Water-line breaks halt overnight stays at Grand Canyon’s South Rim

Plans to stay and soak in the wintry wonderland at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim? You will have to wait.

Visitors won’t be able to stay overnight in the national park’s oldest hotel or its lodges starting Saturday because of multiple breaks in the park’s only water line. With no water being pumped to the South Rim, park officials say the limited resources need to be conserved.

This marks only the second time the park has had to halt overnight stays because of water supply issues, although the pipeline has experienced frequent failures over the years as it has long exceeded its expected life span. In August 2024, park officials took unprecedented action and imposed water restrictions that forced the sudden shutdown of overnight hotel stays during one of the busiest times of the year.

Under the current restrictions, visitors can’t stay at places that include El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge and Maswik Lodge, and water is unavailable at campgrounds. For park staff and the 2,500 year-round residents of Grand Canyon Village, it means short showers, less toilet flushing and turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth.

How long will the wait be? Park officials hope not long.

“If all planned work proceeds without additional issues, we anticipate being able to restore water service and begin reopening overnight lodging as early as next week,” park spokesperson Joëlle Baird said in an email.

Despite fresh snowfall Wednesday, welding repairs were underway, and the repair schedule called for flushing and recharging the system over the coming days.

In the meantime, day visitors are still welcome, and there is lodging available outside the park.

While winter is a slower season, more than 41,000 people used overnight lodging in the park last December. In all, the Grand Canyon saw nearly 5 million visitors in 2024, with about 90% of them going to the South Rim.

The 12.5 mile-long (20 kilometer-long) Transcanyon Waterline is the primary water source for park residents, staff and tourists. Originally built in the 1960s, it has been a maintenance priority for years, and a portion of park entrance fees is set aside to help with costs.

A $208 million rehabilitation of the pipeline and upgrades to the associated water delivery system started in 2023, with the National Park Service calling it a crucial investment to ensure the park can meet the needs of residents and visitors. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.