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Grand Canyon lodge closures ruin travel plans made months in advance

By and
Updated  August 29, 2024 9:15pm MST
Grand Canyon
FOX 10 Phoenix

Grand Canyon trips disrupted by lodge closures

Visitors who had trips planned for months in advance to the Grand Canyon are having to change plans after a waterline break caused a closure of the lodges on the South Rim. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean has the story.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. - Some visitors planning to stay overnight on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are now forced to find somewhere else to stay, as water restrictions shut down overnight accommodations at the National Park lodges starting Aug. 29.

Grand Canyon National Park saw 4.7 million visitors last year and with Labor Day weekend almost here, the park is sure to be busy.

Many people are sharing their frustrations online with the cancelations affecting not only holiday weekends but family trips planned way in advance.

Many lodgings along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are closed after a leak was detected on the Transcanyon Waterline. (Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon NPS)

RELATED: Breaks in main water pipeline for Grand Canyon prompt shutdown of overnight hotel stays

Grand Canyon closures impacting plans made months ago

Heidi Zahner-Younts, a mom from Iowa, has been planning a trip to the Grand Canyon with her daughter, who lives in Tucson, for months.

"It is a little bit hard to believe, the way that it's played out, that it's the exact dates that we're planning to fly there and be there, but we're trying to make the best of things," Zahner-Younts said. 

Those plans hit a big snag this week with news that the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim lodges were temporarily closing to overnight guests due to water line breaks.

"I had heard about the water restrictions, but I didn't really know the seriousness of it. I remember just thinking 'gosh, I hope they take care of that before we get there,' because our hotel was right on the South Rim with a view of the canyon," said Zahner-Younts.

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(Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon NPS)

Heidi says her family was able to book another hotel nearby, but now she's stressing out about variables she didn't have to worry about before.

"I'm just thinking through, like okay, what do I have to do this weekend to be ready? When I fly in, we're gonna have to figure out plenty of water because no water, does that mean no bathrooms?" she said. "There's a lot of unknowns."

The National Park release says faucets in bathrooms will remain operational, but only dry camping will be allowed.

Heidi said she's thankful for recommendations from people online, and is trying to put things in perspective.

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Grand Canyon closures in place through at least Sept. 4

"People are doing their best and this is an inconvenience for me and my daughter and it's really frustrating. At the same time, there are people who it's affecting so much deeper, like all the businesses, the people that live in the canyon, I mean, for them, it's a big, huge deal," she said. 

Right now, Grand Canyon National Park officials say the closures will last through Sept. 4 while emergency repairs are made to the Transcanyon Waterline.