Phantom Ranch cabin | Photo by Denise Traver
If you’ve ever tried getting reservations at Phantom Ranch, you already know how difficult that is. There are only 92 beds total in all the cabins and dorms combined, and these are used by hikers and overnight mule riders alike.
Currently, reservations become available on the first of each month for the same month of the following year and are basically sold out immediately. Well, things are about to change!
Starting with stays for January 2019 and beyond, Grand Canyon National Park Lodges (Xanterra) is converting to an online lottery reservation system for random selection of the bed space for cabins and dorms. They are still working out details which are supposed to be completed by November 2017. Below are some details that have been determined at this point.
- Lottery entries will be required between the 1st and 25th of the 15th month prior to the desired stay month.
- Lottery submissions will be processed, lottery winners notified and reservations guaranteed within the 14th month prior.
- Any unsold/unclaimed inventory will be released to general availability for reservations following the current 13-month reservation window.
Example
- Month of Stay: January 2019
- Lottery Submission: November 1-25, 2017
- Lottery Processing and Notification: December 2017
- Unsold inventory to General Availability: January 2, 2018 (normally on the 1st of the month, January is on the 2nd due to the New Year’s Day holiday)
Below is a table that Grand Canyon National Park Lodges has provided on their site for assisting visitors in determining the timeline for submitting and processing times for their new lottery reservation system.
Cancellations will continue to be filled with those on a same day wait list.
| Month of Stay | Lottery Submission | Lottery Processing and Notification | Unsold Inventory Released for General Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2019 | November 1-25, 2017 | December 2017 | January 2, 2018 |
| February 2019 | December 1-25, 2017 | January 2018 | February 1, 2018 |
| March 2019 | January 1-25, 2018 | February 2018 | March 1, 2018 |
| April 2019 | February 1-25, 2018 | March 2018 | April 1, 2018 |
| May 2019 | March 1-25, 2018 | April 2018 | May 1, 2018 |
| June 2019 | April 1-25, 2018 | May 2018 | June 1, 2018 |
| July 2019 | May 1-25, 2018 | June 2018 | July 1, 2018 |
| August 2019 | June 1-25, 2018 | July 2018 | August 1, 2018 |
| September 2019 | July 1-25, 2018 | August 2018 | September 1, 2018 |
| October 2019 | August 1-25, 2018 | September 2018 | October 1, 2018 |
| November 2019 | September 1-25, 2018 | October 2018 | November 1, 2018 |
| December 2019 | October 1-25, 2018 | November 2018 | December 1, 2018 |
