Headed to Grand Canyon today.

Anything I should be aware of for carry around the Grand Canyon? I know here in AZ, I can conceal without a permission slip and plan too, my wife isn't comfortable with me OC'ing while on vacation in unfamiliar areas where we don't know how law enforcement acts.

Many of the buildings at the Grand Canyon are federal, you can't bring a firearm inside.
Aside from that, you shouldn't have any problems carrying anywhere else in the park.

I've carried there several times, including trips to Phantom Ranch and back without any issues.

Are you going below the rim, or just enjoying the views from the top?
If you are going to hike into the canyon, I would suggest the South Kaibab trail, the views are much better than the Bright Angel trail.
A hike to Skeleton Point is a good day hike, pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the amazing scenery, you can see the Colorado River from there.

Skeleton Point Pictures

Take lots of water and remember, it takes twice as much time to go up!

Enjoy your visit!

-MH

p.s. If you hike the trails, watch out for Mule Pools!

Don't plan on any hikes.

Thanks for the reminder of Fed buildings. Wife and I will keep that in mind.

Don't plan on wearing it on one the trams. been there done that.

Rottyz said:

Don't plan on wearing it on one the trams. been there done that.

Click to expand...

? Why not? Perfectly legal, and I can speak from experience that it was no issue even just a few short months after the laws changed to make it possible. Open-carried from my vehicle parked outside the general store in GCV, took the shuttle to a trailhead, hiked down Grandview, visited the caves, the spring, camped, came back up, bus to vehicle, no issues. Similarly uneventful when I hiked Kaibab to Phantom and came backup over the next two days via bright angel/indian gardens.

The only two times anyone even mentioned the gun I was wearing were heading down via Kaibab when someone asked me if I was a ranger, and when getting water at the spring during the Grandview trip when some foreigners seemed a bit surprised. Still pretty uneventful though =)

Thoreau said:

? Why not? Perfectly legal, and I can speak from experience that it was no issue even just a few short months after the laws changed to make it possible. Open-carried from my vehicle parked outside the general store in GCV, took the shuttle to a trailhead, hiked down Grandview, visited the caves, the spring, camped, came back up, bus to vehicle, no issues. Similarly uneventful when I hiked Kaibab to Phantom and came backup over the next two days via bright angel/indian gardens.

The only two times anyone even mentioned the gun I was wearing were heading down via Kaibab when someone asked me if I was a ranger, and when getting water at the spring during the Grandview trip when some foreigners seemed a bit surprised. Still pretty uneventful though =)

Click to expand...

Because every tram we got on HAD a no guns sign on/in them.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/upload/Firearms-in-IMRparks2-2010.pdf

Is what I assume they used when we where there.

Guns may not be allowed on shuttle buses,
ferries or boats within certain national
parks, depending on the state

Click to expand...

I said NOTHING about from a vehicle or anything else, just trams !!!

Call 'em up and say you feel threatened by a guy with a handgun 1000 miles away...

Rottyz said:

Because every tram we got on HAD a no guns sign on/in them.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/upload/Firearms-in-IMRparks2-2010.pdf

Is what I assume they used when we where there.

Click to expand...

Must be something they added since (my referenced visits were both very soon after the law took effect, so not much time for them to get all anti-gunny with signs yet.)

For what it's worth, that document you linked also fails to match the wording of the actual law (as have previous version of that PDF that I've seen.) Specifically with regard to the concept that a CCW permit is required to carry concealed. My google-fi (and time) are limited right now, but the actual federal statute makes no such provision other than to simply mirror the state's laws in which the park (or portion of the park for those crossing state lines) resides.

In the case of the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, a CCW permit is not required for concealment, thus is not required in the Grand Canyon National Park.

The shuttle bus portion stating that guns "may not be allowed on shuttle buses, ferries or boats within certain national parks, depending on the state" is of course open ended and varies from place to place. As mentioned above, it's been a little while since I've been up there, but no such signage or prohibition was in place from inception of the new law through to my last visit in April 2010. It'd definitely be a damn shame if that's changed since, but I wouldn't be surprised either.

Google-Fu is feeling a bit stronger now...

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ24/html/PLAW-111publ24.htm

Scroll down to section 512 for the entirety of the law as was enacted.

The entire quote of section 512 (below) leaves zero room for any requirement of a CCW permit for concealment in a state that already makes legal such concealment:

"SEC. 512. <<NOTE: 16 USC 1a-7b.>> PROTECTING AMERICANS FROM
VIOLENT CRIME.

(a) Congressional Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The Second Amendment to the Constitution provides that
``the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed''.
(2) Section 2.4(a)(1) of title 36, Code of Federal
Regulations, provides that ``except as otherwise provided in
this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska
regulations), the following are prohibited: (i) Possessing a
weapon, trap or net (ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net (iii)
Using a weapon, trap or net''.

[[Page 123 STAT. 1765]]

(3) Section 27.42 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations,
provides that, except in special circumstances, citizens of the
United States may not ``possess, use, or transport firearms on
national wildlife refuges'' of the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service.
(4) The regulations described in paragraphs (2) and (3)
prevent individuals complying with Federal and State laws from
exercising the second amendment rights of the individuals while
at units of--
(A) the National Park System; and
(B) the National Wildlife Refuge System.
(5) The existence of different laws relating to the
transportation and possession of firearms at different units of
the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System
entrapped law-abiding gun owners while at units of the National
Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System.
(6) Although the Bush administration issued new regulations
relating to the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens
in units of the National Park System and National Wildlife
Refuge System that went into effect on January 9, 2009--
(A) on March 19, 2009, the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia granted a preliminary
injunction with respect to the implementation and
enforcement of the new regulations; and
(B) the new regulations--
(i) are under review by the administration;
and
(ii) may be altered.
(7) Congress needs to weigh in on the new regulations to
ensure that unelected bureaucrats and judges cannot again
override the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens on
83,600,000 acres of National Park System land and 90,790,000
acres of land under the jurisdiction of the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service.
(8) The Federal laws should make it clear that the second
amendment rights of an individual at a unit of the National Park
System or the National Wildlife Refuge System should not be
infringed.

(b) Protecting the Right of Individuals To Bear arms in Units of the
National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System.--The
Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or enforce any regulation
that prohibits an individual from possessing a firearm including an
assembled or functional firearm in any unit of the National Park System
or the National Wildlife Refuge System if--
(1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by law from
possessing the firearm; and
(2) the possession of the firearm is in compliance with the
law of the State in which the unit of the National Park System
or the National Wildlife Refuge System is located.
"

Dude I WAS JUST saying what was posted on the trams/shuttle when we went several months ago, I stated what I see

Would say next time we go I will take a pic, but seen the hole in the ground, don't need to see it again.

Rottyz said:

Dude I WAS JUST saying what was posted on the trams/shuttle when we went several months ago, I stated what I see

Would say next time we go I will take a pic, but seen the hole in the ground, don't need to see it again.

Click to expand...

Not sure that underlining/shouting is needed. As I scroll up, I find that this is the first reference I can find of you mentioning WHEN you saw any signs. We're all just trying to share information here.

That said, I'm wondering if there's some sort of misunderstanding here since there's nothing at the Grand Canyon that I'm aware of that would be called a 'tram'. They've got shuttle busses, train tours, and donkeys.

Taking a leap here, but if you're referring to the train (which I seem to recall loops from that little town just south of the actual park) that thing is privately operated (Xanterra) and has nothing to do with the laws covering firearms in national parks. It would however, if posted, fall under typical AZ property rights/trespass law.

Thoreau said:

Not sure that underlining/shouting is needed. As I scroll up, I find that this is the first reference I can find of you mentioning WHEN you saw any signs. We're all just trying to share information here.

That said, I'm wondering if there's some sort of misunderstanding here since there's nothing at the Grand Canyon that I'm aware of that would be called a 'tram'. They've got shuttle busses, train tours, and donkeys.

Taking a leap here, but if you're referring to the train (which I seem to recall loops from that little town just south of the actual park) that thing is privately operated (Xanterra) and has nothing to do with the laws covering firearms in national parks. It would however, if posted, fall under typical AZ property rights/trespass law.

Click to expand...

Wasnt yelliing. would have been bold if I was, sry if you though it was, tram/shutle around park same thing, tomato tomahto same thing. Sry I even posted.