Is the Grand Canyon Open Year-Round? Weather, Hours, and Closures

The Grand Canyon is one of the most beautiful natural sights in the world, but the weather changes drastically depending on when you visit and where you go! You may be wondering if the Grand Canyon is open year-round, what the weather will be like, or what will be open while you’re there.

The North Rim closes down during the winter, but the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is open 365 days per year, 24 hours per day. This is a great year-round destination!

If the roads are open, you can enter and exit the park as you please, even if the entrance stations aren’t open and collecting fees.

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My name is Ash, and I’m a former park ranger. Grand Canyon National Park is one of my favorite hiking destinations, and I can’t wait to help you plan your trip to this majestic place.

I’ve got a ton of information for you about visiting the Grand Canyon year-round, including the hours, closures, and weather you can expect on your vacation. Let’s get started!

Is Grand Canyon National Park Open Year-Round?

The Grand Canyon is open 365 days per year, 24 hours per day…kind of. If you want to visit the park during the off-season (November through mid-May), you will need to focus your trip on the South Rim. At the South Rim, if you want to hike a trail at sunrise, you will be able to get in, and if you want to stargaze at 2 a.m., you’ll be able to get out. Open roads are not gated.

But it doesn’t mean that all of the activities and points of interest will be open for you at all times.

For example:

• Visitor centers may be closed or run on reduced hours during the off-season.
• The entrance stations are not always staffed.
• Some campgrounds and lodges are not open year-round.
• It’s common for the roads through the park to temporarily close due to snow or ice.
• Trails may be closed due to construction or unsafe conditions.

The North Rim is a different story! It gets colder and snowier at the North Rim, so the road to this area of the park completely closes down in the winter. If you’re hoping to visit the North Rim, you’ll need to plan your trip between mid-May and October.

Let’s discuss what may be closed even if the park itself is open.

Operating Hours for Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon Visitor Center Hours

You’ll find four main visitor centers in Grand Canyon National Park, as well as several other staffed ranger stations or museums. These visitor centers vary in size and hours and are located throughout the park. If you’re in one of the Grand Canyon’s most popular areas, chances are there are park rangers nearby to answer your questions.

On the South Rim, you’ll find the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in the Grand Canyon Village. Inside, you’ll find shopping, exhibits, and information about everything there is to do in the park, including shuttle buses and ranger program schedules. The Visitor Center building and information desk are open daily.

You can also visit the Verkamp’s Visitor Center in the Village Historic District on the South Rim. This visitor center also has stores, exhibits, and an information desk and is open daily.

The Desert View Watchtower is located near the east entrance to the Grand Canyon and has a staffed information desk. You can also find viewpoints nearby, as well as cultural demonstrations on Thursdays and Fridays during operating hours. There are also several amenities in this area, including the Trading Post, Market Deli, and a gas station.

You’ll also find rangers at the Yavapai Geology Museum, Backcountry Information Center, Kolb Studio, and the Tusayan Pueblo Museum. All of these locations (and the visitor centers listed above) are open year-round.

Typically, all of these visitor centers are open with extended hours during the summer months and shorter hours in the winter. Ranger programs usually coincide with the dates that the visitor centers and campgrounds are open.

If you’re visiting the North Rim, you’ll find the North Rim Visitor Center located next to the big parking lot near the Grand Canyon Lodge. There is a small store and an information desk that are open daily. This visitor center is open from mid-May through mid-October.

Grand Canyon Entrance Station Hours

Grand Canyon National Park has three entrance stations — two on the South Rim (South Entrance and East Entrance) and one on the North Rim (North Entrance).

Entrance station hours vary and are not published. These stations will almost always be staffed early in the morning until late at night during the summer, with shorter hours during the spring, fall, and winter. Remember that the North Rim closes down in the winter, so you will not be able to drive through the North Entrance during that time.

If an entrance station is staffed, you will be required to pay the park entrance fee before exploring Grand Canyon National Park’s main trails and viewpoints.

If an entrance station is not staffed, you can drive on through (as long as the roads are open) and pay your entrance fee at a self-pay station.

For more information on the area and which roads you’ll take to get to these entrances, click here.

Common Closures in Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon Lodging Closures

Grand Canyon National Park has four in-park frontcountry campgrounds. To choose which campground will best serve your needs, read all about camping in the Grand Canyon. The Mather Campground and Trailer Village are open year-round, weather permitting. Desert View and the North Rim Campgrounds are open seasonally, and both close down during the winter.

Reservations for the in-park campgrounds open up six months in advance on a rolling basis. So, if you are planning on starting your trip on April 4th, then you’ll want to make your campground reservation on October 4th.

If you’re feeling super adventurous and hope to camp down in the canyon, you’ll find several amazing backcountry campgrounds, including the famous Phantom Ranch located at the very bottom near the Colorado River. Phantom Ranch offers lodging year-round but is only available for reservations via an online lottery 15 months in advance.

Hotel accommodations are available on the South Rim year-round and on the North Rim from mid-May through mid-October.

There are many different lodges on the South Rim, and they’re open all year! These lodges get booked up well in advance, especially during busy times like long weekends and over the summer. There is one lodge on the North Rim that books up early, too. Reservations for the in-park lodges generally open up 12-13 months in advance of your travel dates.

Common Road Closures in the Grand Canyon

All roads on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon stay open year-round, weather permitting. Sometimes, a snowstorm will roll through, and the roads will temporarily close as they are plowed. Desert View Drive is typically the first road to close and the last to reopen if there is inclement weather.

Hermit Road is closed to private vehicles from March 1st through November 30th every year and is only accessible by shuttle bus during this time. The shuttle buses are free to use with your park entrance fee.  If you visit between December and February, you can drive your own vehicle on this road.

The road out to the South Kaibab Trailhead and Yaki Point cannot be driven with your own vehicle and requires the use of the shuttle year-round.

On the North Rim, the roads stay open until the first big snowstorm or December 1st, whichever comes first. All amenities at the North Rim shut down in October, though, so if you decide to visit the North Rim before the snow flies, be aware that you won’t find any food or lodging options after about mid-October.

For any of the roads in the park, winter snow and other year-round inclement weather conditions can cause closures. Click here to check the current road alerts and conditions at Grand Canyon National Park.

Common Trail Closures in the Grand Canyon

All trails on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are open year-round, weather permitting — yes, even during the winter! Hikes on the North Rim are open when the road is open (usually mid-May through November), weather permitting.

If you’re hoping to hike at the South Rim during the winter or spring, you’ll want to note that icy or muddy trails are common at the top of the rim. You will likely need traction devices to safely navigate the steep trails that descend into the canyon. As you work your way deeper into the canyon, temperatures will warm up, and trail conditions usually improve.

Be sure to stop in at a visitor center or check the current conditions online to verify that the trail you’re looking to hike is open and safe and that you’re prepared to hike it!

What is the Weather Like at the Grand Canyon?

Even though the Grand Canyon stays open year-round, you’ll find some pretty dramatic temperature swings in this park! You can find amazing things to see and do here at any time, but the weather varies greatly between the North Rim, the South Rim, and the bottom of the canyon.

Take a look at the average highs and lows (in degrees Fahrenheit) and snow/rain levels (in inches) at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High (F)	41	45	51	60	70	81	84	82	76	65	52	43
Avg Low (F)	18	21	25	32	39	47	54	53	47	36	27	20
Avg Rain/Snow (“)	1.3	1.6	1.4	0.9	0.7	0.4	1.8	2.3	1.6	1.1	0.9	1.6

If you are curious to see the highs, lows, and precipitation levels of the North Rim or the bottom of the canyon, click here. It’s fascinating how different things can be depending on where you are in the park!

Winter Weather in Grand Canyon National Park

Winter brings snow and low temperatures to the Grand Canyon. Expect lows to be in the teens and highs to reach as high as the 40s on most days on the South Rim. Storms are common — roads and trails will temporarily close several times during the winter season at the South Rim.

The road to the North Rim is completely closed to vehicles in the winter. That’s because the North Rim is 1,000 feet higher in elevation than the South Rim, and it gets a lot more snow. Not only that, but winter temperatures at the North Rim are often 10-15 degrees colder than they are at the South Rim, so everything shuts down until the weather warms up.

The bottom of the canyon at Phantom Ranch is a good 20 degrees warmer than the South Rim in the winter, but you’ll usually have to navigate icy trail conditions at the top of the canyon before you can enjoy the more comfortable weather at the bottom!

Spring Weather in Grand Canyon National Park

The weather in the Grand Canyon is highly volatile in the spring — it’s hard to know what you’re going to get! Temperatures can range from the 50s and 60s at the rim to the 80s and 90s near the river.

I’ve visited the South Rim many times in the spring. Sometimes, it’s snowy and rainy (which makes for great photos with clouds as long as the canyon doesn’t get socked in!), and sometimes, it’s warm and sunny. The last time I hiked to the bottom of the canyon was in the month of May. It was chilly at the top, but things quickly warmed up — it was about 95 degrees at the bottom of the canyon by 10 a.m.!

The North Rim is closed until mid-May, and temperatures are still on the cold side at that time. Be sure to pack for all kinds of temperatures and weather patterns for your trip if you want to visit in the spring.

Summer Weather in Grand Canyon National Park

Summer is the high season in the park, which means that everything is typically open. It’s extremely crowded and busy at this time, but you’ll get the warmest weather for exploring — which might not be a good thing!

Grand Canyon summers might not be as hot as you would expect them to be, with high temperatures staying around the 80s at the South Rim (although they can be as hot as 100 degrees) and 70s on the North Rim.

However, if you are hoping to hike down into the canyon at all, it is crucial that you plan for temperatures well above 100 degrees. You will have to start your hike in the early morning in order to be out of the canyon during the hottest parts of the day. Heat stroke is no joke in this park, and hiking in the summer can be extremely dangerous.

Summer is monsoon season in the Grand Canyon, so thunderstorms are frequent and unpredictable during this time of year.

The good news about visiting the Grand Canyon in the summer is that you’ll be able to pick from all the available programs and activities throughout the park, including both the North and South Rims.

Autumn Weather in Grand Canyon National Park

Autumn at the Grand Canyon is practically perfect! A visit to the South Rim during October or November brings cooler temperatures, bluebird skies, perfect hiking weather, and crisp air. It is a great time to be out hiking and exploring without the worry of monsoons or wildfire smoke.

I also love the North Rim in the fall, but because it gets colder on the North Rim, September seems to be the sweet spot for enjoying beautiful weather without the threat of a snowstorm or two.

Temperatures in the fall hang around the 50s and 60s at the rim and around the 80s along the river. Late thunderstorms or early snowstorms are possible, so be prepared for lots of different kinds of weather.

Weather-related closures can happen anytime during these months, though closures are definitely more likely to happen on the North Rim than on the South.

So now you may be asking yourself, when is the best time to visit the Grand Canyon? Now that you know you can visit the Grand Canyon year-round, click next to see my specific recommendations for the best times to visit the park.

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