Grand Canyon South Rim
The Grand Canyon National Park has a South gate, located on Hwy.180 /Hwy.64, coming from Flagstaff or Williams, and an East gate on Hwy. 64 through Cameron and Hwy.89.
Entrance fee to the park is $ 25/vehicle; $15/person for pedestrian and bicyclist. The fee is valid for seven consecutive days on both rims. The Grand Canyon Park Pass for one year is $45. A National Parks Pass, allowing entrance in all USA’s National Park Service areas costs $55/year. The Golden Eagle Passport available at the park entrances and valid for all federal recreation areas and national parks, costs $70.00/ year. The Golden Access Passport, free for American citizens and residents with disabilities, is available at the Visitor Center. The Golden Age Passport, available at park’s entrances for citizens or residents 62 years of age or older, is $15.00 one time fee.
Directions: To Grand Canyon, by car, from the west: from I-40 exit at Williams, take 64 N to South Gate (60 miles).
From the south: exit I-17 at Flagstaff, take Hwy.180 N, at Hwy.64 turn right and drive North to the Park (80 miles).
From the east: exit I-40, take a right on Hwy.89 N, and make a left on Hwy.64 W to the East Gate of the park. Or, from Hwy. 160, coming from Kayenta and Tuba City, make a left on Hwy.89 (S), then a right (W) on Hwy.64 to the East Gate (90 miles).
By Air: There are daily flights from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix to Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan, just 8 miles south of the Grand Canyon Village.
Between May and November there is a South Rim to North Rim daily shuttle bus, taking five hours for one way trip (for info call Trans Canyon Shuttle; 928-638-2820).
Cars for rent are available at airports in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Flagstaff (AZ), and Grand Canyon (Tusayan).
Shuttle bus service is also available, hourly, between Grand Canyon Village and Tusayan (8 miles south of park), and the airport in Tusayan ( for rates and schedules: call 928-638-0821).
By Train: Amtrak stations in Williams and Flagstaff. From Flagstaff to Grand Canyon, the connection is made by the bus service Nava – Hopi Tours. From Williams, the historic Grand Canyon Railway has daily runs to Grad Canyon Village (call 800-THE-TRAIN for details).
To roam around Grand Canyon, the park uses a free shuttle bus system powered by natural gas, year round. The buses operate on their routes about every 15 minutes, transporting visitors from Canyon View Information Plaza to hotels, restaurants, points of view and Mather Campground. Hermit Road, Yaki Point, and Kaibab trailhead are accessible only by shuttle bus, taxi, tour bus, or by foot. The shuttle buses are not wheelchair accessible, but those with disabilities can obtain a permit to drive cars on Hermit Road.
The Weather: The Grand Canyon Village and the surrounding area is an arid, high elevation desert with temperature extremes. Weather changes quickly at any time of the year. If the summers are hot and dry and prone to thunderstorms, the winters bring freezing temperatures and snowstorms. The elevation difference between the rim and the bottom of the canyon reverberates, during summer, in temperatures of 70-80F on the rim, soaring to over 110F (over 43C) in the shade, in canyon and at the bottom of it. The early spring and late autumn have mild temperatures, very pleasant for hiking and camping.
THE NEWSPAPER of The Grand Canyon National Park is “THE GUIDE”. Free copies are available at park entrances and visitor centers. The newspaper is edited and published by The National Park Service and Grand Canyon Association, containing info about the park, ranger-led activities, shuttle bus schedules, facilities in park, news about flora and fauna, lodging/dining facilities, campgrounds/RV parks, special programs, science info, hiking tips and other services.
To obtain a free copy of the paper and one of the ANNUAL TRIP PLANNER, call 928-638-7888.
