First European to see the Grand Canyon as he explored southwest United States?

The first European widely acknowledged to have seen the Grand Canyon was Father Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan missionary.

He was traveling through the area in 1776 as part of a larger expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza. While Garcés didn't give a detailed description, he noted seeing a "deep, narrow canyon" which historians believe was the Grand Canyon.

However, it's important to note that it's impossible to know for certain who the first European to see the Grand Canyon was. There may have been other explorers who passed through the area before Garcés but left no written record.