Business Opportunity Announced for Guided Trail Rides on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

Date: October 9, 2009
Contact: Maureen Oltrogge, 928-638-7779
Contact: Shannan Marcak, 928-638-7958

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin today announced the availability of a prospectus for guided trail rides using mules at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.  This prospectus describes in general terms the existing business and the business opportunity for services to be provided under a concession contract.  

This concession contract will be issued for a term of 10 years and will require guided daily trail rides at the North Rim from approximately May 15 to October 15, with specific opening and closing dates based on trail conditions.  The National Park Service (NPS) will approve exact dates each year in advance of opening.

Routes and use levels authorized at the beginning of this new contract, in general, will include:

• Half-day rides to Supai Tunnel on the North Kaibab Trail.  The concessioner will be limited to 40 guest mules per day on this route. 
• One-hour rides on the Uncle Jim Trail along the rim.
• Half-day rides on the Uncle Jim Trail loop, along the rim, limited to 40 guest mules per day.

Although the current concession contract allows for an all-day ride to Roaring Springs on the North Kaibab trail, the NPS has temporarily eliminated this service.  Trail conditions have deteriorated despite the efforts of the concessioner and the NPS, causing the NPS to decide to temporarily eliminate commercial stock use below Supai Tunnel.

The NPS is currently in the process of completing an environmental assessment for all stock use including concessioner operated mule rides within Grand Canyon National Park.  Among other things, this process will determine the levels of commercial stock use appropriate for the North Kaibab Trail.  Based on the outcome of this environmental assessment, the NPS may alter the concessioner’s authorized routes and levels of use along those routes during the term of the new concession contract. 

Mangum Enterprises, Inc. dba Grand Canyon Trial Rides is the existing concessioner, and is a preferred offeror for this contract.  However, all interested parties are encouraged to apply and submit a responsive proposal to this prospectus.

Parties interested in visiting the area to become familiar with physical conditions and limitations of this business opportunity should contact Laura Shearin, Concessions Specialist, Grand Canyon National Park at 928-226-0169 as soon as possible to make arrangements for a site visit.  The rides for the 2009 operating season end on October 15, and the area may not be accessible due to weather after mid-November.

This business opportunity is being advertised on the Federal Business Opportunities web site, www.fbo.gov.  A copy of the prospectus can be found online at https://www.concessions.nps.gov/Prospectus.cfm.  To obtain a paper copy of the prospectus, please contact Jacque Lavelle at 303-969-2661.

Responsive proposals must be received by the Intermountain Regional Office by December 7, 2009.  For additional information, please contact Laura Shearin at 928-226-0169.

-NPS-