Annular Eclipse October 14

This coming Saturday, October 14, you may be able to catch a glimpse of the annular solar eclipse somewhere between 8 and 11 in the morning, with peak visibility at 9:30.

This will be a very rare type of eclipse referred to as a “ring of fire” eclipse, in which the moon aligns directly with the sun so that only the outer edges of the sun are visible, creating the appearance of a ring of fire in the sky. It won’t be a total eclipse in Grand Canyon, but pretty close – about 86 percent.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT SUN-VIEWING GLASSES. PERMANENT EYE-DAMAGE WOULD RESULT.

You can stop by the South Rim Visitor Center Saturday morning and grab some free Sun-viewing glasses to see it. Solar telescopes modified to protect your eyes from the sun will also be set up at Mather Point.

NEW Behind the Scenery podcast

The Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps is an Indigenous nonprofit that completes conservation projects throughout the Southwest. Interpretation staff from the North Rim sat down with Crew 663 from Zuni, New Mexico, to talk about the work they have done, their connections to the Grand Canyon, and to learn about their culture and heritage and what motivates them in their work and their daily lives.

This episode is available to download and listen on nps.gov as well as Apple podcasts.

As of September 30, Arizona Department Health Services stopped reporting weekly COVID cases in the state. During the week of October 11, there were 4 new COVID-19 cases reported in the park.

As a reminder, all COVID safety protocols outlined in the DOI and NPS COVID Workplan Guidance are still required. Be sure to promptly report any illness, to include COVID-19 symptoms, COVID exposure, or a positive COVID test to your supervisor and NPS Public Health Consultant, Ronan King, at 202-891-8599.

This Week’s Cultural Demonstrators at North Rim

There will be two cultural demonstrators at the Grand Canyon Lodge Auditorium on the North Rim from Tomorrow, October 12 through Sunday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jayne and Lynn Quam are Zuni Fetish carvers who have been honing their craft for over 30 years.  They use multiple types of stones and blend modern techniques with traditional styles to create unique designs.

In partnership with the Grand Canyon Conservancy, the Town of Tusayan is hosting evening astronomy events from Oct. 12-20. On Monday, Oct. 16, Grand Canyon Astronomer in Residence, Dr. Cameron Hummels will give a special evening program followed by a laser-guided sky tour.

For more information on these special events, please see the attached flyer here.

Fundraising efforts begin Oct. 16 for 8th grade class field trip

Fundraising for the 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. is almost underway! Tamale sale preordering is from Oct. 16-26 with pickup on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The vision of this field trip is to provide 8th grade students at Grand Canyon School an opportunity to capstone their civics curriculum by engaging with locations that exhibit how people past and present change the world through the processes in American Democracy.

For more information, please see the attached flyer here.

Health and Wellness Fair slated for Oct. 19

On October 19 from 4-6 p.m., North Country Healthcare is hosting a Health and Wellness Fall Festival at the Grand Canyon Rec Center.

Fun activity stations, balloon artists, face painting, affordable health insurance assistance, behavioral health, free dental screenings and much more! For more information, check out this flyer here.

Haunted House Oct. 19-20 at Grand Canyon Rec Center

Join the fun and thrills at the annual Grand Canyon Rec Center Haunted House from October 19-20. The adult haunted house begins at 7:30 p.m. each evening and the slightly less terrifying Kid’s Haunt begins at 6 p.m.

Other events and trips planned for the month of October at the Rec Center can be found here.

North Rim transitions to day use operations on October 16

Fall is here, and that means the North Rim will be suspending visitor services in the near future – but not all at once.

Starting Monday, October 16, the North Rim will transition into day-use only. That means the campgrounds, the North Rim Lodge, and the General Store will be closed.

The North Rim Backcountry Information Center will remain open until October 31, and the gas pumps will remain operational until Highway 67 closes on November 30 or following the first major snowfall. For more operational updates, please reference the park’s webpage here.

Clinic and Center Road paving; trenching continues along Havasupai Street

On Monday, October 16, the intersection of Center and Clinic Road will be paved from 7-11 a.m. as part of the ongoing APS Substation Project. During this time there will be traffic control flaggers to direct single-lane traffic. If traveling to or from work or school, please anticipate temporary delays at this intersection.

Trenching work along Havasupai Street is now expected to finish in late October. Other electrical installations for the new APS substation are expected to conclude in late November. This trenching work is necessary for the substation project that will improve the reliability and efficiency of electrical power to South Rim residents and businesses.

Heavy lift helicopters in park October 16-20

From Monday, October 16-Friday, October 20, heavy-lift helicopters will be delivering construction equipment and supplies for the Transcanyon Waterline project to Havasupai Gardens, Phantom Ranch, and various locations along the Bright Angel Trail. Flights are scheduled for these dates but may be modified based on weather conditions.

Hikers may experience intermittent trail delays, especially in the areas of Pipe Creek and Phantom Ranch.

South Rim

Xanterra

• Maswik Lodge Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Maswik Pizza Pub, 4-10 p.m.
• Canyon Coffee House at the Bright Angel Fountain, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
• Bright Angel Fountain grab and go, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Fred Harvey Burger, Breakfast 6-10:30 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., Dinner 4-9 p.m.
• Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Arizona Steakhouse within Bright Angel Lodge-dinner 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. daily, lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
• El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge-Breakfast, 6:30-10 a.m., Lunch, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dinner, 4:30-9:30 p.m., Lounge, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Patio (limited menu), 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
• The Grand Canyon Kennel, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
• Grand Canyon Rec Center, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Delaware North

• Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-9 p.m., Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 6:30 a.m. -3 p.m., The Yavapai Dining Hall, breakfast, 7-10 a.m., dinner, 5-8 p.m.
• Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Deli 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
• Camper Services laundry and shower: 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Mather Camp Store: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Other

• Grand Canyon Clinic: Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Bright Angel Bikes, Rental: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Café 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Visitor Center (GCVC): 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Thursday-Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). Beginning October 22, GCVC will be open 7 days a week from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Conservancy stores: Visitor Center Plaza 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, Kolb Studio, Verkamps and Yavapai Geology Museum 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
• The Grand Canyon Community Library: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Food Pantry: Monday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Wednesday 6-8 p.m., Saturday 2-4 p.m.
• Canyon Closet: Monday and Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. (new location is inside the Community Library)
• Canyon Community Yoga at Grand Canyon Rec Center: Mondays-6-7 p.m., Wednesdays-6:30-7:30 p.m. (full schedule available here, locals use discount code: GCLOCALS when registering)

Desert View

• Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
• Desert View Watchtower, 8 a.m.- 7p.m. daily (beginning September 10, will transition to 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily)
• The Desert View Deli, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Desert View Convenience Store (adjacent to gas station), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
• Beginning Monday, October 16, the Desert View campground will close for the season. The campground is slated to reopen April 15, 2024.

North Rim

• North Rim Visitor Center (GCC), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
• NPS Backcountry Information Center, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 1-5 p.m. daily
• General Store, 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
• Service/Outfitter Station, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily, gas pumps 24 hours
• Shower/Laundry, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily
• North Rim Lodge Café, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily
• North Rim Lodge Dining Room
• Breakfast – 6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m., Lunch – 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Dinner – 4:45 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.
• North Rim Lodge Saloon
• Coffeehouse – 5:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., bar – 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
• Grand Canyon Lodge Gift Shop (Aramark), 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily

*Please note: all above concessions operations with the exception of the pay at the pump gas station will be closing after Saturday, October 15.

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

• Photo collage of North Rim fall foliage (Photos courtesy of Lauren Cisneros, Doug Crispin, and Elyssa Shalla)
• An annular solar eclipse seen through a solar telescope (Photo courtesy JAXA/NASA)
• A colorful necklace made of stones and beads (Photo courtesy Carol Hatathlie)
• Three intricate stone carvings of animals (Photo courtesy Jayne and Lynn Quam)
• The North Rim entrance sign (NPS Photo/R. Tellis)
• A Chinook helicopter carrying a heavy load (NPS Photo/D. Brenchley)