WHERE TO FIND DRINKABLE WATER IN THE GRAND CANYON?

As you have maybe heard, disposable plastic water bottles are no longer sold in supermarkets or convenience stores within the park. A ban on individual water bottles came into place in 2012 as an effort to reduce waste all around the Grand Canyon National Park. 

However, you will easily find free filling stations all over the park and along the rim. If you plan on hiking along the South Rim, we have good news for you: the water all over the South Rim is treated spring water collected in the canyon itself. It comes from Roaring Springs (located on the North Rim) and is piped all the way across the Grand Canyon to the South Rim through Indian Garden. In other words, tap water is absolutely safe to drink in the Grand Canyon Nation Park, so fill up your reusable water bottles in your room or at a water fountain in the Grand Canyon Village before you start your hike and then again at the various free water stations that have been installed along the most popular trails in the park. As we say in the canyon: "never pass up a water station, a restroom or an opportunity to refuel your body." 

Some filling stations only run seasonally from May to October (usually between the 10th and 30th), so if you’re planning a hike outside the peak season, check with the Backcountry Office to find out if piped water is available at the different spots in the canyon. Water is available year-round at the Backcountry Information Center in the lobby and at Hermits Rest (on the South Rim). 

Please note that the pipeline may sometimes be undergoing some repairs and that water may occasionally be off temporarily. For more recent updates on the filling stations’ status please check out the National Park Service website.