Urgent Update: Grand Canyon South Rim Lodges Halt Overnight Stays Due to Waterโค Lineโ Breaks
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ – Overnight accommodations at theโ Grand Canyon’s South Rim are temporarily unavailable, โbeginning Saturday, due to multiple breaks โin the park’s primary water pipeline. The closure impacts the historic โEl Tovar Hotel, Luminous Angel Lodge, and Maswik Lodge, as wellโ asโ campground water โservices.
Parkโ officials are prioritizingโค water conservation for the approximately 2,500โค year-round residents of Grand canyon Village and park staff, โnecessitating the suspension of overnight lodging.Residents are being asked to limit water usage through shorter showers, infrequent toilet flushing, and turning off taps while performing hygiene tasks.
This marks only the second time in the park’s history that overnight stays have been suspended due to water shortages. โA similar situation occurred in August 2024, forcing a shutdown during a peakโ visitation period.
The 12.5-mileโ (20-kilometer) Transcanyon Waterline, โbuilt in the 1960s, is the primaryโข water source for theโข South Rim. It โคhas been a long-standing maintenance concern,with a portionโ of park entrance fees allocated to cover repair costs.โ
Repairs are currently underway, with welding โฃworkโค progressingโค despite recent snowfall.โข Park spokesperson โJoรซlle Baird stated in an email,”Assuming the โplannedโ repairs proceed smoothly,we expect โto restore water service and gradually reopen overnight lodging as soon as nextโฃ week.” โThe repair schedule includes flushing and recharging the system in the coming โฃdays.
Day visitors are โstill welcomeโ at the Grand Canyon, and lodging options remain available outside the park boundaries. despite beingโ a slower season, over 41,000 people utilized overnight lodging within the park last December. In 2024, the Grand Canyon welcomed nearly 5 million visitors, with roughlyโค 90% visiting the South Rim.
A extensive $208 million rehabilitationโข of the Transcanyon Waterline โฃand associated delivery system began in โ2023 andโ is expected to be completed in 2027. The national Park Service has identified this project as a crucial investment to ensure a reliable water supplyโค for the park’s residents and visitors.
(Copyright 2025 โThe Associated Press. All rights reserved. This materialโ may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
