With smoke clearing and crews tamping down the Dragon Bravo Fire, Grand Canyon National Park announced reopening dates for several trails and popular visitor destinations.
The reopening plan includes Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground. Both are in the Bright Angel Creek watershed, where officials say they are installing new flood detection and warning systems and taking other action to help protect visitors against the increased risk of post-fire flash flooding and debris flows below the North Rim burn scar.
What's Open Now
The following South Rim hiking routes reopened Wednesday:
- 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
Those areas weren't in the fire's path but were closed due to concerns about smoke, emergency access and other issues related to the blaze burning on the North Rim. The reopenings come as air quality improved significantly over the last week, a park news release said.
"Grand Canyon National Park thanks the public for their patience and understanding as staff continue to mitigate safety risks from the Dragon Bravo Fire and work to restore access to corridor hiking trails on the South Rim," the release said. "The park remains committed to reopening closed areas as soon as they are determined to be safe, and encourages the public to stay informed through future park updates."
When Will Phantom Ranch Open?
Nov. 1 is the tentative reopening date for Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground. In addition to the new detection and warning systems, the park is also implementing evacuation planning and visitor education to reduce risks from post-fire flash flooding.
The North Rim Remains Closed
- The Grand Canyon's North Rim is closed until at least next year.
- North Kaibab Trail remains closed for the foreseeable future due to post-fire impacts. Extensive work is needed to address rockslides and make necessary structural modifications before it can safely reopen.
- Highway 67 to the North Rim also remains closed for the foreseeable future.
Other Grand Canyon Closures
- The River Trail from Pipe Creek to the South Kaibab Trail junction remains closed through Oct. 31 due to ongoing construction on the Transcanyon Waterline Project.
- The Silver Bridge remains closed through Nov. 26.
Status Of The Dragon Bravo Fire
The fire burned more than 145,000 acres, or about 225 square miles, and was 62 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters were using drones to identify hot spots and crews were working to remove damaged trees along Highway 67.
Lightning sparked the fire on July 4, and about a week later it burned through the North Rim and destroyed dozens of structures including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
Visitors should check the park website and social media pages for the latest updates.
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