North Kaibab Trail Reopens to Ribbon Falls After 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire

Ribbon Falls returned to reach on March 4 when Grand Canyon National Park reopened the lower North Kaibab Trail from the Clear Creek Trail junction to the Ribbon Falls junction, nearly eight months after the Dragon Bravo Fire shut down the corridor on July 13, 2025.

The reopened segment, accessed via Phantom Ranch, represents the first real return to that stretch of inner canyon since the fire burned across large portions of the North Rim and triggered extensive trail and facility closures. Everything north of Ribbon Falls remains closed while NPS staff completes post-winter evaluations and additional maintenance. No timeline has been announced for reopening the upper portions of the trail, and full rim-to-rim travel via the North Kaibab Trail is not yet possible.

NPS Trail Crew spent the intervening months working through a substantial list of repairs, including through the section of lower canyon known as "The Box." Crews replaced worn bridge decking and handrails, stabilized bridge foundations, repaired historic stone retaining walls, maintained three footbridges, upgraded running boards on the Black Bridge, cleared rockslides, and protected exposed water lines. A larger rehabilitation of the Black Bridge is planned for a future season. Post-fire assessments found that the Dragon Bravo Fire did not significantly increase risk to permanent facilities or overnight use areas at Phantom Ranch.

The cleared trail does not mean cleared skies, however. Burn scars above Bright Angel Creek have raised the potential for flash flooding and debris flows during storm events, and the National Park Service was direct in its language: "Flash flooding is an inherent risk when hiking in the Grand Canyon, and visitors are responsible for monitoring weather conditions and understanding the hazards associated before entering the canyon." In response, the park installed new stream and precipitation monitoring equipment, put up new signage explaining flash flood risks and appropriate response actions throughout the Phantom Ranch area and along the trail, and updated emergency response and evacuation plans. Visitors with Phantom Ranch reservations or Bright Angel Campground permits received advance notifications; backcountry and river users were encouraged to register for the NPS alert system.

The reopening coincided with coordinated action on adjacent lands. On February 4, 2026, the Kaibab National Forest reduced its own closure area, reopening approximately 8,600 acres of House Rock Valley and 2.4 miles of the Nankoweap/Saddle Mountain Trail in coordination with Grand Canyon National Park.

The site also carries cultural weight: Ribbon Falls and the surrounding area hold significance for the Zuni people, and visitors are urged to treat it with appropriate respect. Current trail conditions and updates are posted at nps.gov/grca.