Grand Canyon’s North Rim Opens May 15 For 2012 Summer Season

With the opening of Highway 67 on Tuesday, May 15, the

North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open for the 2012 summer

season; and Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, a Forever Resorts property, and

Grand Canyon Trail Rides will commence their summer operations.

Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim operations include lodging, groceries, camper

services, food services and a gas station. All concessioner facilities will

open at 10 a.m. with the exception of the dining room, which will open at

11:30 a.m. for lunch. Lodge check-in will begin at 4 p.m.

All services are provided by the National Park Service, including the Visitor Center, backcountry permitting office, and campground, as well as the Grand Canyon

Association bookstore (available on May 15 at 8 a.m.).

The first scheduled ranger program, Grand Canyon Geology, will be on the

back porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge at 3 p.m. followed by a program about

the California condor at 4:30 p.m.

The first evening program will be held on May 15, at 8 p.m. in the Lodge auditorium. All ranger programs will be listed in “The Guide” (North Rim: 2012 Season), a free publication distributed at the North Entrance Station, the North Rim Visitor Center,

other contact stations in the park and online at http://www.nps.gov/grca once it is available.

The North Rim, which lies at the southern end of the Kaibab Plateau at

approximately 8,500 feet in elevation, is only open during the summer and

offers spectacular canyon views. Points of interest include Point

Imperial, Cape Royal, Point Sublime, North Kaibab Trail, and Bright Angel

Point. The South Rim, which sits at approximately 7,200 feet in elevation,

is open year round.

Advance overnight lodging reservations for North Rim facilities may be made

by contacting Forever Resorts at (877) 386-4383 or by visiting http://www.grandcanyonforever.com. (For advance reservations

from outside of the United States, please call (480) 998-1981.) Advance

reservations for the North Rim Campground may be made by calling (877)

444-6777 or online at http://www.recreation.gov. For information on Grand

Canyon Trail Rides please call (435) 679-8665 or visit http://www.canyonrides.com.