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The main park visitor center (South Rim) is located just east of Grand Canyon Village, approximately six miles north of the south entrance station.
Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily (longer hours during peak season). Available facilities include restrooms, pay phones, bookstore, and shuttle bus stops. The canyon rim is only a short stroll away.
Desert View Information Center - located at the park's east entrance on the South Rim. Open daily year round, current hours are 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Here is a web page of Grand Canyon maps from the government site.
Grand Canyon National Park provides a FREE Shuttle Bus System on three routes on the South Rim: the Village Route, the Hermit Rest Route, and the Kaibab Trail Route. No tickets are required. Simply board the brown and tan or white buses at any bus stop marked with a bus symbol on the map. The shuttles provide transportation; they are not tour buses. You must get off the bus to see the canyon. Click here to download transit map.
Buses on the Village Route (blue) operate on the following schedule:
About every 30 minutes from one hour before sunrise to 6:30 am
About every 10-15 minutes between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm (Oct and Nov)
Buses serve blue stops on the map, including (but not limited to) Yavapai Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Canyon View Information Plaza, and Yavapai Observation Station, but do not serve Mather Point.
Late or early hikers may use the Grand Canyon National Park Lodges taxi service at: 928-638-2631.
Click here for weather forecast at Mather Campground.
The South Rim is 7,000 feet above sea level, which means snow in winter and cool nights even in summer. Inner canyon hiking (below the rim) is another story, however: summer temperatures along the Colorado River at the canyon bottom can reach 120° F. The North Rim is 8,000 feet above sea level and can receive snow throughout most of the year.
Weather is particularly changeable in spring and fall; visitors should be prepared for a variety of climates.
There are an average of 400 search and rescue incidents in the Grand Canyon backcountry every year; the majority involve people on their first hike in the canyon. Remember, there are no easy trails into or out of the Grand Canyon. When planning your trip, remember that the most enjoyable and safest seasons for hiking are spring and fall. It is desirable to schedule at least two nights in the canyon. This allows a rest and recovery day before the hike out and reduces the distance to be covered each day. You should consider elevation gain and loss, not just mileage, when researching possible itineraries.
Permits are valid only for the trip leader, itinerary, number of people, and dates specified on the permit. Permits for all overnight backcountry use must be obtained through the Backcountry Information Center at Grand Canyon National Park.
Groceries and supplies are available on the South Rim at Babbitt's General Store (both in Grand Canyon Village and at Desert View). There is a small camper store on the North Rim, adjacent to the North Rim Campground.
The South Rim Walk-In Clinic is open all year. Mon - Fri, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm. Phone: 928-638-2551. North Rim emergency medical services are provided by rangers on duty.
Emergency medical services are provided by rangers and clinic staff. A dentist serves the South Rim by appointment only. Call: 928-638-2395.
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