Grand Canyon bans water bottle sales

Plan on hiking the Grand Canyon this summer? Better bring your own water bottle. The National Park Service is killing off the sale of pre-packaged bottled water in the park, but hasn't lost its concern for your health: Bring your own reusable water bottle and you'll be able to fill it up free throughout the park.

Plastic water bottles have been a bane at the canyon. Making up nearly 20% of the park's waste stream, disposable bottles don't just find their way into the trash or recycling bins, they also get dumped on trails and over the edge of the canyon, messing up an otherwise wonderful experience.

Under the park's new policy, sales of individual disposable water containers of less than a gallon will end this month. Instead of buying water, you can fill up your own bottle at one of the new filling stations that provide free, Grand Canyon spring water from the park's approved water supply, located at Roaring Springs.

The new South Rim filling stations are equipped to provide year-round access to water and are located at:

Hermits Rest (located near the other public amenities);

Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trailheads;

Canyon Village and Desert View Marketplaces;

Yavapai Geology Museum;

Grand Canyon, Verkamp's and Desert View Visitor Centers; and

Maswik Lodge (in the cafeteria).

New North Rim filling stations are located at:

North Kaibab Trailhead,

North Rim Visitor Center (adjacent to the restrooms), and

North Rim Backcountry Office.