| GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Starting Saturday, May 28, the National Park Service (NPS) will offer shuttle bus service between the Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Center and the gateway community of Tusayan, Arizona. The Tusayan Route will run at 20-minute intervals between 8 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. daily through September 9, 2022.
Summer can be very busy at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. During busy periods, visitors can expect up to two-hour wait times at the South Entrance Station between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and parking lots can reach capacity as early as 12 p.m. Riding the shuttle from Tusayan can help visitors avoid entrance station lines and parking frustrations and reduce vehicle congestion in the park.
Visitors must have a valid park pass, including lifetime or annual passes, to board the shuttle in Tusayan. Visitors can purchase standard entrance passes for vehicles, individuals and motorcycles at the IMAX, Canyon Plaza Resort, Red Feather Lodge, and Westwind Air Service at the Grand Canyon Airport. Visitors can also purchase these passes from automated machines at The Grand Hotel and the IMAX as well as online through https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74282.
Visitors can park anywhere in Tusayan, including near stops at the Best Western Premier Inn, Grand Hotel, Big E Steakhouse, IMAX, and the park-and-ride lot on the north end of town near the roundabout. Unless visitors have a campground reservation in the park, those with RVs and those pulling a trailer should park their vehicles in Tusayan at one of the “park and ride” lots and take the shuttle.
The first bus into the park leaves Tusayan at 8 a.m. from the IMAX Theater. The first bus from the park to Tusayan departs the Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 8:25 a.m. The last buses leave IMAX at 9:45 p.m. and Grand Canyon Visitor Center at 9:30 p.m. each night.
After making four stops in Tusayan, the shuttle bus heads to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, where visitors can access trails, scenic viewpoints, and the free in-park shuttle bus system. Shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible, fueled with clean-burning compressed natural gas, and have bike racks that can hold up to three bicycles.
“We are pleased to provide this service to park visitors and local residents again in 2022” says Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable. “Riding the shuttles helps protect resources, reduces crowding on park roadways, and reduces our carbon footprint. The Tusayan Route has not operated since the start of the pandemic in 2020, so we hope visitors and residents will use and enjoy it this year.”
Due to the COVID pandemic, various public health measures may be in place, including capacity limits and face mask requirements. For current measures, please visit the park website here.
Additional shuttle bus information is available online at www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm.
For real-time traffic updates, check out the South Entrance Station webcam at https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm. |
