Iconic Marble Canyon Lodge Burns Down in Arizona
A fire destroyed the historic Marble Canyon Lodge and Restaurant in the early morning hours of June 19, 2013. The fire swept through the dining hall, kitchen, sporting goods store, book store, and office. The Lodge was a landmark for the Grand Canyon National Park river runners since it was located in the Lee’s Ferry area, the launching point for Grand Canyon river rafting trips.
(Source: Coconino County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, smoke and flames were noticed in the back of the building by the owner, who lives on site, after he woke up to a burglary alarm around 1:30 a.m. Construction workers, who were staying at the Lodge while they worked on road construction nearby used their water tanker trucks to help put out the fire. Firefighters arrived shortly after.
Marble Lodge is located 85 miles east of Grand Canyon North Rim on Highway 89A. It is a popular lodging option for tourists traveling from or to the Grand Canyon North Rim and for visitors enjoying a South Rim Grand Canyon vacation.
Marble Canyon Lodge provides 60 guest rooms and 8 suites, a lounge and a restaurant. Flagstaff police department and the sheriff’s office are investigating the cause of the Grand Canyon fire. The newer building that houses the convenience store and the post office north of the lodge was unharmed. The nearby motel also remained intact. No injuries were reported.
