Beginning on Veterans Day, November 11, 2020, Gold Star Families and U.S. military veterans receive free access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests. The free access program is a way to thank America’s veterans and Gold Star families for their support of our country and to encourage them to explore recreational opportunities on their public lands and waters.

Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim will begin day-use operations on October 19, 2020. At this time, the Grand Canyon Lodge will close and no overnight accommodations, including camping, will be available to visitors at the North Rim.

The entrance gate on State Route 67, which provides vehicular access to the North Rim, will be closed on November 30, 2020, or after the first major snowstorm if prior to that date.

Visitors exploring the North Rim after October 19 should plan to be self-sufficient and bring enough food and water for the day. Limited services will be available.

The following services will remain operational:

The General Store will offer limited groceries while supplies last and retail items Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The self-serve gas station, including diesel, will be available for as long as State Route 67 is open. It will only accept credit and debit cards.
After October 31, water will only be available at the North Rim Backcountry Information Center.

From 9/9-9/21, expect traffic delays and possible road closures on Cape Royal and Pt. Imperial Roads, Monday-Friday between the hours of 7 am - 7 pm. Outside of these hours, all roads will be open to the public. Please follow instructions from flaggers. -NPS

As part of its phased reopening, the National Park Service (NPS) continues to increase recreational access and services at Grand Canyon National Park. Park officials are pleased to announce the resumption of shuttle bus services on September 5. The Hermit Road Route (Red Route) and Kaibab Rim Route (Orange Route) eastbound will operate from 5 a.m. until one hour after sunset each day. The Village Route, Kaibab Rim Route westbound, and the Tusayan Route will not operate when service resumes.

The North Rim has reopened for day use only as of Tuesday morning at 6 AM. For details on current conditions on both the South and North Rims, see the park news update- https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-national-park-public....

Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park has temporarily closed the North Rim until further notice due to the Mangum Fire near the park. The Mangum Fire is located on the Kaibab National Forest and is not within Grand Canyon National Park at this time. The Mangum Fire began on June 8, 2020 and is estimated at 10,813 acres with 2% containment. SR 89A is closed between Bitter Springs and Fredonia, AZ. SR 67 between Jacob Lake and the North Rim of the park is also closed at this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The 30th annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held virtually June 13-20, 2020. While the on-site event at Grand Canyon National Park has been cancelled on both rims due to concerns over COVID-19 this year, the park hopes to bring the wonders of the night sky into the virtual realm through a series of video premieres on Grand Canyon’s official Facebook account.

Each evening from June 13-20, Grand Canyon National Park will premiere two videos at 6 and 7 p.m. PDT on our Facebook platform. Kicking off the Star Party is John Barentine, who has a doctorate in astronomy and is the director of public policy for the International Dark Sky Association, with a talk about “Dark Skies in Isolation: Why Protecting the Night Sky is More Important Than Ever.”

The South Rim’s South Entrance is now open 24 hours/day. Some visitor services and overnight accomodations are available.

Entrances fees should be paid at automated fee machines or by purchasing a pass in advance from nearby third-party vendors, or online, through Recreation.gov.

Grand Canyon National Park implemented Stage 2 fire restrictions for the South Rim May 25, which will be effective until further notice.

Due to increased fire danger, all wood burning and charcoal fires, including campfires, warming fires, and charcoal barbeques, will be prohibited on the South Rim of the park. This includes all campgrounds and residential areas. Pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns, and heaters are allowed.

Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Grand Canyon National Park is increasing recreational access for the South Rim, North Rim and river trips.

The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

Beginning May 29, 2020, the South Rim’s south entrance will be open every day from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m for day use with limited commercial services.The entrance will close at 2 p.m. and visitors already inside the park can remain for day use access until sunset. The following areas will be open: