Last week, on Friday, June 12, my brother from Germany and I visited the Grand Canyon. I love taking people to the Grand Canyon “for the first time” as that first view into the void usually takes their breath away. After being there and even hiking down dozens of times over a period of 50 years, it still happens to me now every time.
What struck me however was how “empty” of visitors it was this time. June is usually high season. Many tourists from Asia and Europe visit the Canyon during the summer. Lines to get through the park gate can be several hours long, yet we drove right in. There were only five or six cars in front of us at the entry gate.
There were plenty of parking spaces everywhere. There were no lines in the restaurants. We went to eat at the Bright Angel Lodge for lunch. We were able to walk right in and there were plenty of open tables.
Outside of the park, the town of Tusayan was practically deserted. We went into the visitor center with the IMAX theater and a bunch of restaurants, and the place was empty. It seemed like we were the only guests in that huge facility.
There are many possible reasons for this.
- A real reduction in visitation especially from international travelers, which disproportionally affects the Grand Canyon.
- The new $100 nonresident fee policy for many foreign visitors appears to have discouraged overseas tourism. The fee is charged per person aged 16 and older. This surcharge is in addition to the standard park entrance fee, which is typically $35 per vehicle.
- Heat advisories are causing some people to postpone trips. Even though the temperature at the rim was only around 80 degrees F while we were there.
- General softness in leisure travel due to higher travel costs.
All the above could contribute to the decline in visitors at the Grand Canyon.
If you’re local and want to visit our National Parks, now might be a good time. But the overall trend makes me wonder: Are we great again already?