Flash Flooding Closes Phantom Ranch and North Kaibab Trail
Current status note — August 31, 2026: This article reports the closures announced after the August 29 flash flood. Current NPS pages now conflict: the live Key Hiking Messages page lists the entire North Kaibab Trail, Black Bridge and Silver Bridge as open, while other NPS pages still list the North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch corridor as closed. Phantom Ranch lodging and Bright Angel Campground remain listed as closed. Check the live NPS Key Hiking Messages and current park alerts before relying on trail, bridge or rim-to-rim access.
Grand Canyon National Park closed Phantom Ranch, the full North Kaibab Trail, and Colorado River traffic after significant flash flooding struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29. The flood began at about 2:30 p.m. and caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon.
Later August 30 update: NPS is also asking the public for information about more than 20 people who may be missing or unaccounted for after the flood. See our public-assistance update for who the park is trying to account for and how to submit information.
For hikers, backpackers, river travelers, and anyone holding lodging or campground plans at Phantom Ranch, the closures affect access on both sides of the Colorado River. The National Park Service said nearly every footbridge across Bright Angel Creek was destroyed, leaving no hiker access across the creek in the impacted canyon corridor.
Phantom Ranch and North Kaibab Trail closures
The August 30 NPS closure release listed the following locations and operations as closed. Because current NPS pages now conflict on parts of the trail and bridge status, treat this list as the flood-response record rather than a live access list:
- Phantom Ranch
- Bright Angel Campground
- Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins
- The entire North Kaibab Trail, from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch
- Black Bridge and Silver Bridge were also affected in early closure reporting; current NPS pages conflict, so use the live Key Hiking Messages for present bridge status
- Colorado River traffic through the canyon
The park said damage assessments are underway for trails, bridges, utilities, facilities, and other infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. It also warned that further inner canyon closures could be required as conditions are evaluated.
Current access should be verified immediately before travel. The live NPS Key Hiking Messages page lists the entire North Kaibab Trail, Black Bridge and Silver Bridge as open, while other current NPS pages still list the North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch corridor as closed. Because those official pages are not yet synchronized, do not assume a traditional rim-to-rim route is available—or unavailable—without checking the live hiking messages and current park alerts.
Evacuations underway after August 29 flooding
As of the morning of August 30, Grand Canyon National Park reported that 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower portion of the North Kaibab Trail. Additional evacuations from Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch were planned that morning in coordination with the National Park Service and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Evacuees were being taken to the Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross was coordinating assistance. The park reported no injuries in the latest information released August 30.
River trips and changing weather conditions
The Colorado River closure is tied to metal structures and debris that entered the river during the flooding. River parties already traveling in the canyon are receiving instructions through river operations rangers and the Grand Canyon River Alert system, according to the National Park Service.
People with upcoming commercial river trips should contact their outfitter for trip-specific information. Those traveling under an NPS river permit should contact NPS River Permits.
The park also said additional thunderstorms and heavy rain were possible on August 30 and August 31. Those conditions could bring more flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall, and rapidly changing conditions on trails and on the river. Visitors with inner canyon plans should check the park’s current alerts and closure information before traveling.
Official source: Read the original Grand Canyon National Park news release.
For more current park information, see Grand Canyon News & Updates.
GrandCanyonVisitorCenter.com is an independent visitor-information resource and is not operated by the National Park Service.
