There’s no getting around it: The South Rim is crowded during the summer, and parking is at a premium. You’ll find it a relief to leave your car and rely on the shuttle, which stops near all major parking areas.

When the park’s transportation needs were reevaluated in 1995, light rail was the chosen solution. Since then, funding for the project has dwindled, along with parking spaces—and the light rail, once slated for completion in 2004, is still a dream. That’s why there’s no parking lot at Canyon View Information Plaza (CVIP), which was intended to be a light-rail station, as well as most visitors’ first stop on entering the park.

Instead, as you approach Mather Point and the CVIP, you’ll see cars lining the road in either direction—a rather discouraging welcome to a national park, bringing to mind Edward Abbey’s dire warnings about industrial tourism.

Signs or lines indicate where roadside parking is permissible, if you aren’t lucky enough to score a space in the lot at Mather Point. You can park at Mather Point for an hour—barely enough time to sample all the things the CVIP has to offer—or return later via the shuttle.

Several parking lots are located in the village. First you’ll come to Lot A, near Shrine of the Ages and Park Headquarters; this lot is your best bet for finding an open spot. Lot B is in Market Plaza, where the bank and general store are located. Lot C is a small lot near the intersection of Center and Village Loop Roads. Lot D is unpaved and lies along the railroad tracks in the middle of the Historic District. Lot E is a large paved lot near the Backcountry Information Center. It’s the only lot with spaces big enough to park an RV (if you’re not camping).

Note that Village Loop Road is mostly one-way and runs counterclockwise, which means turning right is the correct choice when you reach the stop sign at the start of the loop. Traffic can be beastly during the high season, with driveways hidden by parked cars, “deer jams” bringing vehicles to a standstill, pedestrians wandering everywhere, and tempers as heated as an Arizona afternoon. Again, the best solution is to liberate yourself from your car.

For El Tovar guests, there’s a small lot east of the hotel, but even if you circle like one of the canyon’s turkey vultures, you may not find a parking place here. If you’re driving an RV or pulling a trailer, don’t even try. Thankfully, El Tovar has a baggage-handling service. The other lodges also have parking areas, short-term unloading zones, and bell services.