- More area near Grand Canyon's North Rim reopen after 2025 wildfires destroyed over 200,000 acres.
- House Rock Valley and parts of Nankoweap Trail sections reopen on Wednesday.
- A segment of the North Kaibab Trail will reopen next month.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — More hiking and camping areas in and around Grand Canyon's North Rim are scheduled to reopen for the first time since a pair of massive wildfires ripped through the area last year.
Approximately 8,600 acres of House Rock Valley, as well as 2.4 miles of the Nankoweap/Saddle Mountain Trail, in Kaibab National Forest are set to reopen on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The areas were closed off amid the White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires, which, combined, scorched over 200,000 acres around Grand Canyon's North Rim and areas north of it.
A section of the North Kaibab Trail — a segment from the Clear Creek trail junction to the Ribbon Falls junction — will reopen on March 4, Grand Canyon National Park officials added on Tuesday. The popular trail has been closed since mid-July despite parts of the North Rim reopening late last year, months after the Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed dozens of iconic park structures.
"(This marks) an important step toward restoring inner canyon trail access following the Dragon Bravo Fire," park officials wrote.
Parts of the North Kaibab Trail north of Ribbon Falls will remain closed even after March 4. National Park Service officials plan to review trail conditions and trail maintenance after the winter before that segment reopens.
Anyone planning to hike on the trail should monitor weather conditions because there's an elevated risk of flash flooding near the fire's burn scar, park officials said. About a dozen watersheds that drain into the Colorado River were affected by last year's fire, increasing the risk of flash flooding across the North Rim as visitors return.
Crews installed several new stream and precipitation gages in the Bright Angel Creek area to monitor potential flash-flooding risks. Park officials created a new evacuation and alert plan for the North Kaibab Trail corridor, as well as the Phantom Ranch area, where the trail can be reached.
People who receive permits for the Bright Angel Campground or Phantom Ranch reservations will receive advanced notifications, but backcountry hikers and river users are also encouraged to sign up for flooding alerts.
