Being "Green" during your visit

This page is intended to offer some suggestions on how you can make your visit to the Canyon a green one.

• DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS

  • There is nothing more pathetic than a wild animal begging for human food. It's dangerous to feed them and in most cases the food you are giving them is not good for them anyway.

    Many people are injured every year when trying to feed the park's Mule deer by either being kicked or being gored. If a Mule deer kicks you it can break your leg or worse shatter the bone. Feeding these animals causes them to become habituated to human food to the point where the Park Service eventually must eliminate (yes, that means kill) them.

• R - E - C - Y - C - L - E

  • Grand Canyon National Park provides separate trash receptacles for glass, plastic and paper. Please help the park and our planet by using them.

• Travel to and at the Canyon

  • Grand Canyon Railway offers train service to the Grand Canyon from Williams, Arizona aboard a vintage steam engine and meticulously restored coaches. Leave your car in Williams and take the train. For more info, reservations and schedules call 1-800-THE-TRAIN.

  • While at the Grand Canyon take advantage of the shuttle buses that operate along the Hermit Road (late Spring through early Fall only). Recommend to the Park Service to keep these buses operating year-round and to add buses to handle the Desert View Drive.

  • Go for a hike instead of a flight. There are already too many people flying over the Canyon and the noise from the aircraft destroy the backcountry experience for those that are adventurous enough to climb down into it. The best way to see the Canyon is to walk down into it, not fly over it.

• Backcountry etiquette

  • Stay on maintained or previously used trails.

  • No fires.

  • Pack out what you pack in.

  • Take only photographs and leave only footprints.