Grand Canyon begins reopening with limited access

The Grand Canyon National Park will reopen some areas to visitors beginning this weekend.

The national park’s limited, temporary reopening will include some parts of the South Rim viewpoints, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Thursday. Visitors will be allowed to enter picnic areas, restrooms and some viewpoints from 6-10 a.m. Friday through Monday, May 18.

Visitors will be allowed to stay in the park throughout the day once inside but they will be encouraged to leave after sunset and will not be allowed to camp either at closed campgrounds or in their cars in parking areas, the NPS said.

Some area will remain closed, including the South Rim’s east entrance and Desert View area as well as the Rim Trail, the Greenway Trail system, the inner canyon and all hiking trails.

Commercial services inside the park will still be closed, and the NPS called on visitors to “plan to be self-sufficient,” including bringing enough food, water and hand sanitizer to last the entire trip. The park recommended against arriving any later than 9:30 a.m. in case of traffic backups and noted that while visitors can stay through the day, no overnight accommodations are available.

“This initial reopening phase will increase access to our public lands in a responsible way by offering the main feature of the park for the public, the view of the canyon, while reducing the potential exposure of COVID-19 to our nearly 2,500 residents,” Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable said in a statement.

Yellowstone National Park, meanwhile, is set to begin reopening Monday, with visitors limited to traveling in the park’s lower loop.

“The park’s goal is to open safely and conservatively, ensure we take the right actions to reduce risks to our employees and visitors, and help local economies begin to recover,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a Wednesday statement.