Heading to Zion next week, then over to the South Rim. First time in both parks. My dad and I have a full day to explore / transit between the parks. Looking forward to entering the GCNP from the east and seeing Desert View. Should we make time for Horseshoe Bend and Navajo Bridge? Any recs for this transit day would be much appreciated. Hiking / Food / History. Thx

Hi, I'm flying into Las Vegas next year (September 2027). I have booked an overnight stay at Thunderbird lodge at the South Rim for the Sunday 19th September (cost $449 for 4 adults).

With my itinerary below, we hope to get at least half of the Sunday afternoon (arrival day) and evening at the South rim.

I'm just worried that with the driving from Zion to the South rim being a long drive and hoping the traffic is on outside that an afternoon and evening won't be enough time?

My itinerary is below (day 6 is Grand Canyon South), sorry it's long and only one part is the Grand Canyon South, but I wanted to show how it fits in.

*Thank you in advance for any input, it is massively appreciated.

Day 1 - Vegas

DAY 2 - Vegas

DAY 3 - Valley of Fire + Hoover Dam (DAY TRIP)

DAY 4 - VEGAS → ZION (1st night) staying at Zion lodge

DAY 5 - FULL ZION DAY staying at Zion lodge

DAY 6 - ZION → GRAND CANYON (SOUTH RIM) staying at Thunderbird lodge

07:00 — Depart

Stop 1: Kanab (coffee + fuel)

Stop 2: Horseshoe Bend (~8:30–9:00 arrival) • 1 hr stop

Stop 3: Page (lunch + fuel) •  Antelope Canyon only if pre-booked

Stop 4: Cameron Trading Post

DAY 7 - ROUTE 66 → LAS VEGAS

Stops: • Williams • Seligman • Hackberry General Store • Cool Springs • Kingman

Hi everyone-
I’m traveling with a Road Scholar trip and will be in GC Oct 29-30.
They have always done this trip with 2 nights at Yavapai lodge inside the park. Because of the water situation, they moved us to The Squire in Tusayan.

I’ve wanted to visit for years and the main attraction for me was staying in the park, free to get up for dawn/sunset and the sky at night. With the freedom to wander, then return to room and relax.

The original itinerary had a group tour in the park followed by afternoon/evening free time.
Staying at the Squire we leave the park at 3:45 pm the first day and don’t return at all, even eating dinner at the hotel.

The next day was supposed to be group tour in the am followed by free time all day in the park- a dinner was planned for Tusayan that evening with return to the park in the evening.
It appears we have that free time, and but will stay in the park “ together “ until 5 pm when we leave for Tusayan for dinner at Big E’s Steakhouse without returning to the hotel at all. Again, no return to the park for the evening.

Both days we leave before sunset, won’t return to see the night sky.

Been told that there will be NO transport back to the park at all, will need to “ arrange our own”. Also have been told there would not be any transport early back to Tusayan the second afternoon to rest, and we go “ together “directly to the restaurant from the park.

I’m concerned about having flexibility in the park. We won’t have our rooms to come and go to relax, change clothes etc. So we are carrying everything we need for all day.

Anyway- I’d appreciate advice on
1. How to use our free time - the Yavapai geology museum is a priority, and I know it’s open. We are not hikers are are happier just wandering.
I’ve looked at the NPS for things that are open, but it’s hard to see-sometimes it looks like the site might be closed but then a gift shop is open.

1. Is it practical to try to stay in the park for sunset and get private transportation back to tusayan ?
   Possible to get transport back and forth from Tusayan for the night sky? If we go back by taxi, do we pay the individual ticket to get in?

2. Since we are stuck in the park for 5 hrs straight the second afternoon- where are good places to sit, relax, get coffee ( or better, a beer)? Restrooms? We had planned on spending a lot of time in restaurants/cafe having a beer. They are giving us a bag lunch instead.

3. Are there any good places near The Squire for sunset or stargazing? Again, no transport.

I’ve been checking the NPS “ what’s open” but what’s realistic?

Thanks for any help you can give!

Hey everyone,

A group of us are getting ready to tackle this ROUTE and we're trying to lock down our water logistics.
SK -> TO → TT -> HG -> PP -> BA

Right now, our plan is to pack in around 7–10 liters total per person, but we definitely want to be prepared with a solid backup plan in case we burn through it faster than expected or face unexpected delays.

For those familiar with this trail:

1. Which creeks cross or run parallel to this route, and where are they reliably located?
2. Are any of them typically dry this time of year, or should we expect decent flow?
3. What is your go-to filtration system for speed and efficiency when moving as a group?

Appreciate any local knowledge or tips you can share before we head out! Stay safe out there.

Planning on seeing a bunch of cool hikes and ofc the grand canyon. Driving 6-8 hours to get there so Id like to take my sedan to spend half on gas but should I bring my truck instead ? I dont know if it gets too snowy or the conditions require a truck

I applied in the lottery for an overnight mule ride in May of 2025. My ride was scheduled 7/1/26. Xanterra cancelled my ride . In fact all mule rides to phantom ranch were cancelled through Feb 2027. My ride was rescheduled for the end of Oct 2027. I know this is a question that no one can answer definitely but what are the chances of completing this trip? I have followed the news about the floods and the damage to the park infrastructure. I'm feeling pessimistic but I'd like to hear the opinions of others.

Going to the South Rim on Monday. Does anyone know what food options are available? Is the food court open?

Hello!

I have a reservation at the Yavapai Lodge for mid-November, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be open by then. I heard that some guests had the option to be relocated to a sister hotel, but I’m not sure if anyone is aware of this. Since I booked the hotel through a third-party, I’m a bit worried that we might show up and they won’t be able to help us. I was considering booking a secondary reservation, but the prices are significantly higher than what we originally paid.

Any advice/hotel recommendations in Tusayan that we may have overlooked.

BOIL DESERT VIEW WATER BEFORE USING 

Grand Canyon National Park experienced a water outage in the Desert View area at 12:00 a.m. on October 16, 2026, when a pump malfunction reduced pressure in the Desert View water tanks to 5 psi. Only the Desert View area is affected. As a precaution, we are issuing this notice to keep you informed about this potential public health risk, and to provide updates on what we are doing to make the water safe. 
 
Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.  
 
What should I do? What does this mean? 
 
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.  
 
Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems. 
 
The symptoms above may also be caused by other things not related to contamination of the drinking water. However, out of an abundance of caution, if you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water.  
 
What is being done? 
 
Park water operators are on site and continuing to diagnose the pump malfunction. Once the pump is repaired and normal pressure is restored, the Desert View system will be flushed and bacteriological samples will be collected. This boil water advisory will remain in effect until test results confirm the water is safe to drink. We will notify you when the advisory is lifted. 
 
For more information, please contact Adam Leavy, Chief of Facilities & Engineering, at 928-310-8654. 
 
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. 
 
This notice is being sent to you by Grand Canyon National Park 
State Water System ID#: AZ0403702 
Date distributed: October 16, 2026 

My other half and I visited the Grand Canyon earlier this week and made an obligatory stop in the shop. We saw a unique magnet and were ready to grab it and get in line until we realized it ran all the way to the back wall (it was raining, so everyone was hiding and the shop definitely won).

I checked the shop and conservancy websites and have had no luck finding this exact one. I’m hoping it’s just my lack of tech skills on a phone, and I’m hoping someone can help us find this magnet to add to our collection. Thank you all!

Bright angel is now saying closed through Thursday.   Kaibab, tonto, bright angel in a day was my plan.  Now planning kaibab, tonto as an out and back.

Is there a point where it makes sense to turn around on tonto before havasupai or should I go all the way?

I've been following closely and curious if anyone knows any recent updates about restoring the water to the south rim/hotels.

We have a trip Thanksgiving week booked with lodging at the GC and back up plans set.

I came last winter really liked it and my favorite part was the sunset. Just wanted to share I know my friends are tired of hearing about it

TRAIL ALERT: Bright Angel Trail Closure from Mile-and-a-Half Rest House to Havasupai Gardens

Due to recent rockfall, a section of the Bright Angel Trail will close beginning at 11 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 13. The closure affects the trail between Mile-and-a-Half Rest House and Havasupai Gardens and is expected to last, at minimum, 72 hours.

The closure is necessary to protect visitor safety and allow crews to safely clear the area for hikers and stock.

Please plan accordingly and avoid the closed section of trail while crews complete this work. Updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

Additional trail closures and updates can be found on the park's Key Hiking Messages website: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/key-messages.htm

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/1UnrdknuBY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

While wandering around the GCNP website I came across the Backcountry and River Use Statistics for 2024, the most recent available (https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/2024_Backcountry_and_River_Use_Statistics.pdf). There's all sorts of interesting data there that I think fellow GC nerds will find fascinating.

One of the things that caught my eye was the Backcountry Use by Year table on page 8. There were a couple of things that I found interesting:

1. I'd had the impression that there was a huge increase in use after the 2020-21 pandemic. Maybe that was true for visitors at the Rim viewpoints; but backcountry use peaked at about 97,500 in 2018 and was down about 28% from the peak in 2024.
2. As one might expect, Corridor areas had the highest usage and Wild the lowest. But somewhat surprisingly (at least to me), Primitive areas generally had higher usage than Threshold areas.

NPS would like your feedback about the North Rim rebuild. There are currently 3 options. You have until November 6th. Thank you Hiking guy for the info.

Here is the link https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=153246

Our group is 10 is looking to visit Zion and GC South Rim during Thanksgiving week. We can either spend 2 nights in Zion (1 full day to explore) and 3 nights in GC South Rim (2 full days to explore) or switch it so that we do 2 full days to explore Zion and 1 full day to explore GC South Rim. Given the weather at that time of the year, we will most likely avoid Angels Landing and the Narrows but want to do the other good hikes at Zion. What would people recommend?

Happening TODAY: Join our virtual public meeting on the North Rim's future.

6 p.m. Arizona Time / 7 p.m. MDT - Link posted on our Meetings page: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
MeetingNotices.cfm?projectD=138278

We'll walk through the draft concepts and the questions we're asking the public to weigh in on. Can't make it live?
A recording will be posted afterward.

As a reminder, seasonal closures on the North Rim begin Thursday, Oct. 15. The North Rim Campground, General Store and Backcountry Information Center will close for the season. The scenic road to Cape Royal and Point Imperial will be closed from sunset Oct. 15 through sunrise Nov. 3, 2026, to accommodate critical road repair and rehabilitation work.

NPS Photo

Can anyone verify where the portable toilets are located within Mather Campground and more importantly whether they are actually regularly kept clean?

We were booked at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for one night the first week of November, staying at Bright Angel Lodge, having breakfast at El Tovar and dinner at the Arizona Steakhouse.

So, far, Bright Angel canceled our reservation. I was prepared a month ago, knowing the situation, that this might happen and booked the Grand Canyon Holiday Inn Resort in Tusayan.

But, El Tovar seemed to remain open, that is until last night, when we were sent a cancellation notice. I suppose that's okay. We paid extra for breakfast at the Holiday Inn. Not the same, but...

What remains is the Arizona Steakhouse, which, remarkably, is still open. However, it seems awfully expensive; the menu is limited, and despite the restaurants in Tusayan being lackluster, we may decide to eat there.

The National Park Service has released three preliminary concepts for rebuilding the North Rim after the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Public comments are open through November 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. This is an early stage of planning. The input collected now will shape the alternatives that go into the full recovery plan.

Planning materials and the comment form: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=153246

Background

The Dragon Bravo Fire started from a lightning strike in July 2025 and burned into September. It burned about 71,130 acres of park-managed land and destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge plus more than 100 other structures. The fire was initially managed under a confine-and-contain strategy instead of full suppression.

The effects have carried into 2026. On August 29, repeated monsoon storms caused a flash flood in Bright Angel Creek. Three hikers died, more than 80 people were rescued, and the Transcanyon Waterline was heavily damaged. Meteorologists and researchers point to several overlapping causes: extremely intense rainfall, drought-hardened soil, and the Dragon Bravo burn scar above the drainage, which increased runoff. Fire resilience and flood risk are both fair topics for your comments. The NPS specifically asks for input on them.

3 Concepts

Concept A: Restore and Modernize

The lodge returns to Bright Angel Point, possibly reusing the old terraces and the moon room. It adds the least new development, and the seasonal closure lets the plateau rest each winter. It would probably be the simplest to build and staff.

Concept B: Transform

This extends the season by roughly three months and adds winter recreation, a dark sky viewing area, and a full visitor center at CC Hill. The new lodge would face Transept Canyon. The old lodge site would become pedestrian space on the rim, which keeps that view open to everyone instead of tying it to a building. The document does not explain how Highway 67 access would work in winter.

Concept C: Expand

This offers the most access. It includes year-round lodging, more campsites, winter yurts, and several new trails: a loop using the Old Bright Angel Trail, a Walhalla Rim Trail from Point Imperial to Cape Royal, and a Bridle Path connector to the Widforss Trail. The shuttle would reduce cars on the peninsula, which could make the rim area quieter on foot. This option would diminish the remote, seasonal feel that sets the North Rim apart from the South Rim.

Actions Common to All Concepts

Lodging and camping

• Explore converting staff cabins next to the campground into rentable cabins
• Switch campground reservations to rolling windows (for example, two days, two weeks, or twelve months out)
• Add electric hookups to some campsites
• Retrofit campground lights to dark sky standards
• Convert the Backcountry Information Center building for use by the campground operator

CC Hill becomes a new visitor hub

• Build visitor facilities with orientation, exhibits, and programming space (size varies by concept)
• Add a paved parking area plus a gravel lot for overflow and overnight parking
• Realign and improve the road to CC Hill
• Move the North Kaibab Trailhead to the new CC Hill parking area
• Move the backcountry information center from the campground to CC Hill
• Add a picnic area and an accessible trail

Wayfinding and orientation

• Improve signs at the entrance station and the Lindbergh Hill picnic area
• Explore expanding visitor information at the Jacob Lake Visitor Center

Trails and unpaved roads

• Add or formalize trails connecting the campground to other parts of the park
• Improve trails to match their intended uses
• Expand accessible trail options
• Promote hiking away from the crowded Bright Angel Peninsula
• Reroute the Arizona Trail away from the utility corridor, improve its Highway 67 crossings, and upgrade it to National Scenic Trail standards
• Convert Fire Point Road to a hiking trail inside the park and install a vehicle barrier at the Forest Service boundary
• Improve unpaved roads for multiuse recreation and so they can serve as fire breaks

Visitor activities

• Consider keeping, reducing, or eliminating commercial mule rides that start on the North Rim
• Set aside periods when the Cape Royal and Point Imperial roads are closed to cars and open only to hikers and cyclists

How to comment

The comment form asks three questions:

1. How do each of the proposed visitor-lodging concepts meet or not meet the needs and expectations of current and future generations of visitors?
2. What are the benefits of the 3-season, 4-season, or year-round visitor season concepts? How could the NPS improve them?
3. Which features or elements of these concepts strongly appeal to you? What aspects contribute to that appeal?

The NPS asks commenters to include their reasoning with each answer. Concerns and ideas not covered by the concepts are also welcome, including fire resilience and flood safety.

Due to the august/september canyon flooding, I had to circumvent the trail path from the south rim to the river and back. I decided to start at the south kaibab trailhead at 6 am for the wide, open, panoramic views, especially at “ohh ahh point”. Then at the trail junction, I took Tonto west trail. The rest of the south kaibab trail down to the river was closed at this point. The Tonto trail eventually lead me to the bright angel junction, from which I took it down to pipe creek beach at the Colorado river. Then I turned around and took the bright angel trail back to the south rim. I carried and drank 3 liters of electrolytes and 3 liters of water along with some crackers. Total time was 11 hours and 15 minutes including rest times. Temperature at 5-6 in the morning was about 55-60 F and at the bottom of the canyon at 11-12 pm was about 80-85 F.

Our group of 10 is looking to stay in Williams at an Airbnb for 3 nights in November. There are a couple of hotels available in Tuyasan, but Williams is cheaper and our entire party could stay together which would be more fun for our group. Is it too far to drive to the South Rim each day for the 3 days that we plan to visit South Rim if staying in Williams? We are wondering if the tradeoff for driving an hour each way is worth it so that we can all stay together in the same house.