Grand Canyon vacationers traveling for the Labor Day holiday will need to adapt to changes made necessary by the impact of deadly flash flooding earlier in the week.
Both the South Rim and North Rim at Grand Canyon National Park remain open. Day use visitors, particularly those who visit to see the canyon overlooks on the rim like Mather Point and Hopi Point will likely notice only minimal disruptions to their visits, such as reduced water availability in restrooms.
But people who planned to stay overnight in a lodge or hike through the inner canyon must be aware of changes that will impact their plans.
The main reason for the changes is "extensive damage" to infrastructure including the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use
in the park. Staff estimates miles of the water line being destroyed and that the park has about two weeks of water storage in its reserves, according to Brian Drapeaux, Grand Canyon National Park deputy superintendent.
Here's what holiday weekend travelers need to know.
Lodging and Trailer Village are closed
Stage 4 water restrictions that took effect at noon on Aug. 31 forced Grand Canyon travelers with overnight stays inside the park to scramble to stay elsewhere.
The hotels and lodges operated by park concessionaire Xanterra Travel Collection are closed through at least Sept. 6. Xanterra operates the El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge and Cabins, Maswik Lodge, Kachina Lodge and Phantom Ranch inside the park.
Affected guests were contacted with options to rebook at nearby hotels or get refunds, Xanterra said. But its staff acknowledged not everyone with reservations could be accommodated by its two hotels in the nearby resort town of Tusayan.
"While our team has made every effort to rebook guests with existing reservations who are affected by this issue, refunds have been issued to those guests who could not be accommodated," said Andy Stiles, general manager of Xanterra's Grand Canyon properties.
Of Xanterra's two Tusayan hotels, the Grand Hotel was sold out on most dates through Sept. 6, while the Grand Canyon Hotel and Suites advertised availability from Sept. 1-6 starting at $350 per night as of 10 a.m. Sept. 1.
Delaware North, which operates Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village RV Park inside the park, stated it rebooked Yavapai Lodge guests with stays through Sept. 2 at its Tusayan hotel, The Squire at Grand Canyon, A Holiday Inn Resort. Staff stated they would contact guests staying Sept. 3 and beyond with options based on availability.
The Squire was sold out on Sept. 1, but available rooms were advertised from Sept. 2-6 between $318 and $386 per night as of 10 a.m. Sept. 1.
In-park dining and shopping remain open
Despite the limited water resources, restaurants and shops in the park — including those in hotels and lodges — remain open. For instance, the El Tovar Dining Room is still taking reservations for meals even though the hotel is not hosting overnight guests.
"Dining and retail are operating on the park's existing water storage reserves, along with active conservation measures to make those reserves last as long as possible," Stiles said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. "We're doing everything we can to preserve the water resources available while balancing a memorable guest experience."
Phantom Ranch is closed indefinitely
Parts of the inner Canyon are closed because of the flooding, including the North Kaibab Trail, the Silver and Black Bridges, and the only lodging at the Canyon bottom.
Phantom Ranch's lodge and canteen operations are closed "until further notice," according to Xanterra.
Lodging at Phantom Ranch is in such high demand that people must enter a lottery 14 months ahead of when they want to stay. But the lodge has experienced multiple disruptions in recent months due to water line issues and smoke from the Dragon Bravo Fire.
The hiker dormitories at Phantom Ranch, closed for six years, were due to reopen Sept. 1 before the flash flooding changed those plans.
Dry camping, fire restrictions for campers
Only dry camping will be allowed for South Rim campers while the water restrictions are in effect. Grand Canyon staff will turn off water spigots at campgrounds on the South Rim, though bathroom faucets will remain operational.
Water spigot access will remain available at the check-in kiosk at the Mather Campground, according to park staff.
Fires are currently not allowed on the South Rim or inner canyon, according to park staff.
Colorado River is open after 'unprecedented' closure
Grand Canyon rafting trips along the Colorado River have resumed after the river was briefly closed.
There was a "massive debris field" in the river following the flash flooding, which forced the closure of the river, incident commander Dave Black said during an Aug. 31 news conference.
The debris was cleared up during a reconaissance mission and the river reopened by noon on Aug. 30. Black described the decision to close the river as "fairly unprecedented."
About 380 people were rafting on the river between Lee's Ferry and the area affected by the flooding around the time it was closed, Black said. Rafters pulled over to safe areas at the time of the closure.
Travelers should follow park service alerts
Grand Canyon vacationers who plan to visit for the day should notice only a few small differences, said Stiles, the Xanterra general manager.
Besides water use limits and overnight lodging closures, "the experience travelers expect from a South Rim visit such as dining, shopping, scenic overlooks are very much intact," he said.
Stiles encourages travelers to check current alerts on Grand Canyon National Park's website and the websites for Xanterra's lodging (grandcanyonlodges.com) and Delaware North's lodging (visitgrandcanyon.com) for the latest information. For example, it maintains a page that highlights which amenities and services are open and closed at the South Rim and North Rim.
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What flood damage at the Grand Canyon means for Labor Day travelers
