Hi Everyone!

I read somewhere that you can buy your GC tickets before you get to the park and zip through the pre-purchase line. I can't remember where I saw the post at, but I was hoping someone could tell me where I can get them at.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

Nancy

Nancy - exactly what line do you zip through?

Your post made me think you think the Grand Canyon is a ride as Disney!

The Grand Canyon is a National Park and will have an entrance gate where you stop to pay an entrance fee to the park (for the car and occupants).

You can buy an annual pass for all NP's. Maybe that's what you are thinking about. If you join you probably get a decal for the car or something to hang on your mirror - and there may be an express lane for pass members.

That's the only possiblity I can think of. You can buy a pass at any NP and maybe online.

Yep. Here's the link.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon/entrance_fees.htm

You can buy the National Park Pass for $50 online. There are other pass options on this link page.

The $50 is for any NP for a year. The fee for the Grand Canyon for a week is $20. I suppose your decision will be based on how many other NP you might visit - and how important it is to you not to wait in line at the entrance gate.

Hope that helps.

starsville - we've bought National Park passes several years we knew we were hitting a few national parks out west. I never recall a separate line for passholders. We were at Yellowstone last year and definitely did not see anything like an "EZ Pass" line.

Now if they would only sell parking passes...We've had more of an issue with trying to find a parking spot in the more popular parks than with waiting in line at the entrance station.

karens, it was just a guess..."and there may be an express lane for pass members".

We have that a some parks near me. Just a thought. Obviously, an incorrect one. So, I have no idea what Nancy might be talking about.

You can purchase the National Park Pass in advance online for $50.

At the South Rim of the Grand Canyon there is an "Express" line for those holding a Park Pass or have already purchased a 7 day pass. You still might have to wait in line because you still have to show your pass& maybe even your drivers license to the park ranger, just like the other lines, but you don't have to wait while others purchase their park passes, ask questions and get park pamplets & other handouts.

Utahtea

We were at Grand Canyon (South Rim) 2 years ago in mid-August. Stayed at Bright Angel. We had heard all sorts of horror stories about summer crowds - so I was ready for a WDW-like experience.

Have no fear - except for the area right around the Park lodging you will not feel like you are at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving. Even the shuttle bus loop to various scenic overlooks had only a handful of passengers. If you can find a way to stay in the Park, you will not have to deal with lines for National Park Pass except on initial entry into Park

Gail,

I am really glad to hear it's not like Disney World. The unbelievable crowds are one of the reasons I have no interest in ever going there again. Of course I have been there 30 times in the last 35 years, so I'm not missing anything.

But seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time I think I will be like a kid seeing WDW for the first time. I'm really glad I don't have to wait for two hours!!

Having just got back from Arizona & Utah I can report that the showing of National Park passes is very arbitary. In one place we were waved through without it being looked at whilst in others we had to produce proof of identity.
No fast track line at the Desert View entrance to The Grand Canyon NP.
The Pass is the best $50.00 I have spent in all my visits to the USA.

My experience is similar to Gail's. I was at the Grand Canyon last Fourth of July and was wondering where all the hordes of people I'd been warned about were! Yes, entry into the park took a little time (we used the lifetime senior citizen pass and they did ask to check my mother's license), but once inside, all was good. Not to say there weren't plenty of visitors, but I was expecting massive crowds, and that wasn't the case at all (dinner time is when I saw the most people, but even then we never waited for a meal.) I was even surprised that more folks hadn't woken up early to watch the sunrise as we did.

We got a great Fodorite tip for our Grand Canyon trip last year - enter it through the east gate. We were there in late June, and there wasn't any line at all - plus you can see the tower on your way and there are lots of good overlooks as you head west. I just looked: the road is State Road 64. On the way up from Flagstaff we also stopped to see Wupatki and Sunset Crater - both good stops

Utahtea - I didn't know any national parks had an "express lane"!

As I re-read my reply, I see that it could be construed as written with a mocking tone. Nfahey - if you construed it that way, I am sorry. I did not mean it that way - I just chuckled at the image it created in my mind if Disney took over our national parks. (And let's hope THAT never happens!)

karens,

I don't know if "Express Lane" is the correct phrase, but there is a special line at the South Rim entrance for National Park Pass or pre-paid entrance fee holders.

http://www.grandcanyonimaxtheater.co...ction=PassInfo

As far as I know, this is the only National Park that has these lines.

Utahtea

Thanks everyone for your great replies. I didn't mean an ezpass type line where you literally drive right through. I meant a line for people that already held tickets for a slightly faster entrance. I thought I had read somewhere a few months ago that you can buy a pass somewhere between Sedona and the GC and take a different lane in...maybe the person was referring to the some of the senerios others have described.

jv827--Thanks so much for the words of encourangement. We are going Memorial Week and I was afraid of the possible crowds. Glad to hear 4th of July week wasn't as bad as you anticipated...it gives me hope!

karens--your reply did sound mocking, but apology accepted! Life's too short to sweat the little things!


Thansk again...

Nancy

We were just at the Grand Canyon in early April on a Saturday. There was a line to buy the 20 pass--perhaps a 15 minute wait. The express lane was in operation and the cars zipped right through there--no wait or very very little. This was the only National Park we were visiting on this trip so I guess to save $30 the 15 minute wait was worth it. I am not sure at a busier time of year if we might reconsider that. H

So, there IS an equivalent to EZPass lane. I'm glad this grey matter is not completely turning to mush!

nfahey,

You can purchase a prepaid entrance pass at the IMAX Theater in Tusayan just outside the park entrance.

http://www.explorethecanyon.com/Insi...ction=PassInfo

Utahtea