Free Grand Canyon Shuttle Service Starts Saturday

By Andrew Romanov
Published: Thursday, May 8, 2014 - 3:28pm
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(Photo by Peter O'Dowd/KJZZ)
A settlement is in the works in a lawsuit filed by a concessionaire over a lucrative contract at the Grand Canyon.

Getting into the Grand Canyon National Park could be a bit easier starting Saturday. And getting there won’t cost you anything.

The free shuttle service will run between the Grand Canyon and the nearby town of Tusayan. It starts Saturday and ends on September 5.

It is an extension of a shuttle service already running inside the park.

As park spokesperson Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said, there are a few reasons that the free service is offered.

“It’s an additional service we like to provide to help reduce crowding along the park roadways, reduce carbon footprint, allow people to just enter the park faster on busy days,” Shedlowski said. “Sometimes the gate entrance line can be longer, and if you’re on the shuttle bus, you don’t have to wait in that entrance line.”

The only caveat, according to Shedlowski, is that visitors must have their park entry paid for before getting on the bus. She said entrance passes can be purchased at several locations in Tusayan.

The shuttle service has been running seasonally for several years now. Last year, Shedlowski said about 89,000 people rode the shuttle.