Community News

News Rerlease :Celebrate Earth Day at Grand Canyon during National Park Week Fee-Free Day

April 13, 2018

The  Grand Canyon National Park invites the public to celebrate the 48th
anniversary of Earth Day during National Park Week fee-free day on Saturday, April 21, 2018. Visitors can participate in Grand Canyon's Earth Day celebration at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center Plaza near Mather Point from 10 am to 2 pm. All Earth Day activities are free and open to the public.

This year's Earth Day celebration will feature displays with information about current park conservation efforts and initiatives including water conservation, waste, recycling, composting, dark skies, smart transportation and biofuels. Participating organizations include Grand Canyon's Green Team, Sierra Club, National Weather Service, Grand Canyon Trust, Valley of the Sun Clean Cities Coalition, Roots Composting, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, NuCor Steel, and Coconino Community College. At the Visitor Center Plaza an interactive display, Ribbons of Stewardship for a Healthy and Sustainable Grand Canyon National Park, will allow visitors the opportunity to reflect and think about what they love the most about Grand Canyon.

A special live interpretive demonstration of the Grand Canyon Railway Steam Engine featuring the use of biofuels will take place at the South Rim Train Depot between 1:45 and 2:20 pm. Visitors can also participate in various litter clean-ups throughout the park. Scheduled clean-ups are as follows:


Friday, April 20, 2018
9-11 am: Grand Canyon Visitor Center
12-2 pm: Recreation Center
3-5 pm: Backcountry Information Center Saturday, April 21, 2018
8:30-10:30 am: South Rim Train Depot

Visitors who arrive at Grand Canyon April 21 will be allowed to enter the park free of charge. The fee-free designation does not affect fees for camping, reservations, tours or use of concessions. Interagency Senior and Annual Passes are available for purchase at the park's entrance stations. Those who plan to spend time in the park beyond April 21 will need to pay the regular entrance fee for the remainder of their stay. The next fee-free days will be September 22 for National Public Lands Day and November 11 in honor of Veterans Day.

Visitors should also be aware of ongoing road construction projects in the park. All services and facilities are open and accessible but, visitors should add a few minutes to their driving time and follow detour signs, flaggers, and temporary stop lights.

Grand Canyon National Park's 2018 Earth Day Celebration is a collaborative effort between the National Park Service, Xanterra South Rim, Delaware North and the park's official non-profit partner, Grand Canyon Association. Grand Canyon's Green Team works collaboratively to increase awareness of environmental stewardship within the Grand Canyon community.

For more information about Grand Canyon Earth Day, please contact Kim Park at 928-638-7329.


-NPS-