Lower North Kaibab Trail reopening March 4

A portion of the North Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park is scheduled to reopen on March 4, 2026, according to an an­nouncement issued this week by the Na­tional Park Service.

Moss Covered Rocks Below Ribbon Falls on the North Kaibab Trail. Photo via NPS.

The reopening ap­plies to the lower sec­tion of the North Kaib­ab Trail, from the Clear Creek Trail Junction to the Ribbon Falls junc­tion. This stretch of trail is accessed from Phantom Ranch and has been closed since July 13, 2025, follow­ing impacts from the Dragon Bravo Fire, which burned large areas of the North Rim and prompted exten­sive trail and facility closures.

Trail segments north of Ribbon Falls, includ­ing access toward the North Rim, will remain closed. Park officials said those areas will stay off-limits while crews complete post-winter evaluations of trail conditions and determine additional maintenance needs. No timeline has been announced for reopen­ing the upper portions of the trail.

The National Park Service said assess­ments conducted after the fire did not identify major structural risks to Phantom Ranch fa­cilities or the reopened section of trail. How­ever, officials empha­sized that burn scars above Bright Angel Creek have increased the potential for flash flooding and debris flows, particularly dur­ing storm events.

In response, the park is implement­ing additional safety measures along the Bright Angel Creek corridor. These include new stream and pre­cipitation monitoring equipment, updated emergency response and evacuation plans and additional warn­ing signage for hikers traveling through the area. Visitors with Phantom Ranch reser­vations or backcountry permits are expected to receive safety informa­tion prior to their trips.

The partial reopen­ing restores limited inner-canyon access for hikers and back­packers, though full rim-to-rim travel via the North Kaibab Trail remains unavailable at this time.

Park officials con­tinue to urge visitors to monitor current condi­tions and weather fore­casts before entering the canyon, noting that conditions can change quickly and that tem­porary closures remain possible depending on weather and safety concerns.