Visitation is up at the Grand Canyon National Park.  It has increased by 16% according to numbers presented to the Town Council at a February 17^th meeting.  Dawn Ryan with the GCNP expects to see an increase this year as well.

Even in the off season visitors are flocking to the Canyon. Ryan said during a weekend in February, 75,000 vehicles passed through the South Entrance Station.

All that activity is prompting the Parks Service to use the park and ride at the north roundabout as a primary stop for the shuttle service when it resumes in the spring. They hope such a move will relieve traffic jams at the entrance. The Parks Service is asking the Town Council to put up some signage directing people to the shuttle service.

Walking to the Park will be getting easier. The National Parks Service has the funding its needs to complete the Greenway Trail which will run from the south entrance to the north roundabout.

Meanwhile the Park’s Chief of Concessions, Doug Lentz, says the park has a handle on last year’s clinic crisis and they are putting a contract out to bid. Lentz does not anticipate any disruption in service at the medical facility which serves the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas.