Autumn Colors Prelude North Rim Closure

The changing of the season is occurring on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Fall colors are expected to reach their peak by late September this year.

As colors on the North Rim change it is a reminder that the North Rim's visitor season is winding down. The staff on the North Rim has begun preparations to shut down visitor services and facilities, though the park will remain open to visitors on a day-use basis until snow closes Highway 67 leading into the park.

The National Park Service's (NPS) North Rim Visitor Center will close at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 13th. The North Rim Campground will be converted to primitive camping on October 14th with limited services (portable toilets), and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until snow closes Highway 67. The North Rim Backcountry Office will be open through 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 31st. Hikers and cross-country skiers will be permitted to use the park's group campsites throughout the winter months if they have obtained a permit through the park's South Rim Backcountry Office, or by going to the Visitor Center desk at Pipe Springs National Monument. The South Rim Backcountry Office is open year-round and can be reached by calling (928) 638-7875, Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST. Permit requests can be faxed year-round to (928) 638-2125. Permits are not considered earlier than the first of the month, four months prior to the proposed start date.

Overnight accommodations through the concessioner, the service station and related visitor services will close before noon on October 14th. The last meal served at the North Rim's Grand Lodge will be breakfast. The final night for lodging will be Wednesday, October 13th. The camper store and gift shop will close for the season at the end of the day on October 13th. Reservations for mule rides on the North Rim will be accepted through October 12th by calling Grand Canyon Trail Rides at (928) 638-9875. The Kaibab Lodge, four miles from the park boundary, will be closed after breakfast on October 16th and the Country Store, located outside of the park boundary, will remain open until early November, and then will be closed until mid-May 2005.

Arizona Department of Transportation officials have assured the park staff that Highway 67 into the North Rim will remain open to public travel through November 1st, but cautioned that from November 2nd on, Highway 67 could be closed for the season on short notice due to major storms and heavy snowfall. After November 1st, visitors are encouraged to call the park at (928) 638-7888 in advance of their trip to check on the status of Highway 67.

During daytime visitation, from October 14th until final closure of State Highway 67, only emergency services will be provided by the NPS, and visitors are reminded to pay special attention to their gas gauge, since gas will no longer be available in the park. Gas and diesel fuel will be available five miles north of the park at the Country Store through early November. Jacob Lake Inn, restaurant and gas station, 44 miles north of the park, remains open year-round.

The South Rim and Inner Canyon facilities remain open year-round. For additional trip planning information, please write: Trip Planner (or) Backcountry Trip Planner, Grand Canyon National Park, PO Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Information may also be found at www.nps.gov/grca or by calling the park at (928) 638-7888.