Repair delays North Rim lodge opening
Damage to water pipe curtails lodging at Grand Canyon facility until late May
Visitors planning to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon shortly after it reopens May 15 may need to change their plans — or bring plenty of bottled water.
A rock slide caused by a winter storm took out 300 feet of an aging pipe, the North Rim’s sole source of fresh water, according to Grand Canyon National Park officials. It will take 45 days to repair the damage and the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim won’t open to overnight guests until May 26. The lodge will offer limited food and beverage service starting May 15.
The South Rim and Phantom Ranch are not affected.
The North Rim campground will remain open with potable water and working toilets, but the showers and laundry facilities are closed. Guests and staff are being asked to conserve water, which will be trucked in until the pipe is repaired. Officials from Forever Resorts, which operates the lodge, are working with guests displaced by the delay in opening the hotel.
The North Rim draws its water from Roaring Spring via a single pipeline. The damage occurred along a steep cliff, requiring a helicopter and climbing equipment to reach.
“Water is the source of life and the break in the North Rim water pipeline creates a serious situation for operations on the north side of the canyon,” Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Chris Lehnertz said. “We want to ensure that everyone on the North Rim will have available drinking water and that water is available for public safety and structural fire requirements.”
The North Rim closes on Oct. 15 each year, before winter temperatures typically freeze pipes buried just a foot or two. Rangers and staff members return in March to prep for the annual reopening on May 15.
Utility crew members discovered the damage March 14, noting it was the most severe damage to the North Rim pipeline in 20 years. A crew must stabilize the slope before repairing the pipe, which is more than 50 years old.
A portion of the North Kaibab Trail is closed from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily while crews are working. Hikers aren’t allowed past Redwall Bridge, which is 21⁄2 miles above Manzanita Rest Area and a mile below the Supai Tunnel.
The rock slide damaged 800 feet of trail and eight retaining walls. Officials said the trail should be fully open by the end of April.
For the latest trail information, visit www.nps.gov/grca or call the recorded information line at 928-638-7688.