Water crisis forcing another closure of Grand Canyon hotels

All hotels along the South Rim inside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona are closing due to severe water restrictions.

The closures will start Saturday, and there is no timeline when they will re-open, park officials said in a Tuesday statement.

The popular park remains open to visitors.

Officials said there have been “a series of significant breaks in the 12½ mile-long Transcanyon Waterline that supplies water from the canyon for use in the park. Since mid-November, the park has faced challenges with water supply, and currently, no water is being pumped to the South Rim.”

Officials said the following measures are being enacted:

Overnight guest lodging

Effective Saturday, all park concessions will halt overnight accommodations. This includes hotel facilities operated by Xanterra, such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, and Maswik Lodge, as well as Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Overnight hotel accommodations located outside the park in the town of Tusayan will not be impacted by changes in park operations.

Dry camping

Only dry camping will be permitted. Spigot access at Mather Campground on the South Rim will be turned off, though faucets in bathrooms will remain operational. Water spigot access will be available nearby at the Camper Services Dump Station. No fires will be allowed on the South Rim and inner canyon areas. Fire restrictions prohibit all outdoor wood burning and charcoal fires, including campfires, warming fires, and charcoal barbeques.

Operational services

The park will remain open for day use. All South Rim food and beverage services, the Grand Canyon Clinic, and the Post Office will remain open.

Transcanyon Waterline

Built in the 1960s, the Transcanyon Waterline provides potable water for facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon. Officials said the waterline has exceeded its expected lifespan and experiences frequent failures, which require expensive and continuous maintenance work to repair leaks. The National Park Service started construction in 2023 on a multi-year, $208 million rehabilitation of the Transcanyon Waterline and upgrades to the associated water delivery system. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.

2024 closures

Last year, after multiple pipeline breaks, officials imposed water restrictions and canceled overnight stays at busy Grand Canyon hotels, upending some summer vacations over Labor Day weekend.

Stays at El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge and other hotels at the South Rim were halted for roughly a week, the Associated Press reported.