Grand Canyon National Park Tickets 2026: Fees & Passes

Grand Canyon National Park tickets are entrance passes, and you do not need a reservation or a timed-entry slot to get in. A standard pass costs $35 per private vehicle (covers everyone in the car), $30 per motorcycle and $20 per person on foot or by bike, and admission is for 7 days. Children under 16 do not need a pass. Non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an extra $100 per person on top of the entrance fee, unless they enter with an annual pass or an America the Beautiful pass. The Grand Canyon Annual Pass is $70 (US citizens and residents), the America the Beautiful pass is $80 for US residents and $250 for non-residents, and the entrance stations are cashless (cards only).

Important this autumn: the park is open for day visits, but all overnight lodging inside the park is suspended because of Stage 4 water restrictions after the 29 August 2026 flash flood, and the North Rim is open for limited day use only, with no services, until its gate closes for the winter (30 November 2026 or the first major snowstorm).

Last checked: 20 October 2026, against the Grand Canyon National Park pages on nps.gov, the park’s alert feed and news releases, and the US Department of the Interior. This page is not based on a personal visit. Fees are in US dollars and park conditions are changing quickly, so confirm on the official Grand Canyon fees page and the park’s operations update before you go.

Right now (late October 2026): what you need

Item	Status on 20 October 2026
Entrance pass	Required for every visitor; no reservation and no timed entry
South Rim	Open 24 hours a day, all year; South Entrance and East (Desert View) Entrance open 24/7
Lodging inside the park	Suspended since 31 August 2026 (Stage 4 water restrictions). The lodge operator Xanterra says its closures are extended through 19 November 2026. Hotels in Tusayan, outside the park, are open.
Camping	Mather Campground open, dry camping only; Trailer Village and Desert View Campground closed
Water	NPS asks visitors to bring their own drinking water
North Rim	Day use only, no services, no water, no fuel; Cape Royal and Point Imperial roads closed until sunrise 3 November 2026; gate closes 30 November 2026 (or first major snowstorm)
Inner canyon	North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch, both river bridges and parts of the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails closed; no drinking water below the rim
Free shuttles	Village, Kaibab Rim, Hermits Rest and Hikers’ Express routes running (fall schedule to 30 November 2026)
Next fee-free days	27 October and 11 November 2026, for US citizens and residents only
Federal funding	Funded through 11 December 2026 (Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027); no shutdown in effect

Grand Canyon entrance fees (2026)

These are the standard entrance passes on the official Grand Canyon fees page (last updated 20 July 2026). NPS says admission is for seven days. The page lists one set of prices for the whole year, with no peak-season or holiday rate.

Standard pass	Price	Covers
Private vehicle	$35	One private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers, up to a 15-person passenger van
Motorcycle	$30	Up to 2 private motorcycles with up to 4 people in total; valid 7 days
Per person (on foot or by bicycle)	$20	One person aged 16 or older without a car; valid 7 days
Children under 16	Free	No pass needed
Non-US resident fee (age 16+)	+$100 per person	Charged on top of the standard pass, unless entering with an annual or America the Beautiful pass

How to pay: the entrance stations do not accept cash; every pass is “Credit/Debit Only” at the South Entrance, Desert View and North Rim entrance stations. You can also buy a digital standard pass in advance through the Recreation.gov “Buy pass” button on the NPS fees page. Card-only fee machines sell the $35, $30 and $20 passes (and an $80 America the Beautiful voucher) at the Williams Visitor Center, the Chevron station in Valle and in Tusayan (IMAX theater and two shuttle stops). If you only have cash, NPS lists these places in Tusayan that accept it: the IMAX Visitor Center, Canyon Plaza Resort, Red Feather Lodge, Pink Jeep Tours (inside the IMAX) and Westwind Air at Grand Canyon Airport. No refunds are given for bad weather.

Lines of cars and tour buses waiting at the wooden entrance booths of the Grand Canyon South Entrance Station among pine trees — Traffic at the South Entrance Station on a busy summer day, 2015. Photo: Grand Canyon National Park (NPS), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Avoiding the entrance queue: NPS says the park is busiest during spring break (March-April), from Memorial Day to Labor Day (late May to early September) and in all major holiday weeks. Weekdays are quieter than weekends, and at busy times NPS suggests reaching an entrance station before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m.

The $100 nonresident fee at Grand Canyon

Since 1 January 2026, every non-US resident aged 16 and over pays a $100 per person nonresident fee in addition to the standard entrance fee at Grand Canyon, one of 11 national parks that charge it. The start date and the new pass prices were announced by the US Department of the Interior on 25 November 2025. The Grand Canyon fees page adds that the fee also applies to non-residents entering on a commercial tour, a commercial use authorization (CUA) group or a concessioner tour.

Two non-US adults in one car: $35 for the car + 2 × $100 = $235 for Grand Canyon.
The $250 America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass covers entrance fees and nonresident fees for the pass holder and everyone in the same private vehicle (or the holder plus three more adults where fees are charged per person) for a year. For one couple it is already cheaper than paying at the gate in two of the 11 parks.
Fee-free days do not help: NPS says that from 2026 fee-free days are for US residents only; non-residents pay the entrance fee and the nonresident fee as normal.
Proof of residency: to buy the $80 resident pass, NPS asks for proof such as a US passport, a US state-issued driver’s license or ID, or a green card.

The fee is being challenged in court: Pacific Legal Foundation filed a lawsuit on 28 September 2026 for Across Arizona Tours, a Phoenix-based Grand Canyon tour company, arguing the agencies lack authority to charge non-residents more. On 20 October 2026 the Grand Canyon fees page still listed the $100 fee. For all 11 parks, tour rules and worked examples, see our guide to the US national park fee for foreigners.

Annual and America the Beautiful passes

Pass	Price	Who can buy it
Grand Canyon Annual Pass (this park only, one year from the month of purchase)	$70	US citizens and residents
America the Beautiful Resident Annual Pass	$80	US citizens and residents
America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass	$250	Non-US residents
Senior Annual / Senior Lifetime Pass	$20 / $80	US citizens and residents aged 62+
Military Annual Pass	Free	Current US military and dependents
Military Lifetime Pass	Free	Gold Star Family members and veterans
Access Pass	Free	US citizens and residents with a permanent disability
4th Grade Pass / Volunteer Pass	Free	US 4th graders / volunteers with 250 service hours

The Grand Canyon Annual Pass admits the holder and everyone in one private vehicle, or the holder and immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when arriving by train, shuttle, bicycle or on foot; it is non-transferable. An America the Beautiful pass covers one private vehicle, or four per-person fees, at federal sites that charge entrance fees. Passes are non-refundable and non-transferable, and holders must show photo ID. Annual and America the Beautiful passes are sold at the South Entrance and Desert View entrance stations, as digital passes on Recreation.gov, or as physical passes from the USGS Online Store (NPS says mail orders can take up to three weeks). Which to choose: one visit = standard pass; several visits to Grand Canyon in a year = the $70 park pass; several parks = America the Beautiful.

Fee-free days left in 2026

The 2026 entrance fee-free dates on the Grand Canyon fees page are 16 February, 25 May, 14 June, 3-5 July, 25 August, 17 September, 27 October (Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday) and 11 November (Veterans Day). Only the last two are still ahead. On those days entry is free for US citizens and residents (NPS notes that other fees, such as reservation fees, may still apply), while non-residents still pay the standard fee plus $100.

South Rim water emergency and lodging (autumn 2026)

On 29 August 2026 a flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon badly damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to the South Rim. NPS put the South Rim under Stage 4 water restrictions from noon on 31 August 2026. A second flash flood in mid-September damaged the temporary water intake that was being built (NPS, 17 September 2026). What this means for visitors today:

No overnight stays in the park’s hotels: El Tovar, Bright Angel, Kachina, Thunderbird and Maswik lodges, Yavapai Lodge, Trailer Village and Phantom Ranch have stopped overnight accommodation. Xanterra, which runs most of the lodges, says its closures are extended through 19 November 2026 and that reservations arriving on 20 November and later are “currently proceeding as planned”. Hotels in Tusayan, about 7 miles (11 km) south of Grand Canyon Village, are not affected.
Day visits continue: NPS says the park remains open for day use, with food services, the Grand Canyon Clinic and the post office open. Several restaurants are closed or on shorter hours, so check the operations update for the day’s list.
Camping: Mather Campground stays open for dry camping only, and all outdoor wood fires are prohibited; Trailer Village RV park and the Camper Services showers and laundry are closed. Desert View Campground has closed for the season.
Bring water: NPS asks visitors to arrive with their own drinking water and to conserve it during their visit.
When will water return? NPS said on 19 September 2026 that it expects to start pumping water from a new Bright Angel Creek intake by 16 November, with distribution to residents and a phased return of overnight guest services from around Thanksgiving. NPS calls these dates tentative. Since 4 October the park has been hauling upwards of 200,000 gallons of water a day.

North Rim in 2026: open for day use, no services

The North Rim was closed for most of the 2025 season (with limited access from 1 October to 14 November 2025) because of the Dragon Bravo Fire, which started with a lightning strike on 4 July 2025 and in mid-July destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center and many cabins. NPS reopened the North Rim for the 2026 season on 21 May 2026. (The Grand Canyon fees page still carries an older line saying the North Rim is “closed for the 2025 season”; the North Rim status page is the current source.)

Season: open through 30 November 2026 or until the first major snowstorm, whichever comes first, when the North Rim entrance gate on State Route 67 closes. NPS says the North Rim and SR 67 are always closed to vehicles from 1 December to 14 May.
No services: the General Store closed for the season on 15 October and the North Rim Campground on 16 October 2026; the gas station closed on 19 September. There is no drinking water on the North Rim in 2026. NPS points to Jacob Lake, about 45 miles north, for lodging, food and fuel; there is no lodging inside the park on this side.
Roads: Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road are closed from sunset 15 October to sunrise 3 November 2026 for repairs.
Trails: the North Kaibab Trail is closed in its entirety after the 29 August flood, with no estimated reopening, and many North Rim trails (including Bright Angel Point, Widforss, Transept, Cape Royal and Point Imperial trails) are listed as closed. The Bridle Trail is open.
Entry: the same entrance passes apply; the North Rim Entrance Station is card only. The drive from the South Rim to the North Rim is about 212 miles (about 4.5 hours), according to NPS.
Next year: the North Rim status page gives a tentative campground reopening date of 15 May 2027, while the park’s operations update says 2027 dates have not been finalized. NPS opened a 30-day public comment period on long-term North Rim recovery plans on 6 October 2026.

Hours, visitor centers and free shuttles

The South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and no reservation is needed to enter. Current daily hours listed by NPS (fall 2026):

Place	Hours
South Rim Visitor Center	9 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily (fall hours)
Yavapai Geology Museum	8 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily
Verkamp’s Visitor Center	8 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily
Backcountry Information Center	8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily (closed 12-1 p.m.)
Desert View Watchtower	9 a.m. – 5 p.m., upper floors when staffing allows; last tower access 4 p.m.; free ticket system, 25 people at a time for 20 minutes

Free shuttles: the South Rim shuttle buses are free; NPS says a portion of your entrance fee pays for them, and no ticket is required. Fall schedule, 12 September to 30 November 2026:

Village (Blue) Route: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (be at a stop by 8:45 p.m.); Visitor Center, lodges, campgrounds and Market Plaza.
Kaibab Rim (Orange) Route: 6 a.m. to one hour after sunset; South Kaibab Trailhead, Yaki Point, Mather Point and Yavapai Geology Museum.
Hermits Rest (Red) Route: 8 a.m. to one hour after sunset along 7-mile Hermit Road, which is closed to private vehicles from 1 March to 30 November 2026.
Hikers’ Express: leaves Bright Angel Lodge at 6, 7 and 8 a.m. for the South Kaibab Trailhead.
Tusayan (Purple) Route: summer only (tentatively 22 May – 10 September 2027); riders need a valid entrance pass.

Visitors with backpacks lining up to board a white and green Grand Canyon shuttle bus on the South Rim — Visitors boarding a Hermit Road shuttle bus on the South Rim, May 2010. Photo: Grand Canyon National Park (NPS), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Other closures: Lipan Point and Lipan Point Road on Desert View Drive are closed for rehabilitation from 22 June to 23 December 2026 (NPS, 3 June 2026).

Groups, commercial tours and permits

Noncommercial organized groups (church groups, school clubs, scouts, service organizations): the fees page charges the $35 vehicle permit for vehicles with a designed capacity of 16 or less, or $8 per person in vehicles with a capacity of 16 or greater; age and pass exemptions apply. (The page lists 16 in both bands, so check with the park if your vehicle seats exactly 16.)
Academic groups visiting for non-commercial educational purposes can apply for an educational fee waiver; it is not automatic.
Commercial tours need a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA). Tour vehicles with a capacity of 1-25 pay $8 per person (15 and under exempt); vehicles with 26 or more seats pay a flat $300. Card only. Clients who drive their own cars pay the normal $35 vehicle or $30 motorcycle fee. Non-US residents on tours also owe the $100 fee. Grand Canyon’s commercial-fee page says annual and America the Beautiful passes are not accepted for the commercial tour fee, while NPS’s 2026 nonresident FAQ says the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass covers the $100 nonresident fee for the holder and three more non-residents on a commercial tour.
Backcountry permits (needed to camp anywhere inside the canyon) are booked on Recreation.gov, starting with an early-access lottery: $10 per permit or lottery application plus $15 per person per night below the rim or $4 above the rim, and entrance fees are separate. Check current inner-canyon closures first.
Special Use Permits are needed for events such as weddings, Rim-to-Rim extended day hikes and large gatherings, and some filming and photography.
Havasupai (Havasu Falls): camping and lodge reservations are handled by the Havasupai Tribe, not by NPS; the park’s operations update points visitors to the tribe’s own reservation website.

Recent news (last 12 months)

October 2025 shutdown: during the federal shutdown that began on 1 October 2025, Grand Canyon stayed open but entrance fees were not being collected and NPS visitor services were limited (Grand Canyon Conservancy, 1 October 2025; KNAU reported closed entrance kiosks and that Arizona would not pay to keep the park running). Visit Utah reports that the shutdown ended on 12 November 2025.
New fees from 1 January 2026: the $100 nonresident fee, the $80/$250 America the Beautiful prices and resident-only fee-free days (Department of the Interior, 25 November 2025).
North Rim reopened for the 2026 season on 21 May 2026, after the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire (NPS).
Flash floods and water emergency: 29 August 2026 flood in Bright Angel Canyon; Stage 4 water restrictions and in-park lodging suspended from 31 August; second flood in mid-September; tentative water restoration from mid-November (NPS).
North Rim fall operations from 15 October 2026, with scenic roads closed to 3 November and the gate closing by 30 November (NPS, 30 September 2026).
Lawsuit: filed 28 September 2026 against the nonresident fees (Pacific Legal Foundation). No court ruling had changed the Grand Canyon fees page on 20 October 2026.
Funding: the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (Public Law 119-103, 2 September 2026) funds the government through 11 December 2026, so no shutdown began on 1 October 2026.

FAQ

How much are Grand Canyon National Park tickets in 2026?

$35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle or $20 per person on foot or by bike, valid for 7 days. Children under 16 are free. Non-US residents aged 16 and over pay $100 more per person unless they have an annual or America the Beautiful pass.

Do I need a reservation or timed entry for Grand Canyon?

No. NPS says no reservation is needed to enter and there is no timed entry. Campgrounds and backcountry camping need reservations or permits.

Can I stay overnight inside the park right now?

Not in the park’s hotels: overnight lodging has been suspended since 31 August 2026 because of Stage 4 water restrictions, and the lodge operator says closures run through 19 November 2026. Mather Campground is open for dry camping only, and hotels in Tusayan are open.

Is the North Rim open?

Yes, for limited day use only until 30 November 2026 (or the first major snowstorm). There is no lodging, campground, store, fuel or drinking water, and Cape Royal and Point Imperial roads are closed until 3 November 2026.

Does the America the Beautiful pass cover Grand Canyon?

Yes. The $80 resident pass and the $250 non-resident pass both cover the entrance fee for one private vehicle, and NPS says all valid annual passes also cover the $100 nonresident fee for the holder and passengers.

Can I pay in cash?

Not at the entrance stations, which take credit or debit cards only. NPS lists a few businesses in Tusayan that sell passes for cash.

Are the shuttle buses free?

Yes. No ticket is needed; NPS says the service is included in your entrance fee. The fall schedule runs to 30 November 2026.

Grand Canyon National Park Tickets 2026: Entrance Fees, Passes and the $100 Nonresident Fee