Grand Canyon Expands Inner Canyon Closures After Flash Flood
Grand Canyon National Park has expanded temporary closures in the inner canyon as crews respond to extensive damage from the August 29 flash flood. The additional restrictions affect portions of the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trails, while several areas near Phantom Ranch remain closed from the earlier response.
The closures are intended to keep visitors away from hazardous areas and allow park staff and partner agencies to assess damage and begin repair and stabilization work. The National Park Service said trails, bridges, utilities and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.
New inner canyon closures
Effective immediately, visitor use is prohibited in the following areas:
- The South Kaibab Trail below the Tip-Off
- The Bright Angel Trail below its intersection with the Tonto Trail
These restrictions add to the areas that were already closed after the August 29 flash flood. Visitors should account for all of the following closures when planning travel in the inner canyon:
- North Kaibab Trail
- Cottonwood Campground
- Phantom Ranch
- Bright Angel Campground
- Black Bridge
- Silver Bridge
River trip exchanges at Pipe Creek Beach
Commercial and non-commercial river trips may still conduct exchanges at Pipe Creek Beach along the Bright Angel Trail. The National Park Service did not announce a broader reopening of the closed trails, campgrounds, Phantom Ranch or bridges.
Visitors should not enter the newly closed trail sections or previously closed areas while response and recovery work continues. Keeping access limited is necessary for response personnel and for visitor safety, according to Grand Canyon National Park.
No reopening date has been announced
Grand Canyon National Park currently has no estimated reopening date for the North Kaibab Trail, Cottonwood Campground, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, Black Bridge or Silver Bridge. The park also said reopening decisions for affected areas will depend on conditions on the ground and whether access can be restored safely.
Park staff and partner agencies are continuing damage assessments while repair, recovery and stabilization work progresses. The park will continue evaluating the affected areas before deciding when access can safely resume.
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.
