COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — Hotels located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will reopen this week after a major break to the park's waterline disrupted services.
Park officials have announced that overnight accommodations will resume on Sept. 5 after the hotels were temporarily closed last week. Reservations are now open and visitors can begin booking stays at facilities like the Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Los hoteles del Gran Cañón reabrirán esta semana
The park will be operating under Stage 3 water restrictions until storage tanks have reached adequate capacity.
Park officials said the waterline that supplies water from the canyon for use in the park had sustained four significant breaks since July 8. Utility crews have since completed repairs and water has begun to be pumped out again without any new breaks.
Water spigots at the Mather and Desert View campgrounds will remain turned off. Visitors can still access water at the Mather Campground check-in kiosk.
Hikers should still prepare to bring or treat water if necessary during their visit to the park. Visitors are additionally encouraged to continue practicing water conservation efforts by taking short showers and flushing toilets selectively.
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
