Visitors at Grand Canyon National Park are waiting for hours to enter the park.
Park officials posted a photo Tuesday of dozens of cars in four long lines backed up at the south entrance. They said visitors waited for several hours to enter the park.
“It is shaping up to be a busy holiday week ahead,” the park said. “If visiting the South Rim this week, expect crowded conditions including: long entrance station lines, long shuttle bus lines, limited parking near the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, and large crowds at popular viewpoints.”
The park said tourists should expect crowded conditions this week, including long shuttle bus lines, limited parking near the visitor center and large crowds at viewpoints.
“However, there are ways to navigate and avoid some of this congestion to make the most of your time on the South Rim,” the park said. “Keep you and your family safe while visiting Grand Canyon National Park by following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.”
The CDC recommends that people visit recreation areas close to home, and that people shouldn’t visit crowded parks or campgrounds.
The crowds at the Grand Canyon come as COVID-19 cases are spiking across the U.S. More than 12.5 million coronavirus cases and 259,000 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
“When visiting parks, beaches, or recreational facilities open for public use, try to protect against exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by practicing social distancing and everyday steps such as washing hands often and covering coughs and sneezes,” the CDC said.
