Grand Canyon North Rim to reopen with limited services due to water line break
May 18, 2023, 10:00 AM
(Grand Canyon National Park Photo)
PHOENIX – The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open for the season next month, but services will be limited because of a water line break, officials said.
Water conservation measures are in effect because more than 300 feet of the North Rim’s water pipeline were destroyed by a winter storm landslide, the National Park Service said in a press release Wednesday.
The Grand Canyon Lodge will resume operations June 2, but it won’t offer overnight accommodations for the time being, according to the release. The facility will operate only during the day and offer limited food and beverage service until at least July 23.
“The decision to suspend overnight accommodations at the Grand Canyon Lodge was not taken lightly, and we recognize the inconvenience this has for visitors planning a trip to the North Rim,” Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable said in the release.
Keable said the park service is working with partners “to determine an appropriate operating strategy without the availability of pumped water to the area.”
The general store, gift shop and gas station also will resume seasonal operations June 2.
The North Rim was originally scheduled to reopen from its winter closure this week, but officials announced in April that more time was needed to clear area roads after one of the snowiest seasons on record.
The North Rim Campground will open June 9 with drinking water and toilets, but the laundry and shower facilities won’t be available until at least July 23. Reservations are required.
Visitors won’t be able to hike the North Kaibab Trail right away, as repair work after winter rockfall and landslides will keep the trail closed as least through June 15.