Tuweep Airport

The airport was closed for environmental and wilderness preservation purposes. The National Park Service's decision was driven by a policy to restore the natural soundscape and preserve the 'primitive and uncrowded visitor experience' of the remote Tuweep/Toroweap area. The closure eliminated aircraft noise and limited access to the area, aligning with the NPS's goal of managing the land for its wilderness character.

The site of the former airport is being managed as a natural area by the National Park Service. The faint outline of the dirt runway is still visible on satellite imagery but is slowly being reclaimed by native vegetation and desert landscape. There are no remaining aviation facilities. Access to the Tuweep area is now strictly limited to a 61-mile rugged dirt road that requires high-clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles and a permit from the NPS.

Tuweep Airport was a remote, unpaved backcountry airstrip located within Grand Canyon National Park. Its primary function was to provide general aviation access for private pilots and small air tour operators to the extremely isolated Tuweep/Toroweap Overlook on the North Rim. It consisted of a single dirt runway, approximately 3,400 feet in length, with no services or facilities. For decades, it was a challenging but popular destination for pilots seeking to experience one of the most dramatic and inaccessible viewpoints of the Grand Canyon from the air and ground.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Tuweep Airport. The closure was a deliberate and permanent policy decision by the National Park Service to enhance the wilderness character of the area. Reopening an airstrip would directly contradict the current NPS General Management Plan for the Grand Canyon, which emphasizes the preservation of natural quiet and a primitive recreational experience. Therefore, the possibility of it ever being reopened for aviation is virtually non-existent.