Hotels in Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular national parks in the country, and hotel rooms both within and just outside the park are in high demand. Make reservations as far in advance as possible. Don’t expect to find a room if you show up in summer without a reservation—you’ll probably have to drive back to Williams or Flagstaff to find a vacancy. However, occasionally it’s possible, due to cancellations and no-shows, to get a same-day reservation at a national park property; it’s a long shot, but it happens. Same-day reservations can be made by calling tel. 928/638-2631.
Inside the Park
All hotels inside the park are operated by Xanterra South Rim/Xanterra Parks & Resorts; to make reservations at any of the in-park hotels listed below, contact Xanterra at www.grandcanyonlodges.com; tel. 888/297-2757 or 303/297-2757. Reservations are taken up to 13 months in advance, beginning on the first of the month. If you want to stay in one of the historic rim cabins at Bright Angel Lodge, reserve at least a year in advance. The one exception are the small, very basic rooms with shared bathrooms at Bright Angel Lodge; they’re often the last in the park to book up. If you’re trying to get a last-minute reservation, they may be your best bet.
In Tusayan (Outside the South Entrance)
If you can’t get a reservation for a room in the park, this is the next closest place to stay, in a line of hotels along U.S. 180/Ariz. 64. During the day, the area can be very noisy, with helicopters and airplanes constantly taking off from the airport, but at night things calm down. Hotels outside the park are popular with tour groups, which keep them full throughout the summer.
Campgrounds
Inside the Park—On the South Rim, there are two campgrounds and an RV park. Mather Campground, in Grand Canyon Village, has 327 campsites ($18 per night). Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance and are required for stays between March and late November. Contact the National Recreation Reservation Service (www.recreation.gov; tel. 877/444-6777 or 518/885-3639). In winter, campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, at $15 per night; reservations not accepted. Desert View Campground, with 50 sites ($12 per night), is 25 miles east of Grand Canyon Village and open from mid-April to mid-October. No reservations are accepted; on arrival, campers must self-register at the automated fee machine. The Trailer Village RV park, in Grand Canyon Village, has 75 RV sites and charges $41 per night (for two adults) for full hookup. Reservations can be made up to 13 months in advance online via DNC Parks & Resorts (www.visitgrandcanyon.com). For same-day reservations at all these campgrounds, call tel. 928/638-2631.
Outside the Park—Two miles south of Tusayan, the U.S. Forest Service’s Ten-X Campground has 70 campsites ($10 per night), open May through early October. There are no shower or laundry facilities and no utility hookups. It’s usually your best bet for finding a site late in the day.
You can also camp just about anywhere within the Kaibab National Forest, which borders Grand Canyon National Park. Several dirt roads lead into the forest from the highway, and although you won’t find designated campsites or toilets along these roads, you will find spots where others have obviously camped before. This so-called dispersed camping is usually used by campers who haven’t found sites in campgrounds. One of the most popular roads for this sort of camping is on the west side of the highway between Tusayan and the park’s south entrance. For more information, contact the Tusayan Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest, 176 Lincoln Log Loop (P.O. Box 3088), Grand Canyon (www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab; tel. 928/638-2443).
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15 Results
- Hotel
7-Mile Lodge
Arrive at this well-maintained motor inn as early as possible for the best value in the vicinity of the South Rim—rooms are first come, first serve (meaning reservations are not taken), and it's almost always sold out by noon in the peak summer season. The accommodations are nothing…$Outside The Park
- Hotel
Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins
Dating to 1935, Bright Angel Lodge offers a nice balance of historic character and modern conveniences, and is a good mid-priced lodging for visitors looking to stay within park boundaries. The lodge, designed by Grand Canyon hospitality pioneer Mary Jane Colter, remains a prime…$Inside The Park - Hotel
El Tovar Hotel
El Tovar Hotel, which first opened its doors in 1905, is the park’s premier lodge. Built of local rock and Oregon pine by Hopi craftsmen, it’s a rustic yet luxurious mountain lodge perching on the edge of the canyon (only a few rooms have views, however). The lobby, entered from a…$$$Inside The Park - Hotel
Grand Canyon Lodge
This is among the most iconic of all national-park lodges and a good bet for those looking for solitude when they visit the Grand Canyon. The main lodge, clad in local limestone and timber, sits at Bright Angel Point on the isolated North Rim, a mere 12 miles from the busier South…$$Outside The Park - Hotel
Grand Canyon Railway Hotel
This big, modern hotel is located right next to the depot for the railroad to the South Rim, and specializes in packages that include train tickets. The hotel originally opened in 1901, then closed—along with the railway—in 1969, but reopened in grand fashion 20 years later. Today it…$$Outside The Park - Hotel
Grand Hotel
This hotel looks the part of an imposing national park lodge, and features the nicest rooms in Tusayan. The lobby is a gem, with black-and-white photos of Grand Canyon luminaries and notable visitors—get a load of Einstein in a Hopi headdress!—and colorful Native American art. The…$$$Outside The Park - Hotel
Hotel Weatherford
This 1898 gem is just the place to acclimate yourself to civilization after an expedition in the Grand Canyon. The rooms, with one or two double beds or a single queen, are small and show some age, but the place is full of historic personality, from the antique safe in the lobby to…$Outside The Park - Hotel
Little America Hotel
One of seven “Little Americas” in the West, this regional chain caters to truckers as well as leisure travelers. The former group tend to gravitate to the truck stop that's next door, but don't let that fool you: The rooms feature elegant European style, complete with granite…$$Outside The Park - Hotel
Maswik Lodge
The 1960s-era Maswik Lodge is not nearly as distinctive as Bright Angel Lodge and El Tovar Hotel, but it offers a great value. You're a short walk to the South Rim, so they're aren't any views, and the rooms don't have elaborate amenities, but they are more than functional,…$Inside The Park - Hotel
Parry Lodge
Kanab is nicknamed “Utah's Hollywood” for the many Western movies shot here over the years, and the Parry Lodge is the best place to connect with that lore—this is where many stars cooled their spurs in between takes. Many rooms are named for the actors who actually once slept in…$Outside The Park - Hotel
Phantom Ranch
This is one of the most remote lodgings on the planet, but its location on the floor of the Grand Canyon hasn't put a dent in its popularity—it routinely sells out the first day reservations are available, 13 months in advance. Locale aside, the ranch’s nine air-conditioned cabins…$Inside The Park - Hotel
Quail Park Lodge
This quirky reinvention of a vintage 1960s motor lodge is my favorite place to stay in Kanab. The rooms are colorful and uniquely decorated, with little touches like lavender-vanilla linen spray on the nightstand, premium amenities in the bathroom, and eclectic artwork on the walls.…$$Outside The Park - Hotel
The Red Garter Bed & Bakery
This former brothel/saloon/opium den has cleaned up nicely into an inn/bakery/gift shop on old Route 66 in downtown Williams. Owner John Holst bought the property in 1979 and painstakingly restored it from shabby to chic. Today the four guestrooms vary in size but have similar style,…$$Outside The Park - Hotel
Thunderbird and Kachina Lodges
The minimalist design of these low-slung, concrete structures was once decried for sullying the South Rim, but these sibling lodges are apt for their setting in that they don't overwhelm the surroundings. Better yet, the canyon-side rooms offer stunning vistas of the Grand Canyon for…$$Inside The Park - Hotel
Yavapai Lodge
Yavapai Lodge is set in a wooded area with easy access to the South Rim (it's about a mile away), and the combination of open space and reasonable rates makes it a good pick for families. There are two options here: Rooms in Yavapai East have plenty of space and one king or two queen…$$Inside The Park
