Trails & parks: closures now
Several spring trail disruptions may affect weekend plans — Rocky Mountain NP has raptor closures around Lumpy Ridge currently in effect, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is reopening but some trails (including sections of North Kaibab) remain closed for Dragon Bravo Fire recovery, and a new wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains’ Twentymile area could limit access. Also note Starved Rock’s French Canyon trail is temporarily closed for improvement work (eptrail.com) (foxweather.com) (knoxnews.com) (myjournalcourier.com).
Rocky Mountain National Park has closed specific Lumpy Ridge formations by name — The Book, Bookmark, Bookmark Pinnacle, Left Book, Twin Owls, Rock One, Thunder Buttress, The Needle and The Parish — to protect nesting raptors. (nps.gov) Those Lumpy Ridge closures cover all sides of the named formations, surrounding trails and all climbing routes, and are set to remain in effect through July 31, 2026 unless nesting activity warrants an earlier rescission or extension. (nps.gov) Grand Canyon National Park is planning a phased North Rim reopening beginning May 15, 2026, with the entire North Kaibab Trail reopening that day for foot traffic only. (nps.gov) The park has suspended stock use on North Kaibab for the 2026 season, limited North Kaibab Trailhead parking to vehicles under 22 feet with overflow near the former Grand Canyon Lodge site, and warned that trail maintenance and ongoing post-fire hazard mitigation will cause temporary closures and delays. (nps.gov) The Dragon Bravo Fire began from lightning on July 4, 2025 and ultimately burned on the order of 145,000 acres before fire managers listed it as 100% contained on September 29, 2025, per incident and post‑fire reports. (inciweb.wildfire.gov) The blaze destroyed numerous North Rim structures — including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge — and prompted extended closures and hazard mitigation work that are directly shaping the North Rim’s limited reopening plans. (nps.gov) Great Smoky Mountains National Park reported the Rabbit Creek Fire at about 45.8 acres with roughly half of the fire line secured as of March 23, 2026. (home.nps.gov) A second fire — the Fox Gap fire in the Twentymile area — was reported March 26, 2026; park managers ordered additional resources and issued temporary public-safety closures that include Twentymile Trail segments, backcountry campsites 16 and 93, Rabbit Creek Trail sections and Abrams Creek Campground Road while acreage is being estimated. (nps.gov) Illinois began Phase 1 of an $18 million Starved Rock trail improvement project the week of March 23, 2026, closing the trailhead access to the top of French Canyon and related approaches through June. (dnr.illinois.gov) The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the park and Starved Rock Lodge will remain open and that construction will be staggered to minimize simultaneous closures while crews repair bridges, stairways and boardwalks. (dnr.illinois.gov)
