Grand Canyon reopens 3 trails that were closed for over a month due to Dragon Bravo Fire

PHOENIX – Grand Canyon National Park officials reopened three South Rim corridor trails that were closed over a month ago due to the Dragon Bravo Fire.

The destructive wildfire north of the Grand Canyon hasn’t shown much growth in the past week. It was most recently measured at 145,500 acres with 62% containment, according to Wednesday morning’s incident report.

After air quality improved significantly over the last week, the following inner canyon trails, were opened to the public Wednesday for the first time since July 13:

• South Kaibab Trail from the South Kaibab Trailhead to Tipoff.
• Tonto Trail from Tipoff to Havasupai Gardens.
• Bright Angel Trail from the Bright Angel Trailhead to Pipe Creek Resthouse.

Meanwhile, Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground are tentatively scheduled to reopen on Nov. 1.

The North Kaibab Trail, as well as State Route 67 from Jacob Lake to the North Rim, will remain closed for the foreseeable future, officials said.

Unrelated to the Dragon Bravo Fire, the River Trail from Pipe Creek to the South Kaibab Trail junction is closed until November for Transcanyon Waterline Project construction.

Dragon Bravo Fire ranks among Arizona’s 10 largest wildfires ever

The Dragon Bravo Fire is the seventh largest wildfire ever recorded in Arizona.

About 670 firefighters are still assigned to the Grand Canyon fire, down from over 1,300 at the peak of suppression efforts.

The blaze, which was ignited by lightning on July 4, destroyed over 70 structures on the North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

Due to the devastation, the North Rim will be closed to visitors for the rest of the 2025 season, which normally runs until mid-October.

South Rim services are open as usual.

On Tuesday, the boundary of a fire-related Kaibab National Forest closure was adjusted to increase public access without impeding firefighting efforts.

Western portions of the North Kaibab Ranger District reopened, restoring access to a series of forest roads between the Jacob Lake area and Timp Point.

The rest of the district remains closed as firefighters work toward full containment.

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