Grand Canyon North Rim reopens, North Kaibab Trail opens May 15

Grand Canyon hikers got their North Rim access back at 6 a.m. Friday, May 15, and with it one of the park’s most important inner-canyon gateways reopened for foot traffic. The North Kaibab Trail reopened north of the Ribbon Falls junction to the trailhead, restoring the north-side anchor for corridor hikes, Cottonwood Campground overnights and rim-to-rim itineraries.

The reopening also brought back the paved road network that makes the North Rim workable for real trips, not just scenic drives. Highway 67, Cape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road reopened, although vehicles over 22 feet are not allowed on Cape Royal or Point Imperial. Parking at the North Kaibab Trailhead is limited to vehicles under 22 feet, with overflow parking set up near the former Grand Canyon Lodge. For anyone staging a shuttle, that parking rule matters as much as the trail itself.

Cottonwood Campground reopened the same day, giving backpackers an overnight option on the North Kaibab corridor, and the Bridle Path between the former lodge area and the trail is open again. The North Rim Campground is expected to reopen for tent and RV camping with no hookups once conditions allow, but there will be no overnight lodging on the North Rim in the park during the 2026 season. The North Kaibab Trail is open for foot traffic only; stock use is suspended for the season.

For permit and closure planning, the Backcountry Information Center remains the main source for current restrictions. That matters because the North Rim reopening does not mean the canyon is fully back to normal. The Plateau Point Trail, the River Trail east of the River Resthouse to the South Kaibab Trail junction, and the Silver Bridge all remain closed through June 30, which trims options for hikers trying to build classic corridor loops from the South Rim side.

The calendar matters too. Beginning October 15 at 11:59 p.m., a section of the North Kaibab Trail between Redwall Bridge and the northern end of Cottonwood Campground will close for Transcanyon Waterline rehabilitation, with no detour and an expected reopening around February 2027. That means the traditional rim-to-rim window narrows hard after mid-October, even before hikers factor in water status at trailheads and use areas.

The reopening comes after the Dragon Bravo Fire, which ignited July 4, 2025, burned 149,399 acres and destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge and numerous historic cabins in the North Rim developed area. However much the roads and trailhead signs now say open, the new planning reality is still shaped by that fire scar, by limited parking and by a North Kaibab corridor that is usable again, but only on terms the canyon will accept.