Places To Go

All visitors MUST have an entrance pass
Learn about entrance fee costs and annual passes

 
Jump to: -- Desert View ---- North Rim --- Remote Tuweep
 

South Rim - Open All Year

Grand Canyon Village is the center of activity and the transportation hub for the South Rim of the park. The village is the only place where the railroad reaches the rim of Grand Canyon.

 
Grand Canyon village parking map shows parking lots 1-4 and A-D
Grand Canyon Village Zones. (right) Visitor Center and Mather Point.  (middle) Market Plaza, store, bank, post office, campgrounds.  (left) Historic District: railroad depot, historic lodges, shops.  Parking lots are shown in red.  Lots that have space for RVs or cars pulling trailers are shown with a green arrow.
 

South Rim - Grand Canyon Village has 3 "Zones" or Districts

  • The Visitor Center / Mather Point, where most visitors park and get their first look at Grand Canyon. Four large parking areas are located here as well as the transit center for the park's free shuttle buses.Visitors can park their vehicles at the Visitor Center, then tour the park on the shuttles.
  • Market Plaza - the business center where the general store, bank and US Post Office are located. This zone is adjacent to Mather Campground (no hook-ups), and Trailer Village RV Campground (has hook-ups). It is located about halfway between the Visitor Center and the Historic District, approximately 1 mile in either direction.
  • The Historic District, is where the Grand Canyon Village started, around 120 years ago. The railroad depot is located here, as well as the historic lodges and Xanterra's livery operation.

Three South Rim shuttle bus routes are in operation this spring.
Shuttles can transport you around the village and out to scenic overlooks. There is no additional charge to ride the shuttles; the service is included with your park entrance fee. More

 
 

 
looking down into a canyon with reddish stratified cliffs and a river a mile below.
View from Desert View Point

NPS Photo/Kristen M. Caldon

South Rim - Desert View

Desert View is a small settlement on the South Rim located 23 miles/ 37 km east of Grand Canyon Village, near the eastern edge of Grand Canyon. Arizona State Route 64, Also known as Desert View Drive, is a scenic road that connects Desert View with Grand Canyon Village.

  • Desert View Campground - CLOSED: Season Over
    Open from, April 12, through October 12, 2025 (No hook-ups).

    Desert View Campground requires advanced reservations. You may book reservations up to 6 months in advance online at recreation.gov, or by phone (877-444-6777). Same Day Reservations may also be made online or by phone. More.
 

 
about a dozen people sitting on the flagstone veranda of a lodge and looking out at a series of connected peaks within a vast canyon landscape
The well known view from Grand Canyon Lodge's Veranda

North Rim 2024 Season Has Ended

  • A worthwhile trip for those who enjoy the road less traveled, the North Rim, or "other side" of the Grand Canyon is visited by only 10% of all Grand Canyon visitors. There is one lodge, Grand Canyon Lodge (managed by Aramark Destinations) and one campground on the North Rim operated by the National Park Service.

    During winter months, the North Rim is closed by snow.

 

The hike across the canyon from South Rim to North Rim is 21 miles (34 km). However, traveling from the South Rim to the North Rim by automobile requires a five-hour drive of 220 miles (354 km). Driving directions to the North Rim.


 
Looking down from a 3000 foot tall cliff to a river at the bottom of the gorge
Toroweap overlook is 3,000 feet (914 m) above the Colorado River.

Remote Tuweep

Tuweep is also located on the north side of Grand Canyon. The view from Toroweap Overlook, 3,000 vertical feet (914 meters) above the Colorado River, is a breathtaking sheer drop.

This remote and primitive area, known as both Tuweep and Toroweap, is on the northwest rim of the Grand Canyon on the Arizona Strip. A visit to this area can be challenging, but rewarding.

Since the National Park Service manages the area for its primitive values, improvements and services are minimal.

Day permits or backcountry permits are now required.

and a park pass - with a photo ID.

Learn more about remote Tuweep >

 

Last updated: October 18, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 129
Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Phone:

928-638-7779

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