List of canyons explained

See also: Canyon. This list of canyons and gorges includes both land and submarine canyons with the land canyons being sorted by continent and then by country.

Africa

South Africa

• Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga
• Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal (The word Kloof means 'gorge' in Afrikaans)
• Komati Gorge
• Lanner Gorge
• Oribi Gorge, KwaZulu-Natal

Other countries

• Lesotho - Senqu River Canyon
• Lesotho - Maletsunyane River Gorge
• Lesotho - Makhaleng River Canyon
• Cameroon- Gorges de Kola
• Egypt- Arada Canyon
• Ethiopia- Blue Nile Gorge
• Madagascar- Isalo Canyon
• MaliTalari Gorges
• Morocco- Todgha Gorge
• NamibiaFish River Canyon
• Republic of Congo- Gorges of Diosso
• TanzaniaOlduvai Gorge
• TunisiaMides Canyon

Americas

Argentina

• Atuel Canyon, Mendoza Province
• Pinturas River Canyon, Santa Cruz Province
• Talampaya River Canyon^[1]

Brazil

• Guartelá Canyon, Paraná
• Itaimbezinho, Aparados da Serra National Park, Rio Grande do Sul
• Fortaleza Canyon, Aparados da Serra National Park, Rio Grande do Sul

Chile

• Cajón del Maipo, Santiago Metropolitan Region
• Caspana, El Loa Province

Colombia

• Chicamocha Canyon, Santander
• Saturban canyon, Santander

Mexico

• Barranca de Oblatos, Jalisco
• Copper Canyon, Chihuahua
• Huasteca Canyon, Monterrey
• Sumidero Canyon, Chiapas

Peru

• Colca Canyon, Arequipa
• Cotahuasi Canyon, Arequipa

Other countries

• BoliviaGrand Canyon of Torotoro, Torotoro, Potosi Department
• NicaraguaSomoto Canyon, Somoto, Madriz

Asia

China

• Huguan Taihang Grand Canyon, Shanxi
• Longtan Grand Canyon, Hebei
• Norton Couloir, Tibet
• Qutang Gorge, Hubei
• Red Stone Gorge, Henan
• Taihangshan Gorge, Shanxi
• Three Gorges, Chongqing
• Three Parallel Rivers, Yunnan
• Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan
• Wu Gorge, Hubei
• Xiling Gorge, Hubei
• Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, Tibet Autonomous Region
• Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Tibet Autonomous Region

Nepal

• Chovar Gorge, Kathmandu
• Kali Gandaki Gorge, Gandaki

India

• Gandikota, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh
• Garadia Mahadev, Kota district, Rajasthan
• Idukki, Western Ghats, Kerala
• Raneh Falls, Chatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh
• Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Angul district, Odisha
• Dayangmukh, Dima Hasao, Assam
  • Assi Ganga, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Shatadru, Kufri, Himachal Pradesh

Philippines

• Bued Gorge, Benguet
• Montalban Gorge, Central Luzon

Other countries

• IndonesiaCukang Taneuh, Pangandaran, Brown Canyon in Semarang
• JordanSiq, Petra
• KazakhstanSharyn Canyon
• Kyrgyz RepublicAla Archa gorge of Ala Archa National Park
• OmanWadi Ghul
• PakistanIndus River Gorge through the Himalaya; Soan River gorge
• TaiwanTaroko Gorge of Taroko National Park

Europe

Albania

• Osum Gorge
• Këlcyrë Gorge

Austria

• Leutasch Gorge, Tyrol
• Liechtensteinklamm, Salzburg
• Rappenloch Gorge, Vorarlberg

France

• Ardèche Gorges, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
• Daluis Gorge, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
• Gorges du Tarn, Occitanie
• Verdon Gorge, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Georgia

• Aragvi River Gorge
• Pankisi Gorge
• Okaze canyon
• Martvili canyon

Germany

• Mensinger Ravine, Northrhine-Westphalia
• Rhine Gorge, Rhineland-Palatine and Hesse
• Spetzgarter Gorge, Baden-Württemberg
• Wutach Gorge, Baden-Württemberg

Greece

• Agia Eirini Gorge, Crete
• Ha Gorge, Crete
• Imbros Gorge, Crete
• Kotsifos Gorge, Crete
• Kourtaliotiko Gorge, Crete
• Richtis Gorge, Crete
• Sarakina Gorge, Crete
• Samaria Gorge, Crete
• Vikos Gorge, Vikos–Aoös National Park

Ireland

• Gap of Dunloe, County Kerry
• Mizen Head, County Cork
• The Scalp, County Dublin^[2]

Italy

• Bletterbach, South Tyrol
• Gorropu, Sardinia

Montenegro

• Morača Canyon
• Tara River Canyon
• Piva Canyon

Norway

• Allmannajuvet Canyon, Rogaland
• Jutulhogget Canyon, Hedmark
• Jutulhogget Canyon, Oppland
• Mågålaupet Gorge, Sør-Trøndelag
• Sautso Canyon, Finnmark

Russia

• Sulak Canyon, Dagestan

Switzerland

• Aare Gorge, Bern
• Küsnachter Tobel, Zürich
• Rofla Gorge, Grisons
• Ruinaulta, Grisons
• Tamina Gorge, St. Gallen
• Viamala, Grisons

Turkey

• Boğazpınar Canyon, Mersin Province
• Harmanköy Canyon, Bilecik
• Ulubey Canyon, Uşak
• Valla Canyon, Küre, Kastamonu

United Kingdom

England Avon Gorge, in Bristol, Somerset and Gloucestershire Burrington Combe, Somerset Cauldron Snout, County Durham^[3] Cheddar Gorge, Somerset Chee Dale, Derbyshire Cliviger Gorge, Lancashire Cresswell Crags, Nottinghamshire Deep Dale, Derbyshire Ebbor Gorge, Somerset Gordale Scar, Yorkshire^[4] Harehope Canyon, Northumberland Hen Hole, Northumberland High Cup Gill, Westmorland How Stean Gorge, Yorkshire Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire Lud's Church, Staffordshire Piers Gill, Cumberland Sleightholme Beck Gorge, Yorkshire^[5] Staward Gorge, Northumberland Trollers Gill, Yorkshire Winnats Pass, Derbyshire

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Scotland Ailnack Gorge, Banffshire^[6] Alva Glen, Clackmannanshire Avon Gorge, Stirlingshire and West Lothian Black Rock Gorge, Ross-shire Burn o' Vat, Aberdeenshire Corrieshalloch Gorge, Ross-shire Craighall Gorge, Perthshire Crichope Linn, Dumfriesshire Daal of Lumbister, Shetland^[7] Dean Gorge in Edinburgh, Midlothian Dob's Linn, Dumfriesshire^[8] Glen Valtos on Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides Ness Glen, Ayrshire^[9] Nethan Gorge, Lanarkshire Puck's Glen, Argyllshire^[10]

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Wales Aberglaslyn Pass, Caernarfonshire Alyn Gorge, Denbighshire and Flintshire Ceunant Cynfal, Merionethshire^[11] Ceunant Llennyrch, Merionethshire Clydach Gorge, Monmouthshire Dylife Gorge, Montgomeryshire Fairy Glen (Ffos Anoddun), at Betws-y-Coed, Caernarfonshire

Other countries

• BulgariaTrigrad Gorge
• GreenlandGreenland's Grand Canyon
• IcelandFjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
• MacedoniaMatka Canyon
• RomaniaBicaz Gorge
• SerbiaRugova Canyon
• UkraineDniester Canyon
• SpainCongost de Mont-Rebei

Oceania

Australia

• Barfold Gorge, Victoria
• Barron Gorge, Queensland
• Bouldercombe Gorge, Queensland
• Cambanoora Gorge, Queensland
• Capertee Valley, New South Wales
• Carnarvon Gorge, Queensland
• Cataract Gorge, Tasmania
• Dimond Gorge, Western Australia
• Galston Gorge, New South Wales
• Geikie Gorge National Park, Western Australia
• Jamison Valley, New South Wales
• Karijini National Park, Western Australiacontains gorges named Dales, Hamersley, Hancock, Joffre, Kalamina, Knox, Munjina, Range, Red, Weano, Wittenoom and Yampire;^[12] blue asbestos exists in the latter two gorges^[13]
• Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory
• Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
• Lerderderg Gorge, Victoria
• Little River Gorge, Victoria
• Loch Ard Gorge, Victoria
• Mossman Gorge, Queensland
• Murchison River Gorge, Western Australia
• Nepean Gorge, New South Wales
• North and South Gorges of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland
• Palm Valley, Northern Territory
• Porcupine Gorge, Queensland
• Purnululu National Park, Western AustraliaCathedral and Piccaninny Gorges,^[14] and Echidna Chasm^[15]
• Ravine des Casoars, South Australia
• Sturt Gorge, South Australia
• West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory
• Windjana Gorge, Western Australia

New Zealand

• Ashley Gorge, Canterbury region
• Buller Gorge, Buller
• Cromwell Gorge, Central Otago
• Karangahake Gorge, Coromandel Peninsula
• Karapoti Gorge, Wellington Region
• Kawarau Gorge, Central Otago
• Manawatū Gorge, Manawatū
• Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington City
• Poolburn Gorge, Central Otago
• Rakaia Gorge, Canterbury Region
• Skippers Canyon, Central Otago
• Taieri Gorge, South Otago
• Trotters Gorge, North Otago
• Waimakariri Gorge, Canterbury Region
• Weka Pass, Canterbury Region
• Windy Canyon, Great Barrier Island

Submarine canyons

A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley with nearly vertical walls cut into the seabed of the continental margin, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf.^[16]

Atlantic Ocean

• Amazon Canyon, extending from the Amazon River off the coast of Brazil
• Avilés Canyon, off the coast of Asturias, Spain
• Baltimore Canyon, off the coast of Maryland
• Congo Canyon, extending from the Congo River off the coast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Great Bahama Canyon, between the islands of The Bahamas
• Hatteras Canyon, off the coast of North Carolina
• Hudson Canyon, extending from the Hudson River off the coast of New York City between the Long Island and the New Jersey coasts of the United States
• Mona Canyon, off the coast of western Puerto Rico
• Nazaré Canyon, off the coast of Portugal
• Whittard Canyon, off the southwest coast of Ireland
• Wilmington Canyon, off the coast of Delaware, the United States^[17]

Indian Ocean

• Ganges Canyon, extending from the Ganges off the coast of India
• Indus Canyon, extending from the Indus River off the coast of Pakistan
• Perth Canyon, extending from the Swan River off the coast of Fremantle. Western Australia

Pacific Ocean

• Bering Canyon, in the Bering Sea near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, the United States
• Kaikoura Canyon, off the coast of the Kaikoura Peninsula, New Zealand
• La Jolla Canyon, off the coast of La Jolla, California
• Monterey Canyon, off the coast of central California, the United States
• Pribilof Canyon, in the Bering Sea, southeast of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska
• Scripps Canyon, off the coast of La Jolla, southern California
• Zhemchug Canyon, in the central Bering Sea between the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia; the largest submarine canyon in the world based on drainage area

Black Sea

• Danube Canyon, off the coast of Romania

Notes and References

1. Ruban. Dmitry A.. Zerfass. Henrique. Pugatchev. Vladimir I.. 2009-08-01. Triassic synthems of southern South America (southwestern Gondwana) and the Western Caucasus (the northern Neotethys), and global tracing of their boundaries. Journal of South American Earth Sciences. en. 28. 2. 155–167. 10.1016/j.jsames.2009.03.003. 0895-9811. 2263/11274. free.
2. Book: Gwynn . Stephen Lucius . Leinster : Beautiful Ireland Series . 16 May 2024.
3. Book: Mitton . Geraldine Edith . A. & C. Black, Limited . 1924 . Durham . 198 . 22 March 2024.
4. Book: Dean . Dennis R . Geology and Its Cultural Influence in Britain, 1765-1835 . 2007 . Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints . 9780820115559 . 134 . 7 August 2022.
5. Book: Holliday . D W . Burgess . I C . Geology of the Country Around Brough-under-Stainmore . 1979 . H.M. Stationery Office . 0118840053 . 45.
6. Book: Gillen . Con . Geology and Landscapes of Scotland . 31 August 2013 . Dunedin Academic Press Ltd . 9781903544884 .
7. Book: Murphy . Alan . Orkney & Shetland . 2014 . Footprint . 9781909268838 . 75 . 20 May 2024.
8. Book: Aldridge . Richard John . British Silurian Stratigraphy . 2000 . Joint Nature Conservation Committee . 9781861074782 . 23 March 2024.
9. Book: Eyles . Victor Ambrose . Geology of Central Ayrshire: Explanation of One-inch Sheet 14 . 1949 . H.M. Stationery Office .
10. Web site: Puck's Glenn - Argyll and Bute, Scotland . Atlas Obscura . 21 May 2024.
11. Web site: Ceunant Cynfal National Nature Reserve, near Blaenau Ffestiniog . Natural Resources Wales . 19 May 2024.
12. Web site: Karijini National Park Visitor guide . 2016 . Department of Parks and Wildlife . Explore Parks WA (note: PDF file link appears in "Downloads & Resources" tab of webpage: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/karijini) . https://web.archive.org/web/20161104081935/https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/downloads/parks/2016003752%20karijini%20np_V4.pdf . 2016-11-04 . live . 2016-11-04.
13. Web site: Australia's North West › Pilbara › Karijini National Park › Welcome (tab) . 2013 . Department of Parks and Wildlife . Explore Parks WA . https://web.archive.org/web/20161104083953/https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/karijini . 2016-11-04 . live . 2016-11-04.
14. Web site: Australia's North West › Kimberley › Purnululu › Piccaninny Creek . 2013 . Department of Parks and Wildlife . Explore Parks WA . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310174555/https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/piccaninny-creek . 2016-03-10 . live . 2016-11-04.
15. Web site: Australia's North West › Kimberley › Purnululu › Echidna Chasm . 2013 . Department of Parks and Wildlife . Explore Parks WA . https://web.archive.org/web/20160323000943/https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/site/echidna-chasm . 2016-03-23 . live . 2016-11-04.
16. Shepard, F.P., 1963. Submarine Geology. Harper & Row, New York
17. [Arthur Newell Strahler]