Date: January 9, 2017
Contact: Vanessa Ceja-Cervantes, 928-638-7779
Grand Canyon, Ariz. –Grand Canyon National Park will join national park sites around the country in celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with free entrance to the park. Entrance fees will be waived for all visitors arriving to Grand Canyon National Park on Monday January 16, 2017.
Visitors looking to visit Grand Canyon National Park during Martin Luther King, Jr. Day should expect large crowds, long lines at entrance stations and shuttle bus stop areas, and full parking lots. As a reminder, the North Rim of the park is still closed and will open May 15th. Visitors traveling to the South Rim are encouraged to check weather and road conditions before traveling to the park by calling 928-638-7496. Park staff also suggest visitors use shoe traction devices while visiting the Grand Canyon’s rim trail and trekking poles if hiking into the canyon as trails may be snow-packed and icy.
South Rim and Desert View park staff also invite visitors to participate in a daily ranger program at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Yavapai Geology Museum, Verkamps Visitor Center, Kolb Studio or Desert View Watchtower and Tusayan Museum and Ruin. Grand Canyon visitors are also encouraged to explore Arizona’s 22 national parks and monuments located throughout the state.
Martin Luther King, Jr. day will be the first of ten fee-free days of the National Park Service’s second century of stewardship. Those days include April 15-16 and April 22-23 during National Park Week, August 25 to celebrate the National Park Service’s birthday, September 30 for National Public Lands Day and November 11-12 in honor of Veterans Day Weekend. During these dates, all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free entrance to all visitors.
Fee-free days give more families opportunities to visit national park sites and enjoy our country’s historical, cultural and natural resources. In addition to fee free days, the Every Kid in a Park program provides all fourth grade student with a free annual pass to national park sites. Active duty military and citizens with a permanent disability also have free access to national park sites.
Park visitors are reminded that the fee-free designation applies to entrance fees only and does not affect fees for camping, reservations, tours, or use of concessions. Park entrance stations will have Interagency Senior and Annual Passes available for those who wish to purchase them. Those who plan to spend time in the park beyond January 16 will need to pay the regular entrance fee for the remainder of their stay.
For additional information about NPS fee-free days, visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm.
For more information about visiting Grand Canyon National Park please, visit
www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit.
-NPS-
