Gas Stations and Garages

It’s a good idea to keep your gas tank at least half full, even if you intend to stick to the park’s developed roads and sites. If you plan on backcountry driving, fill up before you start out, and top off the tank whenever you get a chance. (There won’t be many opportunities; gas stations are few and far between in the region.)

Inside the park, you’ll find only two gas stations. The North Rim’s gas station (7 a.m.–7 p.m. daily mid-May–mid-Oct.) is on the road leading to the campground and store. You can also get minor repairs done here. On the South Rim, the only gas station is at Desert View, 25 miles from Grand Canyon Village. Desert View Chevron (9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily) has pumps with 24-hour credit-card service. There’s no gas station in Grand Canyon Village, although you’ll find limited garage services at the Public Garage (8 a.m.–noon, 1–5 p.m., 926/638-2631) just east of the train depot. The nearest gas station is in Tusayan, about two miles south of the park entrance.

There’s a 24-hour emergency towing service (928/638-2631) at the South Rim. The nearest garage services from the North Rim are in Fredonia, Arizona, or Kanab, Utah.

Road Conditions

Check road conditions before you drive to the canyon, especially if you are traveling during the winter. Conditions can change quickly at high altitude and vary dramatically, even within a relatively short distance. For example, on a June trip to the North Rim, you can be driving through desert temperatures in House Rock Valley, only to climb the Kaibab Plateau and find it snowing in Jacob Lake, 30 miles up the road. Late-summer thunderstorms are also highly localized, and flash-flood conditions can arise miles away from a storm cell.

Road conditions for your route and destination: Arizona Department of Transportation (dial 511 or 888/411-7623, www.az511.gov), Grand Canyon National Park (928/638-7888), Nevada Department of Transportation (702/486-3116, www.nevadadot.com), Utah Department of Transportation (801/964-6000, www.sr.ex.state.ut.us).

Current weather forecasts and bulletins for the Grand Canyon Region: Grand Canyon National Park (www.nps.gov/grca), National Weather Service (www.wrh.noaa.gov), Arizona 211 (www.az211.gov), North Rim Visitor Center (928/638-9875), Canyon View Information Plaza Visitor Center (928/638-7644), Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center (928/643-7298), Tusayan Ranger Station (928/638-2443), Williams Ranger Station (928/635-5600).

Backcountry Driving

If you plan to visit the canyon’s more remote overlooks, such as Point Sublime or Toroweap, fill your gas tank, pack plenty of water, double-check your spare, and inquire about road conditions before setting out. It’s also a good idea to let someone know your itinerary. You’ll need a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle to negotiate the rough road to Point Sublime. For Toroweap, you’ll need high-clearance for the last seven miles and the campground.

Good maps are essential for backcountry travel. Many forest roads are suitable for passenger vehicles, but surfaces vary. If you are driving on forest roads on the Kaibab Plateau, keep in mind that road conditions usually downgrade as you approach the canyon rim. A wide gravel road, suitable for passenger cars, might end up as a two-track with rocks, ruts, and a high center, so narrow that it’s difficult to turn around. Forest Service maps indicate surface types and help you make sense of what can be a confusing maze of fire roads.

On forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roads, muddy conditions can last into late spring, especially on the North Rim’s Kaibab Plateau. Think twice before continuing down a soggy two-track. Even a four-wheel-drive vehicle can get hopelessly mired. Besides, “mudding” damages roads, creating ruts that harden and persist until the next rain, and causing erosion along roadsides when vehicles skirt wet spots by driving around them. Muddy conditions also occur after summer thunderstorms. Be wary of stream crossings in lower areas, such as on the Marble Platform. Flash flooding can turn a dry wash into a dangerous stream.

© Kathleen Bryant from Moon Grand Canyon, 4th Edition