Water Filling Stations
Have you ever wondered why water stations on the South Rim are caged in?
If you’ve visited the South Kaibab or Bright Angel Trail in the past few years, you may have seen elk drinking from the water bottle filling stations. And then more recently, you may have seen that due to wildlife and human life encounters, the water filling stations were closed. In August 2023, construction crews installed the new water filling stations with wildlife-resistant enclosures at the Bright Angel and South Kaibab Trailheads funded by Grand Canyon Conservancy.
This was completed with funding through a grant from National Park Foundation and Tupperware. The filling stations had been closed because elk had learned to turn on the water and there were too many encounters with humans. The new water filling stations are wildlife proof.
Elk drinking water from the water refill station on the South Rim before the enclosures were installed. Photo: Brian Erickson