Grand Canyon National Park to Reopen Parts of North Rim

Grand Canyon National Park is set to reopen sections of the North Rim following a wildfire that devastated historic lodges and numerous cabins, as announced by the National Park Service on Thursday.

The daytime access will begin on October 1st. Visitors can explore places like Point Imperial, the highest lookout point in the park, along with Cape Royal, according to their release.

This access will remain available until just before November 30th. However, much of the North Rim will close again with the first heavy snowfall due to safety and recovery concerns.

The Dragon Bravo Fire, ignited by lightning in early July, burned for about a week before escalating into a rapidly spreading blaze that resulted in evacuations and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge and several cabins.

Park Services have cautioned visitors returning to these areas to be fully self-sufficient, as they will need to bring their own food, water, and other supplies. There are still risks, including a heightened likelihood of flash flooding and the presence of dead standing trees.

The National Park Service has defended its fire management strategies, highlighting that sudden, severe wind shifts exceeded previous expectations.

In the wake of the fire, a group of Arizona’s bipartisan elected officials has raised concerns about the overall response, suggesting that more proactive measures could have been taken. Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs met with federal representatives, noting that U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgham has promised an independent review of the incident.

Ultimately, the fire charred over 227 square miles of land.