The National Park Service has announced that Grand Canyon National Park will temporarily stop overnight hotel accommodations on the South Rim beginning Saturday, Dec. 6, after a series of significant breaks in the Transcanyon Waterline left the rim without pumped potable water.
Park officials said no water is currently being pumped to the South Rim. As a result, all park-operated overnight lodging will pause for the foreseeable future. Affected facilities include Xanterra-operated properties El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge and Maswik Lodge, as well as Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. Hotels outside the park in the nearby town of Tusayan will not be affected by the park’s restrictions.
Day-use operations will continue, and many South Rim services will remain open. The park said food and beverage outlets, the Grand Canyon Clinic and the Post Office will stay operational. However, only dry camping is permitted: spigot access at Mather Campground will be turned off (bathroom faucets will remain functional), and a water spigot will be available nearby at the Camper Services Dump Station. All outdoor wood and charcoal fires — including campfires, warming fires and charcoal barbecues — are prohibited on the South Rim and inner canyon.
Officials urged residents and visitors to conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, flushing toilets selectively, running full laundry loads and reporting any leaks. Backcountry hikers were reminded they must carry their own water or have reliable means to treat water; the park directs visitors to its Critical Backcountry Updates webpage for the latest information on water availability.
The Transcanyon Waterline, which was built in the 1960s and runs about 12.5 miles from the Colorado River, has exceeded its intended lifespan and is prone to failures, the park said. A multi-year rehabilitation of the line and related systems began in 2023 with a $208 million budget; the project aims to ensure water delivery for the park’s roughly 5 million annual visitors and about 2,500 year-round residents and is expected to be completed in 2027.
Park officials said the measures are necessary to protect public health and preserve limited water resources while repairs and mitigation continue. For the latest updates, visit the Grand Canyon National Park Operations Update webpage.
