December 4, 2025 / 5:32 AM EST / CBS/AP
Overnight stays at several historic South Rim properties are suspended after multiple breaks were discovered in the park’s sole water line. Beginning Saturday, the park closed overnight lodging at El Tovar Hotel, Bright Angel Lodge and Maswik Lodge as crews work to conserve limited water supplies while repairs proceed.
Park officials say the outages affect the South Rim because there is no alternative water source feeding that area. Campgrounds also are without running water. Staff and the roughly 2,500 year-round residents of Grand Canyon Village have been asked to sharply reduce usage — limiting showers, cutting back on toilet flushing and turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth — until service is restored.
This is the second time overnight lodging has been halted at the South Rim due to water system failures. The Transcanyon Waterline, which stretches 12.5 miles and was built in the late 1960s, has experienced frequent problems as it long exceeded its expected service life. In August 2024, the park imposed restrictive water measures that abruptly ended overnight stays during one of the year’s busiest periods.
The closures come months after a wildfire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. Despite the winter slowdown in visitation, officials note that overnight use remains significant; more than 41,000 people used park lodging last December, and nearly 90% of the Grand Canyon’s almost 5 million visitors in 2024 came to the South Rim.
Welding crews were working on the damaged line despite fresh snowfall, and park staff planned to flush and recharge the system after repairs. “If all planned work proceeds without additional issues, we anticipate being able to restore water service and begin reopening overnight lodging as early as next week,” park spokesperson Joëlle Baird said.
The Transcanyon Waterline supplies residents, employees and visitors across the rim and has been a long-term maintenance focus for the park. A portion of entrance fees is earmarked for its upkeep, and a $208 million rehabilitation and upgrade project launched in 2023 to address aging infrastructure. The National Park Service says the overhaul is essential to meet long-term needs and is expected to be completed in 2027.
Day visitors are still welcome at the South Rim, and travelers can find lodging outside park boundaries while repairs are underway.