Grand Canyon National Park will begin modified fall operations at the North Rim on Oct. 15. As part of this transition Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road will be temporarily closed from sunset Oct. 15 through sunrise Nov. 3, 2026, to accommodate critical road repair and rehabilitation work in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration. The closure is necessary to maintain a safe work environment for crews while they complete these critical repairs.
Based upon construction timetables, the National Park Service Incident Management Team projects the park will be able to start pumping water by Nov. 16 from the Bright Angel Creek intake to the new water treatment plan.
Grand Canyon National Park crews are assessing damage after an additional flash flood moved through Bright Angel Canyon Wednesday afternoon, damaging temporary water infrastructure being constructed as part of the park’s ongoing recovery from the Aug. 29 flood.
Grand Canyon National Park continues response and recovery operations following the significant August 29 flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area. Search operations remain active, while crews continue infrastructure assessments, stabilization work and efforts to restore a reliable water supply to the South Rim.
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.
The National Park Service has recovered the bodies of two hikers who were caught in a destructive flash flood Aug. 29 in Bright Angel Canyon. The hikers have been identified as John Giusti, 46, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, both of Granbury, Texas. One member of the hiking group remains missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, with teams continuing efforts to locate the missing hiker and account for anyone else who may have been in the affected area at the time of the flood.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim beginning at noon on August 31 in response to the significant flash flooding that occurred along Bright Angel Canyon on August 29. The flooding caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the inner canyon, including the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water from the canyon for use in the park.
The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information for approximately 15 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following a significant flash-flood event in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29. Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area.
A significant flash-flood event occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on August 29, beginning at approximately 2:30 p.m. As of the morning of August 30, 62 individuals have been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail. Additional individuals are scheduled to be evacuated this morning from Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch in coordination with the National Park Service and Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Grand Canyon National Park is continuing to ease water conservation measures as water supply levels improve. Water spigots in Mather and Desert View Campgrounds have been turned on. Camper Services, operated by Delaware North, will reopen to the public on Friday, August 21. Fire restrictions at Mather and Desert View Campgrounds have been lifted; however, campfires are only permitted in established campfire rings. Visitors and residents are reminded to use caution and practice responsible fire use at all times.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park is implementing water conservation measures on the South Rim following a break in the Transcanyon Waterline. The most recent pipeline break occurred approximately one mile below Cottonwood Campground along the North Kaibab Trail. As a result, water is currently unable to be pumped to the South Rim.
An 83-year-old hiker reported missing on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park has been located and rescued. At approximately 6:30 p.m. on July 22, Gerald Guinn of Kanab, Utah, was located during a helicopter reconnaissance flight approximately 2.5 miles from the point where he was last seen.
National Park Service personnel and partner agencies are searching for a missing hiker on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. At approximately 5 p.m. on July 21, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report from an individual who said he had become separated from his hiking partner. The two were hiking in a remote area of the North Rim near the park's northeast boundary along Forest Service Road 610 (Dog Saddle).
Effective Sunday, July 19, at 8 a.m., Stage 2 fire restrictions will be lifted on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Increased monsoonal activity across northern Arizona over the past week has significantly reduced fire danger in the area.
The National Park Service is inviting the public to review and comment on a draft programmatic agreement that outlines how historic properties will be considered during planning and implementation of fire management activities at Grand Canyon National Park. Public comments will be accepted from July 16-August 14, 2026.
Grand Canyon National Park law enforcement rangers are asking for the public’s help identifying an individual involved in damage to a Hopi headpiece inside Desert View Watchtower on Wednesday, June 17.
The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is responding to the Cliff Spring Fire, a lightning-caused wildfire below the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The fire is currently estimated at 171 acres, is zero percent contained, and is burning in grass, brush, pinyon pine, and juniper. There are currently no trail or area closures. The park has temporarily paused issuing permits for trips in the Walhalla Plateau area while fire managers continue to evaluate conditions.
Grand Canyon National Park will lift trail closures related to the Transcanyon Waterline Replacement Project at 7 a.m. Friday, June 26, 2026, five days ahead of schedule; including, the River Trail - east of the River Resthouse to the South Kaibab Trail junction, the Silver Bridge, and Plateau Point Trail - from the Tonto Trail junction to Plateau Point will reopen on Friday, June 26.
Grand Canyon National Park rangers and emergency personnel responded to two separate heat-related incidents on June 12 and June 16, resulting in three deaths. In both cases, the deceased hikers were hiking trails in the Inner Canyon, where temperatures can exceed 109 F in the shade during midday hours.
Grand Canyon National Park is reminding visitors that summer hiking below the rim should be limited to the early morning and evening hours. Due to a recent influx of heat-related incidents and forecast extreme temperatures, visitors are strongly advised to avoid strenuous hiking between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when Inner Canyon temperatures can soar to 109°F (43°C) in the shade.
The National Park Service is seeking public comments on a proposal by the Grand Canyon Railway to replace a wooden ballast bridge on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The bridge, which carries the Grand Canyon Railway track over Bright Angel Wash, was built in 1926 and is in poor condition. The preferred alternative would replace the existing wooden triple box culvert with three steel pipe culverts.
On June 3, 2026, at approximately 1:40 p.m., the Grand Canyon National Park Regional Communications Center received reports of an 18-year-old male experiencing heat-related symptoms below Havasupai Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail. National Park Service rangers responded and located the individual approximately 30 feet below the trail in a remote area near Garden Creek.
Beginning June 22, 2026, Lipan Point and Lipan Point Road on Desert View Drive (Highway 64) will temporarily close to all visitor use to allow for critical rehabilitation and maintenance work of the overlook. The closure is expected to remain in effect through December 23, 2026.
The National Park Service (NPS) approved a plan today to upgrade the water system that supplies and delivers water between the North Rim developed area and Cottonwood Campground in Grand Canyon National Park. The current water system is old, often breaks down, and requires frequent repairs in difficult and sometimes hazardous conditions. NPS Intermountain Regional Director Bert Frost signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the North Rim and Roaring Springs Water System Improvements project.
Grand Canyon National Park is welcoming a new, four-legged member to the park’s wildlife management team. “Blue,” a trained Conservation K-9, will work alongside park wildlife staff to help reduce human-wildlife conflicts in busy areas on the South Rim. The Conservation K-9 Pilot Project, now in its first year of a 3-year pilot, uses dogs to encourage animals who are habituated to humans, such as Grand Canyon’s elk and bighorn sheep, to avoid developed areas where interactions with visitors can be unsafe to both visitors and wildlife.
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ — Grand Canyon National Park today announce it has reopened the North Rim for the 2026 summer season, following the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Visitors can once again experience the North Rim’s overlooks, trails and visitor services.
On Saturday, May 9, National Park Service personnel recovered a body below the rim near Verkamp’s Visitor Center on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The individual was transported to the rim and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. The individual was identified as Sandarsh Krishna, 26, who had been reported missing on April 28, 2026.
The thirty-sixth annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held from Saturday, June 6 through Saturday, June 13, 2026, on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, Grand Canyon Conservancy, and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.
National Park Service rangers at Grand Canyon National Park are investigating a missing person case involving 26-year-old Sandarsh Krishna. Investigators believe Krishna was in possession of a black backpack prior to his disappearance. A black backpack believed to be associated with Krishna was later turned in to hotel personnel at Bright Angel Lodge on April 28 at approximately 7 a.m.
Grand Canyon National Park is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing individual last known to be in the park. On April 28, 2026, Grand Canyon dispatch was notified of a missing person identified as 26-year-old Sandarsh Krishna. The last possible known location was along the Rim Trail along Hermit Road between Bright Angel Lodge and Mohave Point between 4 p.m. on April 27 and 12 a.m. on April 28.
Beginning Oct. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., a section of the North Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park will close to all public access for critical pipeline rehabilitation work on the Transcanyon Waterline. The closure area will be between Redwall Bridge (2.5 miles north of Manzanita Rest Area) and the northern end of Cottonwood Campground. This hard closure will remain in place through approximately February 2027.
Grand Canyon National Park is continuing to ease water conservation measures as water supply levels improve. Water spigots in Mather Campground and Desert View Campground have been turned on. Camper Services, operated by Delaware North, will reopen to the public on Tuesday, April 28. Fire restrictions on the South Rim have been lifted; however, campfires are only permitted in established campfire rings.
Grand Canyon National Park will gradually ease water conservation measures on the South Rim starting Friday, April 17 at 12 p.m., following recent progress in repairing the water pipeline and pumping to the South Rim. Conservation efforts remain critical as the park continues to operate under a constrained, aging, and increasingly vulnerable legacy water system.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement additional water conservation measures on the South Rim starting Saturday, April 11, due to a series of significant breaks in the 12½ mile-long Transcanyon Waterline that supplies water from the inner canyon for use in the park. Since mid-March, the park has faced challenges with water supply, and currently, no water is being pumped to the South Rim.
Beginning April 1, Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 3 Water Restrictions due to a break in the water pipeline along the North Kaibab Trail. Until park staff repair the break and water in storage tanks reaches sustainable levels, the park will remain in conservation mode.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park is implementing water conservation measures on the South Rim following a break in the pipeline along the North Kaibab Trail. As a result, water is currently unable to be pumped to the South Rim. All park residents and visitors are required to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Grand Canyon National Park will welcome visitors back to the North Rim for the 2026 summer season beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026. All paved roadways within the park will reopen, including Highway 67, Cape Royal, and Point Imperial Roads. These scenic drives provide access to many of the North Rim’s iconic viewpoints, including Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Roosevelt Point, Walhalla Overlook, and Angels Window. Vehicles over 22 feet in total length are not permitted on the Cape Royal and Point Imperial Roads due to tight turns, limited parking, and narrow roadway conditions.
The National Park Service is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment and a programmatic agreement for water system improvements at Grand Canyon National Park. The improvements are part of a proposed Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund project called Rehabilitate the North Rim and Roaring Springs Utility Systems.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, at approximately 11:15 a.m., Grand Canyon National Park received an emergency alert from a noncommercial river trip near Hance Rapid on the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center subsequently received a report that CPR was in progress on an individual.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park is implementing water conservation measures on the South Rim following a power outage that impacted the SCADA system at the Havasupai Gardens pumphouse. As a result, water is currently unable to be pumped to the South Rim. All park residents and visitors are required to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Grand Canyon National Park will reopen a portion of the North Kaibab Trail on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, marking an important step toward restoring inner canyon trail access following the Dragon Bravo Fire. Accessed from Phantom Ranch, the North Kaibab Trail from the Clear Creek Trail Junction to the Ribbon Falls junction will reopen to public use. The North Kaibab Trail has remained closed since July 13, 2025, to allow for post-fire assessments, safety planning, and trail maintenance.
On Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, the National Park Service will begin accepting applications for noncommercial river trip permits to raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park for specific launch dates within calendar year 2027. A total of 478 permits will be available for 12- to 25-day river trips.
Grand Canyon National Park is preparing an adaptive approach for the seasonal reopening of the North Rim, evaluating potential impacts from winter weather to park infrastructure after the Dragon Bravo Fire. The park aims to open popular points of interest, including the North Kaibab Trail, on May 15, weather and conditions permitting.
Grand Canyon National Park has received grant funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to support pedestrian and bicycle safety, speed enforcement and impaired driving prevention. The funding helps park rangers purchase equipment, conduct high-visibility traffic enforcement and participate in community outreach aimed at reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities on park roadways.
Grand Canyon National Park is announcing Transcanyon Waterline (TCWL) construction closure-related work for 2026. Rockfalls occurred along a section of the River Trail in August, causing a 50-foot section of the trail to collapse and triggered the need for additional assessments and work to rebuild the trail.
Grand Canyon National Park will reopen hotels on the park’s South Rim beginning Wednesday, Dec. 17 and will begin easing some water restrictions. Park water utility crews successfully completed complex repairs to the Transcanyon Waterline last week and resumed pumping water without identifying any new breaks. The park will continue to operate under enhanced water restrictions until the water storage tanks have adequate capacity to return to routine water conservation practices.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement additional water restrictions on the South Rim starting Saturday, December 6, due to a series of significant breaks in the 12½ mile-long Transcanyon Waterline that supplies water from the canyon for use in the park. Since mid-November, the park has faced challenges with water supply, and currently, no water is being pumped to the South Rim.
Grand Canyon National Park will close the North Rim to all visitor access on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 5:20 p.m. Sections of the North Rim are tentatively expected to reopen to visitors for the 2026 season on May 15, pending weather, trail conditions, infrastructure readiness, and completion of hazard mitigation efforts.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 3 Water Restrictions and Stage 2 Fire Restrictions beginning Oct. 31, 2025, in response to limited water availability and construction activities associated with the ongoing Transcanyon Waterline Replacement Project. Also, a temporary interruption in water pumping is scheduled for Nov. 4 through approximately Nov. 18 to allow crews to replace and test a critical pipeline segment.
Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground will reopen to visitors on Nov 1, 2025, restoring access to key inner canyon destinations following earlier closures caused by the Dragon Bravo Fire, trail stabilization efforts, and ongoing infrastructure work. In addition to overnight access, the Phantom Ranch area and the lower section of the South Kaibab Trail (from Tipoff to Phantom Ranch) will also reopen to day-use visitors on the same date.
Several upcoming changes to inner canyon operations will go into effect in the coming weeks at Grand Canyon National Park, including trail and campground reopenings and ongoing closures related to major infrastructure repairs and safety concerns. The updates are part of phased recovery efforts following the Dragon Bravo Fire and continued work on the Transcanyon Waterline.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will implement water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a broken section of pipeline north of Phantom Ranch. Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2025, Grand Canyon National Park will partially reopen select areas of the North Rim to public access following the Dragon Bravo Fire. The partial reopening will include Highway 67 to the Cape Royal Road, (approximately at mile marker 10), providing access to both Point Imperial and Cape Royal. Additionally, Fire Point and Swamp Ridge will reopen. These areas will be open daily from official sunrise to official sunset.
On Sept. 7, at approximately 12:40 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a vehicle with a single occupant that had gone over the rim near the South Kaibab Trailhead. Park rangers responded immediately and recovered the body, which was located about 300 feet below the rim. The body was transported to the rim by helicopter and then transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Effective Thursday, Sept. 4, at 8 a.m., Stage 2 fire restrictions will be lifted on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Increased monsoonal activity across northern Arizona over the past week has significantly reduced fire danger in the area.
Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams from the Department of the Interior (DOI) and US Forest Service recently completed field data evaluations to produce the Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map for the Dragon Bravo Fire. This map field-verifies the accuracy of burn severity categories (unburned/very low, low, moderate, and high) from satellite images and helps estimate post-fire risks, such as erosion, sediment washing into streams, increased stream flows, and the chances of debris flows.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim will transition to Stage 2 water restrictions due to rising water levels in reservoir tanks. Operational changes include: Camper Services, operated by Delaware North, will reopen to the public. Water spigots in Mather Campground and Desert View Campground will be turned on.
A multi-agency Department of the Interior (DOI) Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is beginning work this week to assess the impacts of the Dragon Bravo Fire on National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. This process involves identifying the values at risk, determining any post-fire impacts to those values, and prescribing treatments to mitigate impacts.
Grand Canyon National Park has reopened sections of key corridor trails on the South Rim that were closed July 13, 2025, due to safety concerns following the Dragon Bravo Fire. Effective immediately: •South Kaibab Trail is open from the South Kaibab Trailhead to Tipoff. •Tonto Trail is open from Tipoff to Havasupai Gardens. •Bright Angel Trail is open from the Bright Angel Trailhead to Pipe Creek Resthouse. These reopenings follow significant improvements in air quality in the inner canyon over the past week.
Beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will implement additional water restrictions and conservation measures. Crews have repaired the broken section of the Transcanyon Waterline; however, due to a mechanical issue at Havasupai Gardens, pumping has not yet resumed to the South Rim.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will implement water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a broken section of pipeline north of Phantom Ranch. Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
The National Park Service is asking for the public’s help in locating Thomas Daniel Gibbs, 35, of Freehold, New Jersey, who was last heard from on July 22, 2025, at approximately 12 p.m. Gibbs’ family and friends reported him missing on Monday, July 28.
Effective immediately, due to high fire danger, Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 2 fire restrictions for the South Rim and all other areas of the park. The restriction encompasses the entire park including all campgrounds, residential areas, backcountry sites and developed recreation sites.
The Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park exhibited extreme and volatile fire behavior the evening of July 12, resulting in a 500-acre expansion. Fire managers have confirmed the loss of the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous historic cabins in the developed area. On July 12, at approximately 10:30 p.m., fire activity intensified rapidly, fueled by sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts reaching up to 40 mph. Firefighters made significant efforts overnight to slow the fire’s progression under dangerous and fast-changing conditions.
On July 12, at approximately 3:30 p.m., firefighters responding to the Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park reported that the North Rim water treatment facility had caught fire. It was later confirmed that chlorine gas was released from the treatment facility.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park has temporarily closed the North Rim until further notice due to the White Sage Fire near Jacob Lake, Ariz. The White Sage Fire is located on BLM lands and is not currently burning within Grand Canyon National Park. Due to the fire’s progression toward Jacob Lake, which is now under evacuation orders, all visitors on the North Rim are required to evacuate immediately.
On July 8 at approximately 11:50 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an unresponsive hiker on the South Kaibab Trail, below Cedar Ridge. Bystanders immediately initiated CPR while National Park Service (NPS) medical personnel responded via helicopter. All attempts to resuscitate the individual were unsuccessful.
The National Park Service (NPS) has identified the cause of a recent power outage affecting the North Rim as an equipment failure involving a transformer near the Grand Canyon Lodge. Power has been out at the Grand Canyon Lodge since approximately 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. Overnight reservations were cancelled starting the evening of June 2 due to the outage.
The thirty-fifth annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held from Saturday, June 21 through Saturday, June 28, 2025, on the South and North Rims of Grand Canyon National Park. National parks such as Grand Canyon are protective havens for some of the last remaining dark skies in the United States. The event is sponsored by the National Park Service, Grand Canyon Conservancy, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association (South Rim), and the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix (North Rim).
On May 15, at approximately 4:45 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an unresponsive hiker on the North Kaibab Trail, approximately half a mile below the North Kaibab Trailhead. Despite efforts by bystanders and National Park Service (NPS) personnel to resuscitate the individual, the hiker, identified as Dennis Smith, 74, of Olympia, Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open on Thursday, May 15 at 6 a.m. to mark the official start of the 2025 season. Grand Canyon Lodge and Grand Canyon Trail Rides will also commence their 2025 seasonal operations on this date.
Grand Canyon National Park will reopen the Bright Angel Trail and Campground for public use beginning May 15, 2025. Multiple inner canyon areas were closed last fall for Transcanyon Waterline project construction activities. The Phantom Ranch Canteen and Lodge reopened on schedule, April 1. The River Trail, between River Resthouse and the South Kaibab Trail junction, Silver Bridge and Plateau Point Trail, between the Tonto Trail West junction to Plateau Point, originally scheduled to reopen in May, will remain closed until Oct. 1, 2025.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement a fee increase for frontcountry standard campsites at Desert View, North Rim, and Mather Campgrounds starting May 1, 2025. Rates for standard campsites will increase to $30 per night. Group sites will remain $50 per night.
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the National Park Service will begin accepting applications for noncommercial river trip permits to raft the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park for specific launch dates within calendar year 2026.
Grand Canyon National Park is seeking the public’s input on a proposed fee increase for non-commercial river trips. The proposed change would begin March 1, 2025. The existing $25 lottery application cost fee would remain the same and the flat rate per-person cost would increase from $90 to $310 for Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek and $0 to $55 for Diamond Creek to Pearce Ferry.
The National Park Service is actively searching for a missing person last seen at Grand Canyon National Park. On December 10, 2024, Martha Overholser, was last seen at Mather Point on the South Rim and later failed to return on a commercial bus tour. Martha Overholser, 66, is believed to have walked west from the Mather Point area, possibly towards the Bright Angel Lodge or Hermits Rest.
Fire managers at Grand Canyon National Park are preparing to conduct a prescribed burn operation on the North Rim this week, which will begin on Tuesday, December 10. These operations will help reduce hazardous fuel loads, improve forest health, and restore natural fire regimes. The burns are expected to occur over several days and will coincide with prescribed burns planned on the North Kaibab Ranger District.
Effective immediately, the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will begin phasing into greater water restrictions and conservation measures due to a new break in the Transcanyon Waterline. Until park staff repair the break and water in storage tanks reaches sustainable levels, the park will remain in conservation mode.
Grand Canyon National Park is implementing mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim, effective immediately. These measures are in response to a pipeline break along the North Kaibab Trail, which has impacted the park's water supply. To help conserve water, all residents, visitors, and park operations are urged to reduce water usage wherever possible, including in homes, hotel rooms, and campgrounds. These efforts are critical to maintaining water availability while still ensuring public health and safety.
Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) has been awarded National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grants through the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety (AZ GOHS). This funding will enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety, speed enforcement, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI) prevention efforts within the park. The grants will support a variety of initiatives aimed at improving safety for both community members and the millions of visitors who visit the Grand Canyon each year.
Grand Canyon National Park is seeking the public’s input on a proposed increase for frontcountry camping fees. This increase would begin April 1, 2025. Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) collects campground fees from visitors for overnight stays. GRCA is seeking public comment on proposed fee increases for standard tent and RV sites at Mather, Desert View and North Rim campgrounds. The current camping fees have remained unchanged for the past 20 years.
Beginning October 8, National Park Service and USDA Forest Service fire managers, working together as the North Zone Interagency Fire Management Program, anticipate initiating prescribed burns on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Fire managers will be assessing weather, fuel moistures, and other conditions for opportunities to conduct burns safely and effectively into December.
Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim will begin day-use operations on October 16, 2024. Grand Canyon Lodge will close, and no overnight accommodations, including camping, will be available to visitors. Those exploring the North Rim on or after October 16 should plan to be self-sufficient, bringing enough food and water for the day.
The Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management Vermilion Cliffs National Monument are hosting a celebration on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 28th by releasing four captive-bred California condors at 1 p.m. MDT/Utah time (noon MST/northern-Arizona condor time). The 28th annual event will be held in person at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and will be live-streamed via The Peregrine Fund’s YouTube Channel.
On Sept. 13, Grand Canyon wildlife managers successfully relocated 100 bison from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. All bison were transferred to the Intertribal Buffalo Council, which transported them to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Since reduction efforts began in 2018, park staff have removed 306 bison from the North Rim, with 282 transferred to eight different American Indian tribes through an agreement with the Intertribal Buffalo Council.
Grand Canyon National Park is seeking the public’s input on a proposed increase for backcountry permit fees. The proposed change would begin May 1, 2025. The existing $10 per application fee would remain the same and the nightly per-person fees would increase: the below-rim fee would go from $15 to $24 per person per night, and the above-rim fee would go from $4 to $6 per person per night.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim will transition to Stage 2 water restrictions due to rising water levels in reservoir tanks. Camper Services, operated by Delaware North, will reopen to the public. Water spigots in Mather Campground and Desert View Campground will be turned on. Fire restrictions throughout the South Rim will be lifted. However, the park will remain under Stage 1 fire restrictions, which require campfires to be contained within designated fire rings in maintained campgrounds.
A new National Park Service report shows that 4.7 million visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in 2023 spent $768 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 10,100 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $1.0 billion.
On Monday, Sept. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a missing boater in the area of Lower Nankoweap Camp (river mile 53.5) along the Colorado River. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, park rangers, responding via helicopter, located a body in the Colorado River near river mile 63.5. Initial information suggests the body is that of a 71-year-old male who was reported missing.
On Sept. 7 at approximately 5:30 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a call reporting a fatality at Poncho’s Kitchen, near river mile 137 along the Colorado River. Park rangers responded to the scene and found the victim, Patrick Horton, 59, of Salida, Colorado. Horton was on the 10th day of a non-commercial river trip along the Colorado River and was discovered deceased by members of his party.
Grand Canyon National Park will reopen hotels on the park’s South Rim beginning Thursday, September 5 and transition down to Stage 3 water restrictions. Park water utility crews successfully completed complex repairs to the Transcanyon Waterline late last week and resumed pumping water without identifying any new breaks. The park will operate under Stage 3 water restrictions until the water storage tanks have adequate capacity to return to routine water conservation practices.
Grand Canyon National Park will implement Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim starting the afternoon of Thursday, August 29, due to a series of four significant breaks in the 12½ mile-long Transcanyon Waterline that supplies water from the canyon for use in the park. Since July 8, the park has faced challenges with water supply, and currently, no water is being pumped to either the South or North Rim.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, at approximately 4 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a solo backpacker who had failed to check in with a family member while attempting the Thunder River Trail-Deer Creek loop. On Aug. 28, at about 9:45 a.m., National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel, responding via helicopter, located a deceased individual along a route connecting Lower Tapeats Camp and Deer Creek Camp.
The National Park Service (NPS) is beginning public review of a programmatic agreement to establish a more efficient process to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in Grand Canyon National Park. Public comments will be accepted from August 29 – September 28, 2024.
On Sunday, August 25, at approximately 3:40 p.m., Grand Canyon National Park was alerted to an emergency via a satellite phone call from a commercial river trip near Fossil Rapid (river mile 126) on the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report that CPR was in progress on an 80-year-old male who had entered the river after his boat flipped at Fossil Rapid. Despite the efforts of the group and park rangers flown in by helicopter, all resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
On August 25 at approximately 11:30 a.m., the body of Chenoa Nickerson, 33, from Gilbert, Arizona, was discovered by a commercial river trip near river mile 176 in the Colorado River. Park rangers responded and recovered the body, which was transported to the rim by helicopter and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner. Nickerson was reported missing following a flash flood that struck Havasu Canyon (river mile 157.3) on August 22.
Grand Canyon National Park is actively engaged in search and rescue operations following a flash flood that struck Havasu Creek on August 22, 2024. The flash flood, which occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m., led to several hikers being stranded in the affected area. Rescue efforts began promptly, with an initial flight taking off before 3 p.m. to assist individuals stranded both below and above Beaver Falls. Currently, there is one individual, Chenoa Nickerson, who is believed to be missing.
Effective immediately, the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will begin phasing into greater water restrictions and conservation measures due to a new break in the Transcanyon Waterline. The North Rim will begin preliminary water conservation measures. Until park staff repair the break and water in storage tanks reaches sustainable levels, the park will remain in conservation mode.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will reimplement mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a pipeline break along the North Kaibab Trail. Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Explor South Rim, LLC to operate visitor services under a 10-year concession contract. The existing bicycle rentals, guided bicycle tours, and food and beverage services at Grand Canyon National Park will transition to the new concessioner on January 1, 2025. The contract requires seasonal bicycle rentals, as well as guided daily bicycle tours conducted during the spring, summer and fall. The contract also requires year-round, "grab and go" food and beverage service targeted toward hikers, bikers and pedestrians in the Mather Point area of the park.
Park staff successfully restored the pump at Havasupai Gardens that supplies water to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and all water restrictions have been removed. Visitors, residents, and businesses should consistently practice basic water conservation and be mindful of their water usage at all times.
On Tuesday, August 6, National Park Service personnel located a body below Twin Overlooks along Desert View Drive following a multi-day search. Park rangers recovered the body which was located approximately 150 ft. below the rim. The body was transported to the rim and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. The individual was identified as Leticia A. Castillo, 20, of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Effective immediately, Grand Canyon National Park will reimplement mandatory water conservation measures for the South Rim of the park. These water restrictions are in response to a pump failure at Havasupai Gardens. Water conservation measures require all park residents and visitors to conserve and reduce water usage wherever possible in homes, hotel rooms and campgrounds.
On Thursday, August 1, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a visitor who had attempted a BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Park rangers responded and located the body of a deceased male approximately 500 feet below the rim, along with a deployed parachute.
On Wednesday, July 31 at 10:40 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a visitor who fell from the rim approximately ¼ mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook. Responding rangers located the body of Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, North Carolina 400 ft. below the rim. Mr. Mejia was near the edge of the rim when he suffered an accidental fall. An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office.
Park staff repaired the damaged pipeline that supplies water to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and all water restrictions have been removed. Visitors, residents, and businesses should consistently practice basic water conservation and be mindful of their water usage at all times.
Heritage Days will return to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Friday, August 2 through Sunday August 4th. Each day, Heritage Days programs and demonstrations will run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. throughout the North Rim developed area.
A variety of National Park Service (NPS) employees, volunteers and partners were honored at a ceremony to Celebrate America’s National Parks and the Dedication of Those Who Serve.
