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.
From Phoenix to South Rim - 3 ½ hours
From Las Vegas to South Rim – 4 ½ hours
From Salt Lake City to South Rim – 8 ½ hours
From Albuquerque to South Rim – 7 hours
From Los Angeles to South Rim – 8 hours
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.scenic.com Phone: (800) 634-6801 or (702) 638-3300.
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
Groome Transportation provides service to Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, Sedona and Williams. Fares and schedules can be found at GroomeTransportation.com/grand-canyon/ Phone: 928-350-8466
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.
Grand Canyon National Park Entrance Fees:
$35.00 - Grand Canyon National Park - 7 Day Private Vehicle Pass
This is for one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers. Organized groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit.
$30.00 - Grand Canyon National Park - 7 Day Motorcycle Pass
$20.00/person - Grand Canyon National Park - 7 Day 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.
$70 - 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
$20 - America the Beautiful - Annual 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 ($35.00) and individual permits ($20.00) but some stations sell more or all of the passes.
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:
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
Kaibab Rim Route – Orange route
Village Route – Blue route
Tusayan Route – Purple route
Additional Information on Shuttles:
Permits are required for the following activities:
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.
You will want to learn more about the geology in the Grand Canyon as you prepare for your Backcountry experience.
