A Grand Adventure
Tusayan and the Grand Canyon
By Christine Ward
T
usayan is a small town located in Northern Arizona, 1 mile from the South Entrance to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. Many people may say they have never heard of the town of Tusayan. Still, if they have driven to the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim at any time since the pandemic began, they have driven right through it. Since the East Entrance to the National Park has been closed since March, the only way to go to the South Rim is through Tusayan. When the pandemic struck, Tusayan jumped right in to support the businesses in the town, all of whom depend
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on tourism for their livelihood. They provided masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and dispensers, disinfectants, and also supported the local Food Bank, which saw a huge increase in demand because of the pandemic. All of the businesses in Tusayan struggled while the Grand Canyon National Park was shut down to visitors in April 2020. These businesses have been working hard to recover since the reopening of the park in June 2020. They are eager to welcome visitors back in 2021.
