Tuweep visitor use area (Michael Quinn/NPS Photo)
GRAND CANYON — Grand Canyon National Park will implement a new pilot advance day-use ticket reservation system for the Tuweep Visitor Use Area, July 21, 2022. Park staff are managing for significant and steadily increasing visitation at Tuweep since 1995, along with limited park staffing in the area, ongoing vehicle safety, and natural and cultural resource concerns.
There will be two types of reservations available. One ticket will be for private vehicles and the other will be for authorized Tuweep tour Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) permit holders. The day-use reservation system will apply to the Tuweep area of Grand Canyon National Park, including all park areas within Toroweap Valley and on the Kanab Plateau. It excludes the North and South rim developed areas and overlooks.
Reservations to enter the Tuweep area will go on sale through Recreation.govat 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, July 5. The day-use vehicle tickets will cost $2. Visitors must also possess a valid park entrance pass. Two CUA and six private vehicle ticket reservations will be available to reserve up to 120 days prior to a visit. Reservations for the remaining 12 private vehicle day-use tickets to enter the Tuweep area will be available to purchase two days prior and up to the day of a scheduled visit.
Visitors with a backcountry permit for overnight camping in the Tuweep area do not need to make a day-use reservation for their permit date(s). The pilot reservation system does not change existing policy for tribal communities’ ability to use their traditional homelands within park boundaries.
This pilot program will include monitoring and review of visitation patterns to make further adjustments, with the potential to raise the proposed day-use vehicle limit, implement a timed entry system, or other actions. This system will be adaptable to changes in visitation trends and commercial transportation patterns and used to enhance the overall visitor experience and improve public information resources.
The Grand Canyon National Park 1995 General Management Plan (GMP)was developed based on National Park Service (NPS) management policies and extensive public participation and input to preserve the character of Tuweep as an uncrowded, rustic, and remote experience that is dominated by nature and solitude. The GMP set a carrying capacity of 30 vehicles or 85 visitors in the Tuweep area. The NPS selected roadside signs and other information sources to achieve this limit, and if unsuccessful, the GMP outlines that a reservation system may be required.
The intent of the pilot day-use reservation system is to facilitate the management of the carrying capacity set for the Tuweep area. Housing the reservation system on Recreation.gov will enable visitors to easily secure reservations online and plan a safe visit to this remote location by reading the Tuweep preparation material.
Grand Canyon National Park conducted civic engagement between March 24 and April 6, 2022, to seek comments on implementing a three-year pilot advance day-use reservation system to manage day-use visitation to the Tuweep Visitor Use Area. Summarized responses from the civic engagement comments are available Tuweep Comment Response
Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.