Grand Canyon Summer Visitors To Find Hermit Road Closed
Road Widening, Other Improvements Will Create Improved Access, New Greenway Pedestrian, Cyclist Trail at South Rim
Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park this year will find the South Rim’s very popular Hermits Rest and Hermit Trailhead areas closed, or at least very hard to get to due to extensive road reconstruction. Set for repair and widening is Hermit Road, a much-traveled roadway between Grand Canyon Village and Hermits Rest. It includes nine overlooks, access to the historic Hermits Rest and Hermit Trailhead, seven miles of improved and unimproved rim trails, and many popular spots for viewing sunset panoramas.
Shown is a view of Grand Canyon to the east from Hermits Rest on the Hermit or West Rim Drive. NPS photo.
The rehabilitation of Hermit Road includes road widening and resurfacing to a consistent width of 24 feet, improvements to shuttle bus stops at each of the overlooks, provision of accessible pedestrian routes from shuttle bus stops to viewing areas, and improvements to approximately five miles of rim trails, including construction of a new three-mile, multi-use greenway trail which will be open to both pedestrians and bicyclists.
Work To Start In February
According to the National Park Service, the construction project is expected to begin in early February and won’t be completed until the end of November. The construction schedule will have its greatest impact on visitors in the summer months. Grand Canyon park is the second busiest park in the National Park Service System, and sees around 4.5 million visitors a year. Visitors will have access to the entire length of the Hermit Road, including overlooks and Hermits Rest, during February and March. Beginning April 1, Hermit Road will be closed to all vehicles from Hopi Point west to Hermits Rest to allow for construction on the western end of the road. In addition, the Rim Trail, which runs parallel to Hermit Road, will be closed from Hopi Point to Hermits Rest. Pedestrians will not be allowed to walk along any portion of either the road or the Rim Trail between Hopi Point and Hermits Rest. During this time, the road will remain open from Hopi Point, east to where Hermit Road intersects with Village Loop Road and will continue to be served by the park’s free shuttle system.
Starting this February, and continuing through November, much of Hermit Road from the village to Hermits Rest will either be closed or severely restricted for major road improvements. Map courtesy Grand Canyon NP
Beginning July 7, the entire length of Hermit Road will be closed to all vehicles from the Hermit Road intersection west to Hermits Rest. Starting at this time, the Rim Trail will be closed from the first Trailview Overlook west to Hermits Rest. As needed, temporary closures may occur for construction activities between the Hermit Road intersection and first Trailview Overlook. Access to the Hermit Trailhead will be limited from April 1 through the end of November, or until the completion of all construction work. Day hiking will not be allowed on the Hermit Trail during this time period. Visitors who have obtained an overnight backcountry permit from the park’s Backcountry Information Center (BIC) for backcountry use areas reached by the Hermit Trail will only be allowed access to the trailhead during the months of April, May, September, October, and November. No access will be permitted to the trailhead during the months of June, July and August. During the months that Hermit Trail is accessible, backcountry permit holders will only be allowed to hike down the Hermit Trail; an alternate trail must be used to hike out.
Bus Tours To Be Impacted
Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C., the primary in-park concessioners for Grand Canyon, will continue to provide commercial bus tours on Hermit Road, including those provided to passengers of the Grand Canyon Railway, but they will be modified depending on construction activities and closures. Beginning April 1, the tours will not travel past Mohave Point. Starting July 7, when the entire Hermit Road is closed, tours provided to Grand Canyon Railway passengers will include stops at Yavapai Observation Station, Yaki Point, and Duck on a Rock. From April 1 through the completion of construction, Xanterra will continue to run daily commercial tours to Desert View and will add tours to its schedule as needed to provide maximum service to park visitors. For more information about guided bus tours on the South Rim, contact Xanterra at (928) 638-2631. As with any major construction project, dates of scheduled closures and road accessibility may vary. Additional information can also be obtained by visiting the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/grca or by calling (928) 638-7888.
