Trail closure at the Tonto Trail junction below Havasupai Gardens along the Bright Angel Trail (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Grand Canyon National Park continues response and recovery operations following the destructive August 29 flash flood that caused significant damage in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.
Park staff and partner agencies are conducting damage assessments and beginning repair and stabilization work in areas where trails, bridges, utilities and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed. Maintaining safe access for response personnel and keeping visitors out of hazardous areas is critical as this work continues.
To support these operations and protect visitor safety, the park is expanding temporary closures in portions of the inner canyon. Effective immediately, the following areas are closed to visitor use:
- South Kaibab Trail below the Tip-Off
- Bright Angel Trail below the intersection with the Tonto Trail
Commercial and non-commercial river trips may continue to conduct exchanges at Pipe Creek Beach along the Bright Angel Trail.
The North Kaibab Trail, Cottonwood Campground, Phantom Ranch, the Bright Angel Campground, and the Black Bridge and Silver Bridge were previously closed following the August 29 flash flood.
There is currently no estimated date for reopening these areas. Reopening decisions will be based on conditions on the ground and the park’s ability to safely restore access. Park staff will continue evaluating damaged areas as response, recovery, assessment and stabilization work progresses.
— Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.