Select Grand Canyon Viewpoints To Reopen Friday

The National Park Service announced Wednesday that select viewpoints at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon will begin to reopen later this week.

Viewpoints at Pipe Creek Vista, Shoshone Point, Twin Overlooks, Duck on a Rock, Thor’s Hammer, No Name Point and Navajo Point along East Desert View Drive will be open for limited day use starting Friday.

Picnic areas at Shoshone Point Pavilion, east of Yaki Road, Thor’s Hammer and Buggeln Picnic will also be open.

The South Rim entrance at the Grand Canyon will allow visitors to enter between Friday and Monday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Visitors who enter the park can stay throughout the day, but overnight accommodations remain closed.

“This initial reopening phase will increase access to our public lands in a responsible way by offering the main feature of the park for the public, the view of the canyon, while reducing the potential exposure of COVID-19 to our nearly 2,500 residents,” Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable said in a press release.

NPS said it will continue to monitor when it is appropriate to reopen more facilities and access points at the Grand Canyon. They will also be following CDC guidelines to avoid crowding and to ensure visitors practice social distancing.

The national park closed in early April due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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