Highway 67 to Grand Canyon North Rim to Open for the Season on May 10

Highway 67 to the North Rim of Grand Canyon, which is closed each winter, will be opened to the public beginning Saturday, May 10th at 6:00 a.m. Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. at the North Rim (Xanterra), and Grand Canyon Trail Rides will also commence their season operations on May 10th, continuing through October 14th, 2003. Xanterra operations include lodging, camper services, food services, groceries and a service station. All concessions facilities will open at 11:30 a.m.

All services provided by the National Park Service including Visitor Center, Grand Canyon Association bookstore, backcountry permit reservations, campground and ranger programs will be available on May 10th at 12:00 noon.

Advance overnight lodging reservations for North Rim facilities may be made by contacting Xanterra reservations in Denver at 1(888) 297-2757. Advance reservations for the North Rim Campground must be made through Spherix, and can be made up to five months in advance by calling 1(800) 365-2267. Callers from outside of the United States must call (301) 722-1257.

The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, operated by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service will also open on May 10th. The center is located on Highway 67 at Jacob Lake (approximately 45 miles from the North Rim) and will be open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The North Rim lies at the southern end of the Kaibab Plateau at approximately 8,500 feet in elevation, and offers spectacular canyon views. It is approximately a 215-mile drive from the South Rim. Points of interest include: Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Point Sublime, North Kaibab Trail, and Bright Angel Point. For a copy of the park's free Trip Planner please call (928) 638-7888 or write, Trip Planner, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. The Trip Planner is also available on the Internet at www.nps.gov/grca/.