Grand Canyon North Kaibab Trail remains open during parking closure

North Rim hikers heading for the North Kaibab Trail this week need a different approach: the North Kaibab Trailhead parking lot is closed from 1 a.m. June 22 through 5 p.m. June 26 for hazard tree mitigation, but the trail itself remains open. That means the trip is still on, yet the parking and approach plan has changed for anyone trying to reach the trailhead during the closure window.

Grand Canyon National Park is steering visitors to park on the shoulder of Highway 67 between Admin Loop and Point Sublime Road, or in the former lodge parking lot. From there, hikers should use the Bridle Path to reach the trailhead instead of walking along Highway 67. Commercial transportation services can still drop off and pick up passengers near the General Store in the Backcountry Information Center parking lot, which gives guided hikers and shuttle users a workable bypass while the lot is shut.

The closure comes on top of an already limited North Rim setup. The North Rim reopened for the 2026 season on May 15, and the North Kaibab Trail reopened that day for foot traffic only, with stock use suspended for the season. Parking at the trailhead is generally limited to vehicles under 22 feet in length, with overflow parking available near the former Grand Canyon Lodge site. For larger vehicles, shuttle users, and anyone arriving with a tight start time, the access details matter as much as the trailhead itself.

Water is another critical piece of planning. Potable water is not available anywhere on the North Rim during the 2026 season, including at the North Kaibab Trailhead and Supai Tunnel, so hikers need to carry everything they expect to drink. The North Kaibab Trail is the least visited and most difficult of the major inner-canyon trails, and its modern alignment, built in the 1920s, replaced an older route that crossed Bright Angel Creek 94 times. The current trail crosses only six times, a reminder that even a small access change can ripple hard across a long-distance itinerary.

The park also flagged more route changes ahead. The River Trail east of the River Resthouse to the South Kaibab Trail junction, the Silver Bridge, and Plateau Point are set to reopen June 26 at 7 a.m. Then, beginning October 15, the North Kaibab section from Redwall Bridge to the north end of Cottonwood Campground will close, ending traditional rim-to-rim travel on that corridor after that date. For hikers with plans this week, the message is clear: the North Kaibab Trail is open, but the safest move is to adjust parking, timing, and logistics before rolling toward the North Rim.