained that position ever since, despite all the improvements in reducing tailpipe emissions.