Grand Canyon North Rim reopens after 200,000-acre fire

Grand Canyon National Park reopened the North Rim for the 2026 summer season on May 15, bringing visitors back to an area that had been shut down after the Dragon Bravo Fire tore through the plateau last July. The reopening restored access to Highway 67, Cape Royal Road, Point Imperial Road and the North Kaibab Trail, according to the National Park Service. Park officials said gates open at 6 a.m. each day for the season. The reopening is not a return to pre-fire operations. The National Park Service said the North Rim developed area suffered extensive damage in 2025, and several facilities remain closed or unavailable as recovery work continues. The Grand Canyon Lodge, a signature building on the North Rim, was destroyed in the fire. (nps.gov) ### When did the North Rim actually reopen? March 25, 2026, is when the National Park Service announced the North Rim would reopen for the season at 6 a.m. on Friday, May 15. That notice said all paved park roads on the North Rim would reopen, including Highway 67, Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road. May 15, 2026, is also the date cited by Arizona Public Media station KNAU and other local coverage of the reopening. (nps.gov) The park’s operations page now lists the North Rim as reopened for the 2026 season. ### What fire caused the long closure? July 4, 2025, is when the Dragon Bravo Fire ignited on the Kaibab Plateau within Grand Canyon National Park and adjacent Kaibab National Forest lands, according to a Burned Area Emergency Response summary posted by the Park Service. (nps.gov) That report said the fire eventually burned 149,399 acres, including 71,129 acres of National Park Service-managed land. (knau.org) July 13, 2025, is when the Park Service said extreme fire behavior swept through the North Rim developed area and confirmed the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous historic cabins. A later Park Service damage summary said the lodge complex suffered extensive and irreversible damage. ### What is open now, and what is still missing? (nps.gov) Highway 67, the Cape Royal Road, Point Imperial Road and the North Kaibab Trail are open, according to the park’s current operations page. The National Park Service also said visitors should expect limited amenities and should check current conditions before traveling. The Grand Canyon Lodge area remains one of the clearest signs of what was lost. (nps.gov) The Park Service says the lodge was destroyed, and its place page says the North Rim developed area, including the lodge, visitor center, campground and Bright Angel Point, had been closed because of extensive wildfire damage. ### Why do some reports cite more than 200,000 acres burned? (nps.gov) ABC15 reported that the Dragon Bravo Fire and the separate White Sage Fire together burned about 205,500 acres at and north of the rim, citing the U.S. Forest Service. That combined figure helps explain why some reopening stories refer to more than 200,000 acres burned. (nps.gov) The Park Service’s own fire recovery documents distinguish the Dragon Bravo Fire from the wider regional fire picture. Its official acreage for Dragon Bravo alone is 149,399 acres. ### What should visitors check before going? The National Park Service says the North Rim status page and the park operations page carry the latest information on closures, available services and road access. (abc15.com) The park’s January reopening plan said operations would follow an adaptive approach because of winter weather and infrastructure impacts after the fire. May 19 visitors can enter without a timed-entry reservation, according to the park’s operations page, but services on the North Rim remain more limited than before the fire. (nps.gov) The next practical step for travelers is to check the park’s current status pages before departure and arrive during posted seasonal hours beginning at 6 a.m. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)