By 1914, cars were already showing up. By 1951, the parking lot at the canyon's premiere hotel, El Tovar, was filled, and it's remained filled ever since. Grand Canyon Park Superintendent Rob Arnberger says the park experience is subtly being eroded into a parking experience. We want people to come to parks, but parks and that park experience should not be the same experience that you have driving down your street in Elm Street U.S.A. or going to your Wal-Mart. Twenty years ago, the Park Service closed one road to private vehicles, the popular West Rim Drive.
Shuttle buses take visitors to viewpoints.
Beginning in 2002, the shuttles will replace cars on all roads within the park. Visitors with hotel reservations inside the park will leave their cars at their hotel. Everyone else will leave their cars on this land outside the park and ride a privately funded light rail system to the park's new visitor center. Work has already begun. Welcome to Grand Canyon.