VOL 27 ISSUE 37, September 21, 2026
Main caption: While Grand Canyon National Park remains open for day visits, Stage 4 water restrictions have forced the closure of in-park lodging and presented challenges for the community. In response, Delaware North has donated $10,000 to the Grand Canyon Food Pantry to purchase food to help sustain the community, including team members of Delaware North and other concessions companies operating in the park.
As Grand Canyon National Park and its community at the South Rim persevere through water restrictions implemented while the Transcanyon Waterline is being repaired, Delaware North is lending a hand in several ways.
The waterline suffered extensive damage in the Aug. 29 flash flood in a remote area of the inner canyon, a tragic event that claimed several hikers’ lives.
In response, the National Park Service (NPS) implemented Stage 4 water restrictions and closed overnight lodging in the park – including the Delaware North Parks and Resorts-operated Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village RV Park. NPS has kept the park open for day visitation, encouraged water conservation and provided free potable water, showers and laundry service for use by the Grand Canyon community.
Delaware North – which also owns and operates The Holiday Inn Resort Grand Canyon (formerly The Squire at Grand Canyon) in nearby Tusayan, which is not affected by the water restrictions and still operating – has worked closely with NPS to assist the Grand Canyon community, which includes many team members who work in company operations in the park.
Delaware North’s largest contribution was a $10,000 donation last week to the Grand Canyon Food Pantry to purchase food to help sustain the community, including team members of Delaware North and other concessions companies operating in the park.
The company is also providing its Grand Canyon National Park team members with three complimentary meals per day at the Yavapai Dining Hall while they await the resumption of operations in the park.
In addition, Delaware North’s The Holiday Inn Resort Grand Canyon is:
- Offering 15 family resort passes per day for local community members to access resort amenities, guest showers and laundry at no cost.
- Providing office space to the U.S. Department of the Interior Incident Management Team’s command center overseeing the response and recovery efforts by Interior and NPS.
- Hosting community dinners sponsored by the Grand Canyon Conservancy on Sept. 28 and Oct. 8. The meals are complimentary for community members and their families.
Meanwhile, the resort’s Desert Drifter food truck is selling daily lunch service near Canyon Village Market at the South Rim without using water from inside the park.