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Tusayan: Arizona's newest incorporated town

Tusayan (Arizona's newest and 91st incorporated town) serves as the main entrance to Grand Canyon's South Rim, one of seven Natural World Wonders.

The town offers premiere hotel accommodations, campgrounds, RV parks, great restaurants and National Geographic IMAX entertainment. The town also offers once in a lifetime helicopter and flight experiences over the Grand Canyon, jeep tours and many cultural events highlighting Native American traditions. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders stay in Tusayan to explore the Kaibab National Forest surrounding the town.

Tusayan's history is interwoven by the beginnings of the Grand Canyon National Park. When prohibition ended, Tony Galindo leased a portion of the Reed Homestead to build a bar and tourist motel. Galindo named the new business the "Tusayan Bar" in recognition of the Tusayan Pueblo. The state of Arizona, installed a sign along the highway near the bar identifying the area as "Tusayan."

Tusayan is primarily a tourism-based economy providing services to the more than four million people and two million vehicles that pass through the town yearly. Visitors are highly important to Tusayan. The town has developed to welcome and care for the year-round visitors that come to enjoy and partake in this World Heritage Site, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon.

As a young town, Tusayan is working toward a greater sense of autonomy and designing how the community will grow in the future. Tusayan is a unique place to live and work. Several volunteer and service organizations contribute greatly to Tusayan. These organizations include Rotary on the Rim Club and Lions Club, the Tusayan Volunteer Fire Department, American Legion John Ivens Post 42 and the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitors Bureau. These service clubs contribute to the future of Tusayan by providing scholarships to graduating seniors, fundraising throughout the year for various community causes and organizing activities, such as Tusayan's spectacular Fourth of July celebration.

Tusayan, with its close proximity to the Grand Canyon, Kaibab National Forest and the Painted Desert, makes it a one of a kind international travel destination. Grand Canyon Airport, located just minutes from Tusayan's hotels, shops and restaurants, is the third busiest airport in Arizona.

The people of Tusayan welcome you and are here to assure your experience at the Grand Canyon is premier in every way. Take a moment to stroll the streets of Tusayan and absorb what the community has to offer. You will be pleasantly surprised to find great food, lodging, entertainment and one-of-a-kind souvenirs to take home offered only as Tusayan can, in a small town atmosphere.

For more information, visit www.tusayan-az.gov.


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