The national park closes all hotels due to water main failure

While many people’s first experience with the Grand Canyon begins as a day trip from Las Vegas, those who want to explore the national park in more depth tend to book an overnight stay at a campground or one of several south or north hotels. Rhyme.

But before Labor Day weekend, and one of the most popular times for such overnight visits, the main pipeline that supplies water to the Grand Canyon suffered a series of breaks. With no water coming in, the National Park Service (NPS) has called for the cancellation of all hotels offering overnight stays in the park on August 29, in a shutdown that could now last through the weekend.

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“Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim beginning Thursday afternoon, August 29, due to a series of four significant breaks in the 12½-mile Transcanyon Water Line, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park,” the NPS wrote in a statement. “Since July 8, the park has been experiencing water supply challenges and currently no water is being pumped to either the south or north side.”

With hotels closed, this is where Grand Canyon visitors can go

The closure affects facilities such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch, as well as camping lots such as Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Any hotels in the nearby town of Tusayan are unaffected by the pipeline break and are operating on normal schedules, although they may see an influx of visitors who have already come to the area and now need a place to stay.

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There is also some land used for “dry camping” without running water that will continue to allow visitors to stay overnight; everyone else coming will need to leave at the end of the day and be prepared to not have running water in most restrooms or visitor areas.

“Faucet access to south rim campsites will be shut off, although bathroom faucets will remain operational,” the NPS writes. “Water faucet access will be available at the Mather Campground check-in kiosk.”

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“Separate all water or methods required to treat water”

The NPS also said desperate water conservation measures are needed because of the poor condition of the 12-and-a-half-mile pipeline, originally built in the 1960s, to deliver water to the South Canyon and the rising temperatures it has the park seeing in recent years.

The park has routinely seen heat over 110°F over the past two months, leading to several catastrophic situations for visitors who underestimated how hot it can get. In July, a 50-year-old hiker from Texas was found dead from overheating on one of the trails.

“We ask residents and visitors to help conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, selective flushing of toilets, full load laundry, and reporting spills to the appropriate offices” , NPS. write. “Backcountry hikers must have all water or methods of water treatment.”

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