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Grand Canyon National Park has never had a system of interconnected trails purposefully designed and constructed to transport people throughout the park. The Greenway provides vital infrastructure that will engage the body, mind and spirit of visitors, and serve to define the sense of place that makes Grand Canyon one of the most unique landscapes on the planet.
See Grand Canyon Greenway: a Model for America's National Parks by Chuck Flink
Download a Park Service fact sheet on the Grand Canyon Greenway (pdf 356 kb)
Grand Canyon Greenway makes trails a key part of Park transportation
Grand opening for a section of the Grand Canyon Greenway
Grand Canyon National Park’s trail crew recently completed work on Phase V of the Grand Canyon Greenway (Greenway V). The trail is now open for public enjoyment. Linking to the popular Rim Trail, the new stretch provides a continuous, paved, accessible trail from Grand Canyon Village to the South Kaibab Trailhead.
The goal of the Greenway, as envisioned in Grand Canyon National Park’s 1995 General Management Plan, is to create a system of multi-use, accessible trails throughout the park. The trail system encourages non-motorized modes of travel, complimenting the South Rim Visitor Transportation Plan. In addition, the Greenway system provides a greater opportunity for visitors to experience the resources of the park.
The Grand Canyon Greenway project began in 1999 as a public/private cooperative effort between the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon National Park Foundation, and the Grand Canyon Collaborative – a volunteer group of greenway planners and designers who provided assistance with the planning of the overall system and designs for Phases I and II of the project.
Phase I, which extended the existing Rim Trail (Grand Canyon Village to Yavapai Point) through Mather Point and out to Pipe Creek Vista, was completed in 2002. Phase II, which connects the park’s primary visitor center to Grand Canyon Village, was completed in 2003. Phase IV, located on the North Rim, connects Bright Angel Point to the North Kaibab Trailhead and was completed in 2009. This segment of the Greenway project marked the first time that park staff completed all design work and construction oversight in-house.
Map of main elements of the Grand Canyon Greenway
Work on the mile-long Greenway V, which extends the Rim Trail out to the South Kaibab Trailhead, began in April 2010 and was completed late in September. The design work was completed in-house, and construction was carried out by the Grand Canyon trail crew in partnership with American Conservation Experience, a non-profit, international conservation corps that offers volunteers the opportunity to spend twelve weeks or longer helping to restore America’s national treasures. The work included the building of over 5,300 linear feet of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant trail, reconfiguration of the Pipe Creek Vista overlook and parking area to provide for pedestrian and vehicular safety, and landscape improvements to the South Kaibab Trailhead.
Funding for Greenway V was provided by the Federal Highways Administration through programs authorized by the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Greenway III, the final phase of the planned Greenway system, will connect the Grand Canyon Visitor Center with the gateway community of Tusayan, Arizona, passing through both Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest. Work on Greenway III will be completed in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. Construction of the Grand Canyon portion of the project could begin as early as this fall. Work on Greenway III beyond the park boundary will begin once the designs are finalized and funding has been secured.
For more information on the Grand Canyon Greenway project, please contact Project Manager Michael Terzich at 928-638-7365.
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