Visitor Information -- You can get advance information on the Grand Canyon by contacting Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 (tel. 928/638-7888; www.nps.gov/grca).
When you arrive at the park, stop by the Canyon View Visitor Center, at Canyon View Information Plaza, 6 miles from the south entrance. Here you'll find exhibits, an information desk, and a shop selling maps, books, and videos. The center is open daily 8am to 5pm. Unfortunately, the information plaza, which is well designed for handling large crowds, has no adjacent parking, so you'll have to park where you can and then walk or take a free shuttle bus. The nearest places to park are at Mather Point, Market Plaza, park headquarters, and Yavapai Observation Station. If you're parked anywhere in Grand Canyon Village, you'll want to catch the Village Route bus. If you park at Yaki Point, you can take the Kaibab Trail Route bus. The Guide, a small newspaper full of useful information about the park, is available at both South Rim park entrances.
Orientation -- Grand Canyon Village is built on the South Rim of the canyon and divided roughly into two sections. At the east end of the village are the Canyon View Information Plaza, Yavapai Lodge, Trailer Village, and Mather Campground. At the west end are El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel, Kachina, Thunderbird, and Maswik lodges, as well as several restaurants, the train depot, and the trailhead for the Bright Angel Trail.
Ahhh! Fresh Air at Last -- Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees, and sometimes you can't see the canyon for the smog. But if there is a haze hanging over the canyon when you visit, don't blame it on the park service's buses. In 2008, Grand Canyon National Park replaced all of its old diesel and liquid natural gas (LNG) buses with more eco-friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Not only do these new buses not belch black smoke as the old diesel buses did, but they're also much quieter. Is that the croak of a California condor I hear? The park has also announced that it will begin operating buses between Grand Canyon Village, on the South Rim of the canyon, and the town of Tusayan, which is just outside the park's south entrance. By leaving your car at your hotel and taking this new bus, you'll not only be avoiding parking headaches but also doing your part to clear the air.
