Grand Canyon National Park Hours & Opening / Closing Date

Visiting the Grand Canyon National Park is always an incredible experience, but can be made faster and easier if you are familiar with the hours of operation for the facilities, and the seasons best to arrive. You can plan your trip so you won’t miss one bit of this fabulous park.

Most visitors to Grand Canyon National Park come to the South Rim, but you can’t ignore the North Rim for some unbelievable scenery and adventure. Although the South Rim is more accessible, you can get to the North Rim in the summer without much difficulty. You’ll find less crowds if you want a little privacy. Naturally there is the Inner Canyon, as well, which is seen by hikers, those who ride mules down the paths or those who run the river at the bottom.

The best time to come to Grand Canyon National Park is in the summer, with the mild and pleasant temperatures. Highs are usually in the 80s on the South Rim and a little cooler on the North Rim due to the higher elevation. Be prepared for summer thunderstorms, however. Some of the storms can be quite violent at times. Falls are pleasant but highs are usually between 50 to 60 degrees. The weather is drier with less rain, but storms can still occur. Springs are usually breezy with cooler days, and of course, winters are extreme in this part of the country. You will need to be prepared for snow and icy roads.

Operating Hours

The South Rim
The South Rim is open all year, 24 hours a day. Visitor services are available throughout this time. A few facilities close in the winter months. When you come in the summer months, be sure to make reservations. Everything fills up fast. You can use the park’s shuttle service to get around this area. This makes it convenient as you can just park your car and view the sights easily.

The North Rim
The North Rim is open from mid-May to mid-October each year. It is 10 miles across the canyon as the crow flies, but is a 220-mile drive by car from the South Rim. You can also hike across on the North and South Kaibab Trails. This is a 21-mile hike so you would need to come ready for this adventure. It usually is an overnight trip.

When the North Rim entrance is closed in winter, the only access is by foot, skis or snowshoes. In order to use any of the park’s group campsites, you must get a permit through the park’s Backcountry Information Center.

Roads

Highway 67 taking you to the North Rim is open to public travel through mid-November. After that, Highway 67 will usually close for the season. It will close on short notice if there is a major storm or heavy snowfall. The road will open again around mid-May when the North Rim opens for visitors.

Park Fees

• Entrance fee – $25 for each private vehicle
• Entrance fee – $12 for individual entering by foot, bicycle or motorcycle – also individuals in a non-commercial group.
• Grand Canyon National Park Annual Pass – $50
• National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – $80
• (Camping fees are additional)

Visitor Centers and Sights:

On the South Rim:

• South Rim Visitor Center – Located ¼ mile from Mather Point at Canyon View Information Plaza. Hours in summer are from 8 am to 6 pm.
• Verkamp's Visitor Center – Located a short walk from the El Tovar Hotel. Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm.
• Yavapai Observation Station – Located one mile east of Market Plaza. Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Has several ranger programs beginning here.
• Kolb Studio – Located in the Village Historic District at Bright Angel trailhead. Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Has free art exhibits and a bookstore.
• Desert View Information Center – Located at Desert View Point close to the east entrance. Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Tusayan Museum – Located 3 miles west of Desert View. Free admission. Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. See the Tusayan Ruin and Museum to see life of the Pueblo Indians through the displays of shells, pottery and arrowheads.

On the North Rim:

• The North Rim Visitor Center – Located next to the parking lot on the Bright Angel Peninsula. Open from mid-May through mid-October, 8 am to 6 pm.

Campgrounds:

South Rim Campgrounds

• Mather Campground – Located in Grand Canyon Village and within walking distance of the general store and post office. No hookups and max-allowed trailer or RV is 30 feet. Laundry and showers close by for a fee. Reservations are necessary from March 1st to mid-November. Open all year. Fees are $18 per site per night. Group sites are $50 per night for a maximum of 50 people and 3 vehicles per group site. In winter, from mid-November to February 28, you don’t have to make reservations, as it is on a first-come, first-served basis. At this time fees are $15 a night for individual campsites and $30 for group campsites.
• Desert View Campground – Located 26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village and is open from May to mid-October. There are no hookups and max-allowed trailer or RV is 30 feet. Only a few sites can accommodate the larger RVs or travel trailers. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a seven-day camping limit. Fees are $12 for each site per night. Nearest showers are at Mather Campground.
• (There is also a U.S. Forest Service campground located outside the park, as well as “dispersed camping” allowed. Commercial campsites are also available.)

North Rim Campgrounds

• North Rim Campground – Located on the North Rim, this campground is open from mid-May to mid-October. There are no hookups, but there is a dump station in the campground. Laundry and showers are at the entrance. You need to make reservations for North Rim Campground and fees are from $18 to $25. After mid-October, there are limited services and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Tuweep Campground – Located on the northwest rim of the Grand Canyon in the remote Arizona Strip. Services are minimal and there are eleven primitive, first-come, first-served sites available near the rim. <
• (There is also U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, commercial campgrounds and dispersed camping allowed outside the park.)

Backcountry Camping

For backcountry camping you will need a permit. These can be obtained at Pipe Springs National Monument or you can obtain them from the Backcountry Information Center.

This information was obtained from the National Park Service website and we try to provide the most up to date information about the hours and seasons within Grand Canyon National Park, but please note that the above mentioned dates and hours can change without notice.