Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
531
undeveloped and is on the outskirts of town. If you plan to take an Amtrak train to Wil-
liams, a shuttle from the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel will pick you up where the
Amtrak train drops you off.
BY BUS Bus service between Phoenix, Flagstaff, Williams, and Grand Canyon Village
is provided by Open Road Tours ( & 800/766-7117 or 602/997-6474; www.openroad
tours.com). Between Phoenix and Flagstaff, adult fares are $42 one-way and $76 round-
trip ($30 and $52 for children); between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon (by way of
Williams), fares are $27 one-way and $54 round-trip ($19 and $38 for children).
Visitor Information
You can get advance information on the Grand Canyon by contacting Grand Canyon
National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 ( & 928/638-7888; www.nps.
gov/grca).
When you arrive at the park, stop by the Canyon View Visitor Center, at Canyon
View Information Plaza, 6 miles from the south entrance. Here you'll find exhibits, an
information desk, and a shop selling maps, books, and videos. The center is open daily
8am to 5pm (9am-5pm in winter). Unfortunately, the information plaza, which is well
designed for handling large crowds, has no adjacent parking, so you'll have to park where
you can and then walk or take a free shuttle bus. The nearest places to park are at Mather
Point, Market Plaza, park headquarters, and Yavapai Observation Station. If you're
parked anywhere in Grand Canyon Village, you'll want to catch the Village Route bus.
If you park at Yaki Point, you can take the Kaibab Trail Route bus. The Guide, a small
newspaper full of useful information about the park, is available at both South Rim park
entrances. Although smaller, the Verkamp's Visitor Center, near El Tovar hotel, is a
much more convenient place to get park information. This visitor center is open daily
from 8am to 5pm.
16
Orientation
Grand Canyon Village is built on the South Rim of the canyon and divided roughly into
two sections. At the east end of the village are the Canyon View Information Plaza,
Yavapai Lodge, Trailer Village, and Mather Campground. At the west end are El Tovar
Hotel and Bright Angel, Kachina, Thunderbird, and Maswik lodges, as well as several
restaurants, the train depot, and the trail head for the Bright Angel Trail.
Fees
The entry fee for Grand Canyon National Park is $25 per car (or $12 per person if you
happen to be coming in on foot or by bicycle). Your admission ticket is good for 7 days
(don't lose it, or you'll have to pay again).
Getting Around
As mentioned earlier, the Grand Canyon Village area can be extremely congested, espe-
cially in summer. If possible, you may want to use one of the transportation options
below to avoid the park's traffic jams and parking problems. To give you an idea, in sum-
mer you can expect at least a 20- to 30-minute wait at the South Rim entrance gate just
to get into the park. You can cut the waiting time here by acquiring an America the
Beautiful-National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, before arriving. These
passes are available as an Annual Pass ($80), a lifetime Senior Pass (available to U.S. citi-
zens and permanent residents 62 or older for $10), and a lifetime Access Pass (available
free to U.S. citizens and permanent residents with permanent disabilities). With pass in
hand, you can use the express lane.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search