Grand Canyon North Rim visitor season coming to an end Friday

The visitor season for the Grand Canyon's North Rim, which was interrupted by a wildfire closure, will come to an end on Friday.

BY JEFF VINTON

Nov 13, 2025, 2:15 PM

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PHOENIX — The Grand Canyon North Rim’s interrupted visitor season, which included a monthslong closure due to the Dragon Bravo Fire, will come to an end on Friday, officials announced.

The Grand Canyon National Park issued an advisory Thursday, which said the closure is scheduled to go into effect at 5:20 p.m. due to expected winter weather.

The forecast for this weekend calls for rain on Saturday and possible snow showers on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. This led park officials to announce the closure, as the weather could create unsafe travel conditions and work environments due to trees that were damaged by the fire, unstable ground and scattered debris.

The closure will apply to all developed areas and all adjacent areas on the North Rim, all roads in the area and select trails, including the North Kaibab Trail.

End of Grand Canyon North Rim visitor season comes after partial reopening

The North Rim partially reopened to the public on Oct. 1. It was scheduled to remain open through Nov. 30 or the first snowfall, whichever came first.

Prior to the reopening, the North Rim had been closed since mid-July due to the Dragon Bravo Fire, which was ignited by lightning on July 4 and burned 145,504 acres. It is the seventh largest wildfire ever recorded in Arizona.

The fire destroyed more than 70 structures on the North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

The park said the North Rim is expected to reopen to visitors on May 15, 2026. However, weather, trail conditions, infrastructure readiness and completion of hazard mitigation efforts could cause that date to be rescheduled.

The area’s visitor season normally runs through mid-October.