max
New member
I'm re-posting this here after deleting it from the New England sub-forum.
The news that came down from Grand Canyon NP in a bulletin I received a few days ago was that they expected ranger services to be curtailed somewhat. This would mostly affect the staffing of the multi-entrance booth stations at the South Rim access point. This would result in longer lines while waiting to get in. There are a few ways to avoid these longish lines. 1. Try not to enter the park at the peak time periods. Arrive early, before 9 AM. 2. Avoid the summer crowds if possible, July and August are insanely busy, and it's not a good time for deep canyon hiking, with temps regularly exceeding 100 degrees at the river. 3. If you hold a Senior Pass or other NP entrance pass, use the left-most lane at the entrance station. Even if you're not re-entering (as the sign says) you can still use it and it's almost always shorter and quicker than the other lines. Shuttle bus schedules inside the park were not supposed to be changed.
As an aside note for anyone planning a Grand Canyon area visit, be aware of the road closure of Rt. 89 north of Cameron AZ and south of Page AZ. The road is open as far as the junction of 89 and 89-A where it splits to allow access to the North Rim. Just north of this junction is where Rt. 89 suffered a huge landslide, totally closing the road and requiring a 45 mile detour. The slide happened several weeks ago and was severe enough that the road will be closed for quite a while for repairs. This is mainly a heads-up for those wishing to get to Page AZ from the canyon area and thence into southern Utah and Zion NP from here. Article and photo of the road damage here:
http://www.azfamily.com/home/US-89-south-of-Page-will-remain-closed-indefinitely-192335051.html
Picture of the road damage:
The news that came down from Grand Canyon NP in a bulletin I received a few days ago was that they expected ranger services to be curtailed somewhat. This would mostly affect the staffing of the multi-entrance booth stations at the South Rim access point. This would result in longer lines while waiting to get in. There are a few ways to avoid these longish lines. 1. Try not to enter the park at the peak time periods. Arrive early, before 9 AM. 2. Avoid the summer crowds if possible, July and August are insanely busy, and it's not a good time for deep canyon hiking, with temps regularly exceeding 100 degrees at the river. 3. If you hold a Senior Pass or other NP entrance pass, use the left-most lane at the entrance station. Even if you're not re-entering (as the sign says) you can still use it and it's almost always shorter and quicker than the other lines. Shuttle bus schedules inside the park were not supposed to be changed.
As an aside note for anyone planning a Grand Canyon area visit, be aware of the road closure of Rt. 89 north of Cameron AZ and south of Page AZ. The road is open as far as the junction of 89 and 89-A where it splits to allow access to the North Rim. Just north of this junction is where Rt. 89 suffered a huge landslide, totally closing the road and requiring a 45 mile detour. The slide happened several weeks ago and was severe enough that the road will be closed for quite a while for repairs. This is mainly a heads-up for those wishing to get to Page AZ from the canyon area and thence into southern Utah and Zion NP from here. Article and photo of the road damage here:
http://www.azfamily.com/home/US-89-south-of-Page-will-remain-closed-indefinitely-192335051.html
Picture of the road damage:
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