Directions and Transportation

Grand Canyon National Park is continuing to evaluate and adapt to changing COVID-19 guidance, and is adjusting operations as needed. The information presented here is primarily to help you plan a visit during 2021.

Visit this web page for the current list of what is open, and for park-wide updates >

 

Information On This Page Navigation

 

Where is Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon is in the northwest corner of Arizona, close to the borders of Utah and Nevada.

The Colorado River, which flows through the canyon, drains water from seven states, but the feature we know as Grand Canyon is entirely in Arizona. A large part of Grand Canyon lies within Grand Canyon National Park and is managed by the National Park Service.

However, the Grand Canyon Skywalk and the waterfalls of Havasupai are located on tribal lands outside of the National Park.

Also, a portion of Grand Canyon is located in the North Kaibab District of the Kaibab National Forest.

Jump to a Larger Map - to: South Rim ------to: North Rim

 

The mile-deep Colorado River creates a barrier that divides the park into north and south Rims. In this illustration, the region above the North Rim is shown in yellow and the region below the South Rim is shown in blue.

Why South and North Rims?

• A 277 mile long (446 km) canyon separates the park into South and North Rims.
• Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is a mile-deep, (1.6 km) and creates a barrier that bisects the park.
• The average distance across the canyon is only 10 miles/ 16 km, howerver, it is a five-hour drive of 220 miles/ 354 km between the park's South Rim Village and the North Rim Village.

Scenery, climate and vegetation are noticably different between north and south rims because of differences in elevation. It is almost like having two parks in one

It takes time, planning and effort to be able to visit both rims in one trip.

 

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How Do I Travel to the South Rim of the Park?

Essential Information:

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is Open All Year and is located on the "Arizona" side of the Canyon. The South Rim receives 90% of the park's visitation.

The South Rim has an airport and rail service and is a 60 minute drive from Interstate 40 and the town of Williams, Arizona - and 90 minutes from Flagstaff, Arizona, also on Interstate 40.

A larger city with a major airport, Phoenix, Arizona, is also south of Grand Canyon, and is approximately a four hour drive. More >
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South Rim Visitor Center Location: 36°03'32"N 112°06'33"W

Grand Canyon Village has a Visitor Center, Historic District, Lodges, Mather Campground, Trailer Village, a Bank Post, Office, General Store, and a variety of Shops and Museums. Learn more about the South Rim: Grand Canyon Village

Hours of operation. How to make reservations for lodging and camping.

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Learn more about the South Rim: Desert View (25 miles (41 k) east of Grand Canyon Village) Because of the lockdown on the Navajo Nation, the East Entrance to the park, and most Desert View visitor facilities are CLOSED. (updated 12/1/2020)

Located at Desert View is the Historic Watchtower, a Trading Post/Coffee Shop, General Store, Gas Station, and a first-come, first-served seasonal campground.

 

Grand Canyon National Park & Vicinity. Scroll down for approximate driving distances between the North Rim and nearby towns and attractions.  A machine-readable description is below the map.

 

Map Description: Grand Canyon National Park & Vicinity

The region shown in this map includes 1) on the left edge of the map, Las Vegas, NV and Needles, CA 2) across the bottom, Interstate 40 from Needles, CA, east, through Flagstaff, AZ, to Gallup, NM. 3) on the right edge, starting at Gallup, NM, then, north to Colorado Nat. Monument, 4) Finally, bounded across the top by Interstate 70 crossing the state of Utah until it meets the intersection with Interstate 15.

Grand Canyon National Park is located east of Las Vegas, NV.
North of Interstate 40 and the cities of Williams and Flagstaff, AZ.
East of the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations, and south of the Utah state line. The Colorado River is shown through the entire 277 mile transect of Grand Canyon National Park.

Public and tribal lands are show in different colors.

Tribal lands are show in purple and reservation boundaries are shown for the following tribes: Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai, Havasupai, Kaibab Paiute, Shivwits Paiute, Zuni, and Ute Mountain.

National forest lands are shown in green, and include, Coconino, Prescott, Sitgreaves, Kaibab, Dixie, Fishlake, and Manti-La Sal.

National parks are shown in vermilion, and include, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches.

National monuments are shown in orange and include, Wupatki, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle, Canyon De Chelly, Navajo, Grand Canyon Parashant, Vermilion Cliffs, Grand Staircase Escalante, Pipe Springs, Rainbow Bridge, Cedar Breaks, Natural Bridges, Hovenweep, Canyon of the Ancients, and Colorado.

National Recreation Areas are shown in yellow and include, Lake Mead, and Glen Canyon.

 

How Do I Travel to the North Rim of the Park?

Essential Information: CLOSED for WINTER until May 15, 2020.

The North Rim of the park is more remote, and harder to get to. It has a short season.
Lodging, restaurants and shops are usually open from May 15th through October 15 each year.

The North Rim receives only 10% of the park's visitation.

How to Get There: The North Rim is located on the "Utah" side of Grand Canyon and the entrance station is 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67. (The actual rim of the Grand Canyon with visitor services is an additional 14 miles south of the entrance station.) There is no airport or rail service to the park. (that means that the North Rim village may only be reached by road). More...

North Rim Visitor Center: 36°11'51"N 112°03'09"W

Learn more about the North Rim Hours of operation and how to make reservations for lodging and camping.

 

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Click anywhere in the photo above for information about our publications.

 

Duration:

8 minutes, 39 seconds

In "More Than A View," Park Ranger Stephanie Sutton invites us to go beyond the rim and explore all that Grand Canyon National Park has to offer; diverse life zones, landforms, and cultural history.

 

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"Traveling Green"

is a great way to help Grand Canyon and other areas you visit reduce carbon emissions, divert and reduce what goes into the waste stream, and to generally help the environment. Go to the Traveling Green page for helpful tips on planning your next green adventure.

Thanks for doing what you can to help protect our environment!

 

On the South Rim, the Village Route (Blue Route) bus provides transportation between the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, hotels, restaurants, and campgrounds. Canyon views are a short walk from some of the bus stops

Quick links to information about:

Lodging	Maps
Campgrounds	Food
Visitor Centers	Permits
Sunrise/ Sunset	Things To Do
Ranger Programs	Shuttle Buses
Guided Tours
Park Newspapers	River Trips
Backcountry Hiking	Mule Trips

 

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