Grand Canyon’s North Rim closed for winter season

GRAND CANYON –The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is now closed to vehicle traffic for the season. Arizona state Route 67, leading to the North Rim closed on Monday. State Route 67 and all services on the North Rim are expected to re-open for the 2014 season on May 15, 2014.

The North Rim campground and yurt will still be available for winter camping, and are accessible via inner canyon trails from the South Rim or by cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, which is a 45 mile trip from Jacob Lake.

To camp at the North Rim during the winter months, visitors will need a backcountry permit, which can be obtained from the Backcountry Information Center located at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Permit requests can be faxed year-round to 928-638-2125. Backcountry permits for North Rim winter camping are also available at Pipe Springs National Monument west of Fredonia, Ariz., and at the Bureau of Land Management Interagency Visitor Center in St. George, Utah.

“Although winter on the North Rim can provide a great wilderness experience, visitors are advised to plan ahead and prepare for winter conditions and weather that can change rapidly,” North Rim District Ranger Jeff Webb said. “Trails that normally are well traveled in summer, have almost no traffic during the winter. Backcountry travelers to the North Rim in winter must be self-reliant and understand that they are undertaking a difficult trip where cell phone coverage may or may not be available and where emergency response may be limited or delayed.”

For additional information on winter camping on the North Rim, please call the Backcountry Information Center at 928-638-7875, between the hours of 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., weekdays, excluding holidays or visit the Park’s backcountry web page.

The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is open year-round. Additional Park information can be obtained by calling 928-638-7888 or by visiting the park website.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Grand-Canyon-Press-Release

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.