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Grand Canyon National Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Private vehicle entrance
$35[1]
Busiest month (2025)
May[2]
Recreation visits, 2025
4,430,653[3]
Campgrounds
4[4]

Grand Canyon National Park is a national park in Arizona and part of the U.S. National Park System[5]. NPS lists a $35 entrance fee for a private vehicle[1], and the park takes only cards or mobile payment at entry[6].

Entrance fees and passes

Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.

Fee or pass Price
Private Vehicle[1] $35
Motorcycle[7] $30
Per Person[8] $20
Nonresident[9] $100
Annual Entrance - Park[10] $70

The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here[11].

Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)[6].

America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.

Pass Who can get it Price
Resident Annual Pass[12] US citizens and residents $80
Non-Resident Annual Pass[12] Non-US residents $250
Senior Annual Pass[12] US citizens and residents 62+ years old $20
Senior Lifetime Pass[12] US citizens and residents 62+ years old $80
Military Annual Pass[12] Current US military and dependents Free
Military Lifetime Pass[12] Gold Star Family members and veterans Free
Access Pass[12] US citizens and residents with permanent disability Free
4th Grade Pass[12] US 4th graders Free
Volunteer Pass[12] Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours Free

When to visit and hours

NPS lists both the South Entrance and the Desert View (East Entrance) as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week[13][14]. The South Entrance near Tusayan gets the heaviest traffic, and NPS warns of waits of up to 2 hours between 9:30 am and 4 pm[13]. In 2025 the busiest month was May with 508,642 recreation visits, and the quietest was January with 191,862[2]. NPS describes cold, snowy winters and stretches of extreme summer heat[15]. Inside the canyon, highs run 20 to 30 degrees warmer than on the rims, according to NPS[15]. Conditions can shift fast, so look at a forecast before you go[15].

January 2025: 191,862 recreation visitsJanFebruary 2025: 206,935 recreation visitsFebMarch 2025: 350,351 recreation visitsMarApril 2025: 460,907 recreation visitsAprMay 2025: 508,642 recreation visits508,642MayJune 2025: 455,209 recreation visitsJunJuly 2025: 459,269 recreation visitsJulAugust 2025: 423,811 recreation visitsAugSeptember 2025: 369,315 recreation visitsSepOctober 2025: 399,670 recreation visitsOctNovember 2025: 296,325 recreation visitsNovDecember 2025: 308,357 recreation visitsDec
Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, May, is highlighted[2].
Show visits by month
Month, 2025Recreation visits
January191,862
February206,935
March350,351
April460,907
May508,642
June455,209
July459,269
August423,811
September369,315
October399,670
November296,325
December308,357
Show visits by year
Year Recreation visits
2021[3] 4,532,677
2022[3] 4,732,101
2023[3] 4,733,705
2024[3] 4,919,163
2025[3] 4,430,653

Camping

NPS and Recreation.gov list 4 campgrounds in the park[4]. Mather Campground has 357 sites, North Rim Campground has 125, Trailer Village RV Park on the South Rim has 123, and Desert View Campground has 50[4]. Nightly fees for an individual site listed by NPS range from $3 to $85[4].

Pets and dogs

Under the national NPS pet rule, pets must stay on a leash of six feet or less, or be crated or caged, wherever they are allowed[16]. Pets cannot go into public buildings or onto public transportation, and the park can close more areas to them[16]. Of the things to do NPS lists here, pets are allowed at the 30 minute Geology Talk in South Rim Village[17].

Before you go

Questions people ask

How much is the Grand Canyon entrance fee?
NPS lists $35 for a private vehicle[1], $30 for a motorcycle[7] and $20 per person for bicyclists, hikers and pedestrians[8]. Non-US residents aged 16 and older may also owe a $100 nonresident fee[9].
Can I pay the Grand Canyon entrance fee in cash?
No. NPS says entry is cashless, so you pay by card or mobile payment[6].
What is the busiest month at Grand Canyon?
In 2025 the busiest month was May with 508,642 recreation visits[2]. January was the quietest with 191,862[2].
Are dogs allowed at Grand Canyon National Park?
Where pets are allowed, the national rule requires a leash no longer than six feet or a crate or cage[16]. Pets are not allowed in public buildings, and the park can close more areas[16].
How many campgrounds are in Grand Canyon National Park?
NPS and Recreation.gov list 4 campgrounds, with Mather Campground at 357 sites[4]. Nightly individual-site fees listed by NPS range from $3 to $85[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $35. National Park Service
  2. NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
  3. NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 4,532,677, 2022: 4,732,101, 2023: 4,733,705, 2024: 4,919,163, 2025: 4,430,653. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
  4. Campgrounds in Grand Canyon National Park (list on this page). National Park Service
  5. Grand Canyon National Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Park) in Arizona. National Park Service
  6. Entrance fees at Grand Canyon National Park are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
  7. Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $30. National Park Service
  8. Entrance fee, Per Person: $20. National Park Service
  9. Entrance fee, Nonresident: $100. National Park Service
  10. Annual Entrance - Park: $70. National Park Service
  11. Grand Canyon National Park accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
  12. America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
  13. Operating hours, South Rim - South Entrance: Both Desert View (East Entrance) and South Entrance are Open 24 hours/day and 7 Days/week. Credit cards, and America the Beautiful passes are accepted for entry. Cash is not accepted at this time. The South... National Park Service
  14. Operating hours, South Rim - Desert View (East Entrance): The East Entrance to the park at Desert View is open 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Visitors traveling through the Navajo Nation on US 89, turn west at Cameron, Arizona onto State Route 64, then drive... National Park Service
  15. NPS weather and seasons overview for Grand Canyon National Park. National Park Service
  16. National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
  17. NPS lists 3 things to do at Grand Canyon National Park: Geology Talk (30 minutes) South Rim Village: 2:00 pm, Grand Canyon Celebration of Art Exhibition 2026, Park Films in the South Rim Visitor Center Theater. Pets permitted on 1 of them (Geology Talk (30... National Park Service

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.