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Grand Canyon South Rim hotels to reopen on Sept. 5: NPS

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Updated  September 4, 2024 6:59am MST
Grand Canyon
FOX 10 Phoenix

Grand Canyon South Rim hotels to reopen

Officials with Grand Canyon National Park announced that hotels in that area will start to reopen on Sept. 5. It will happen at the same time as the park transitions to a lower level of water restrictions.

The Brief

    • Grand Canyon National Park will start reopening hotels on the South Rim on Sept. 5.
    • The hotels were closed due to a water supply problem.
    • A project is underway to rehabilitate a decades-old water pipeline in the area.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - There is now a reopening date for hotels on the Grand Canyon's South Rim.

In a statement released on Sept. 3, officials with Grand Canyon National Park announced that hotels in that area will start to reopen on Sept. 5. It will happen at the same time as the park transitions to a lower level of water restrictions.

"This includes facilities operated by Xanterra, such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch, as well as Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Reservations are now open, and visitors can book stays at these locations," read a portion of the statement.

Hotel closures prompted by water pipeline failure

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Caleb Worpel)

(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Caleb Worpel)

Per the statement, overnight hotel accommodations were suspended on Aug. 29 as a result of a water supply issue.

"Since July 8, the 12½ mile-long Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park, has had four significant breaks. Until highly complex repairs to the waterline were complete last week, no water was being pumped to either the South or North Rim, and the park’s water storage was quickly falling to unsustainable levels," read a portion of the statement.

Park officials said the Transcanyon Waterline, which was originally built in the 1960s, has exceeded its expected lifespan, and experiences frequent failures.

"Since 2010, there have been over 85 major breaks that have each disrupted water delivery," officials wrote.

Park officials say the National Park Service has recently started a $208 million rehabilitation project on the Transcanyon Waterline, which includes upgrades to the associated water delivery system. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.