Need To Know – South Rim

Location & Directions | Fee Stations: Open & Close | Parking & Shuttle Services | Backcountry Permits

Grand Canyon South Rim is located in the Northwest corner of Arizona and can be accessed by Car, Plane and Railway. The town located right at the South Entrance to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is Tusayan, Arizona. The town at the East Entrance  to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is Cameron, Arizona.

Location & Directions:

From Phoenix to South Rim – 3 ½ hours

• Take I-17 North to Flagstaff, AZ
• At Flagstaff, take I-40 West to Williams, Arizona
• At Williams, turn right onto AZ-64/US-180 North
• Straight into Tusayan and entrance to Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim

From Las Vegas to South Rim – 4 ½ hours

• Take US-95 S/US-93 South toward Kingman, AZ
• At Kingman,  merge on to I-40 East to Williams, Arizona
• At Williams, take AZ-64 North/US-180 North
• Straight into Tusayan and entrance to Grand Canyon National Park –South Rim

From Salt Lake City to South Rim – 8 ½ hours

• Take I-15 South
• Take US-89 South toward Kanab, then Page and Cameron
• At Cameron, turn right on US-64 West to the East Entrance
• Enter Grand Canyon National Park at East Entrance

From Albuquerque to South Rim – 7 hours

• Take I-40 West to Williams, Arizona
• Take US-64 North to Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim

 

From Los Angeles to South Rim – 8 hours

• Take I-15 North to Barstow, CA
• In Barstow, CA Take I-40 East to Williams, Arizona
• Turn left on US-64 North to Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim

South Rim Coordinates:

Grand Canyon Visitor Center:
Latitude, Longitude: 36° 03’32”N 112° 06’33”W
UTM Zone 12, NAD 83: 400093 East, 3991074 North

Desert View Watchtower:
Latitude, Longitude: 36° 2’38”N 111° 49’33”W
UTM Zone 12, NAD 83: 425584 East, 3989159 North

From Phoenix – 1 hour flight / tours from 3 – 11 hours
Westwind Air Service departs from Deer Valley Airport in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and offers a variety of tours of the Grand Canyon Airport. The tours range from easy sightseeing to more extensive hiking or rafting. If you are interested in just transportation “flight only” without a tour portion, you can charter their aircraft but charters can be expensive. For more information: www.westwindairservice.com Phone: (888) 869-0866 or (480) 991-5557

From Las Vegas – 1 hour 10 minute flight / tours from 8 hours
Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines departs from Boulder City Airport in the Boulder City, NV, 30 minutes from downtown Las Vegas. Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines is the only airline to offer flights to Grand Canyon Airport without having to charter an entire aircraft. Grand Canyon Airlines also offers a variety tours to the Canyon as well. For more information: www.grandcanyonairlines.com Phone: (800) 634-6801 or (702) 638-3300.

Maverick Airlines departs from Henderson Executive Airport, 30 minutes from Las Vegas. Maverick Airlines offers tours to the South Rim but does not offer flights-only, except by chartering the aircraft. For more information: www.maverickairlines.com Phone: 800-962-3869 or 702-405-4300

From Page, AZ – 30 minutes flight / 30 minute tour
Westwind Air Service provides a sightseeing tour only from Page but you can charter an aircraft. Contact:  www.westwindairservice.com Phone: (888) 869-0866 or (928) 645-2494

From Monument Valley, UT – 1 hour flight / 2 hour tour
Westwind Air Service provides sightseeing tours only from Monument Valley, UT but you can charter an aircraft. Contact:  www.westwindairservice.com Phone: (888) 869-0866 or (480) 991-5557

Grand Canyon Railway departs from Williams AZ and takes you right into the Grand Canyon National Park – Railway Depot. There are many different schedules and train services available to explore at www.thetrain.com Phone: 800-843-8724 or 303-843-8724 / 928-635-4253

Greyhound has motorcoach services to Flagstaff (approximately 1 ½ hours / 75 miles from Grand Canyon South Rim). See www.greyhound.com Phone: 800-231-2222

Arizona Shuttle provides service to Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, Sedona and Williams. Fares and schedules can be found at www.arizonashuttle.com Phone: 800-888-2749

Shuttles traveling from the North Rim to the South Rim and back are provided by the Trans-Canyon Shuttle. This is a great way to hike from one rim to the other and take a shuttle to retrieve your car. See www.trans-canyonshuttle.com Phone: 877-638-2820

The National Park also has a shuttle from Tusayan into the park. See Parking & Shuttle Services

Open/Close & Seasons

The South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year including holidays. The entrance station is open 24 hours but the Park’s Visitor Center and other facilities are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the peak months of May-September and off-peak of October-April from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fee Stations

The Park Entrance Pass is good for 7 days and there is no refund for inclement or bad weather. Park passes can be purchased at the National Park Entrance or at authorized pre-pay stations.

Entrance Fees:

$30.00 – Grand Canyon National Park Vehicle Permit 
This is for one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers. Organized groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit.

$25.00 – Grand Canyon National Park Motorcycle Permit

$15.00/person – Grand Canyon National Park Individual Permit 
This is for one individual entering by foot, bicycle, park shuttle bus, Grand Canyon Railway and private rafting trip.
Individuals 15 years old and younger are admitted free of charge.

$60 – Grand Canyon National Park Annual Pass – Valid for twelve months from the date of purchase, for unlimited visits to Grand Canyon National Park.

$80 – America the Beautiful – 2016 Annual Pass – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

$10 – America the Beautiful – Senior Pass – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

Free – Annual “Every Kid in a Park” 4th Grade Pass 

Free – 2016 Annual Pass for Military –  For active duty military personnel and dependents with proper identification (CAC Card or DD Form 1173)

Free – America the Beautiful – Access Pass – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass
This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities

The National Park Service offers the following Entrance Fee Free Days in 2018:

Official Pre-Pay Stations:

Park passes can be purchased prior to arrival at the South Rim and it is a great way to bypass the long lines at the Entrance Gate. There is fast track entry lane that allows vehicles with pre-paid passes to jump the line and avoid the traffic at the gate. The following stations offer the vehicle ($30.00) and individual permits ($15.00) but some stations sell more or all of the passes.

• Valle, AZ – Chevron Travel Stop
• Tusayan, AZ – Grand Canyon IMAX

• IN TUSAYAN, AZ
• Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn
• Grand Canyon Trading Post
• R.P.’s Stage Stop
• Red Feather Lodge
• Canyon Plaza Resort
• National Geographic Visitor Center(IMAX)

There are various parking areas provided at the South Rim and it is highly recommended to park and take the free shuttles for sightseeing. If you chose to drive the rim instead of park & shuttle, beware of several drawbacks – there is very limited parking at the viewpoints so it becomes difficult to even see the outlooks and parking along the roadside is not permitted or heavily restricted. If you park at the official lots and take the shuttles, you spend most of the time sightseeing and a lot less time trying to find parking at each overlook.

Please see this VIDEO on “How To See Grand Canyon South Rim in 4 Hours or Less”

Parking Lots at the South Rim:

• Parking at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center – 4 Lots  See Map
• Lot 1 is the closest to the canyon and has pull-through spaces for RVs and vehicles with trailers.
• Lot 2 is closer to the Visitor Center
• Lot 3 often acts as the overflow lot is a short walk to the Visitor Center
• Lot 4 is close to the Bicycle Rental -Café, Bookstore and Visitor Center

 

• Parking at Grand Canyon Village Historic District and Market Plaza – 4 Lots See Map
• Lot A is near Park Headquarters (administration offices) and it is a large lot that often has available spots.
• Lot B is near the Market Plaza business section and is the largest lot but does fill up fast.
• Lot C is a smaller lot near the intersection of the Center and Village Loop roads and often has spots when others do not.
• Lot D is near the Backcountry Information Center and has many lots that large, pull-through spaces for RVs and vehicles with trailers.

 Shuttle Services at the South Rim:

There are 4 FREE shuttle routes around the South Rim. The shuttle routes connect but do not overlap.

Hermit’s Rest Route – Red route

• 80 minutes roundtrip
• Stops at 9 viewpoints
• Toilets at Hopi Point
• Water, snack bar, toilets, and gift shop at Hermits Rest
• Buses run every:
  – 30 minutes 4–6:45 am
  – 15 minutes 6:45 am to sunset
  – 30 minutes sunset to an hour after sunset
  – For the last bus, be at a bus stop no later than 30 minutes after sunset.

Kaibab Rim Route – Orange route

• 50 minutes roundtrip
• Stops at several viewpoints, Grand Canyon Visitor Center, and Yavapai Geology Museum.
• Access to South Kaibab Trailhead
• Buses run every:
  – 30 minutes 4–6:30 am
  – 15 minutes 6 am to one hour after sunset
  – For the last bus, be at a bus stop no later than 30 minutes after sunset.

Village Route – Blue route

• 50 minutes roundtrip
• Stops at Grand Canyon Visitor Center, hotels, restaurants, and campgrounds
• Grand Canyon views are a short walk from some shuttle bus stops
• Buses run every:
  – 30 minutes 4–6:15 am
  – 15 minutes 6:15 am–7 pm
  – 30 minutes 7–11 pm
  – For the last bus, be at a bus stop no later than 10:30 pm

Tusayan Route – Purple route

• Operates May 7th to October 9th
• 40 minutes roundtrip
• Stops at IMAX, Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn, The Grand Hotel, Big E Steakhouse & Saloon, and Grand Canyon Visitor Center
• Buses run every 20 minutes:
  – First bus leaves IMAX at 8 am
  – Last bus leaves at 9:45 pm
  – First bus leaves Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 8:25 am
  – Last bus leaves at 9:30 pm.

Additional Information on Shuttles:

• • Additional Information on shuttles:
  • No tickets are required, and bus stops are clearly marked throughout the park by signs.
  • Buses are white with a green stripe.
  • The buses display the route name on the front.
  • Pets are not permitted on buses.
  • Service may be suspended during inclement/bad weather.

• Each shuttle bus is equipped with a 2 or 3-capacity bicycle rack on the front. Bicyclists are required to load and unload their own bikes, and are responsible for bike security.
• Shuttle buses are equipped with ramps and space to carry passengers in wheelchairs. Please note: wheelchairs larger than 30 inches wide by 48 inches long (76 by 122 cm) cannot be accommodated on shuttle buses.Most motorized scooters will not fit on the buses.

Permits are required for the following activities:

• Backcountry hiking, camping and horseback riding
• Non-commercial Colorado River trips
• Special use – weddings, First Amendment activities, scattering of cremation ashes
• Filming & Photography
• Scientific Research
• Commercial Use for Tour Operators

Further information and permit requirements, please visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm or call: (928) 638-7875 between 1 pm and 5 pm Monday through Friday, except on Federal Holidays.