Grand Canyon National Park Wants Visitors to Help Shape the Future of the North Rim After Fire and Flood Damage
Grand Canyon National Park wants to hear from you. The park is asking visitors whether the North Rim should stay open year-round, how much lodging it should have and what they want to see there in the future. You can leave a comment at an in-person or virtual meeting in October.
The park posted three early concepts on October 6. According to the NPS announcement, public comments will inform a larger North Rim recovery plan.
The North Rim reopened this year, but the 2026 season has looked different. There is currently no overnight lodging inside the park, and an August 29 flash flood caused major damage in Bright Angel Canyon and around Phantom Ranch.
That came a little more than a year after the Dragon Bravo Fire. NPS says the fire burned 71,129 acres inside Grand Canyon National Park and destroyed 114 buildings and outbuildings.
One option would keep the North Rim open year-round
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NPS is asking people to compare three possible visitor seasons: three seasons, four seasons or year-round.
The planning page also has different ideas for future lodging. Visitors can say which ones they like, what concerns them and what they think is missing from the plan. Another question asks which parts of a North Rim visit people care about most. NPS is taking comments online and holding public meetings during October.
The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed more than the lodge
The lightning-caused Dragon Bravo Fire started July 4, 2025 and eventually burned 149,399 acres across the Kaibab Plateau.
An NPS assessment says 114 buildings and outbuildings were lost. That included the Grand Canyon Lodge, 16 Deluxe cabins, 64 Budget cabins and other buildings in the historic district. The lodge itself will go through a separate review.
Flash flooding caused more damage in August
Flash flooding hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29. NPS said 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail by the next morning.
The flood also damaged about 40% of the old Transcanyon Waterline between the Phantom Ranch area and the North Rim. The Bright Angel Creek and Roaring Springs intake areas were damaged, too.
The North Rim itself is still open this fall. The park plans to keep the entrance open through November 30, or until the first major snowstorm. Comments on the three North Rim concepts close November 6 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time.
