Parks officials worry that hiking conditions could remain risky for years after the Dragon Bravo fire tore through the canyon’s North Rim last summer. Photo: Grand Canyon National Park//Facebook
Grand Canyon Trail Supervisor Adam Gibson says, even when trails reopen on the North Rim following the devastating Dragon Bravo fire last summer, hikers will have to assume more risk than they did before the fire. Speaking on The Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show, Gibson said last summer’s wildfire left debris that can be triggered by rain events and come cascading into the canyon.
The fire, ignited by lightning on July 4 on the canyon’s North Rim, scorched 145,000 acres. It destroyed more than 70 structures, including a historic lodge and a water treatment facility that caused a chlorine gas leak. The canyon’s North Rim, including the upper section of the North Kaibab Trail — the main entry into the canyon, and a portion of the classic “rim-to-rim” hike — have been closed since the blaze.
“One thing that’s clear to me is when we do have rain events up there, that it’s going to be a more hostile area than users are going to be used to,” said Gibson. “There are going to be high levels of risk associated with using that trail moving forward, I think for the next several years.”
Gibson explained that five to six feet of rock, ash, and dirt were deposited in some areas after the blaze. During rains, this material becomes unstable, depositing loose boulders and sliding into the canyon with destructive force. As a result, sections of the North Kaibab Trail that are normally safe are now prone to slides from above — a “red flag” according to Gibson.
“What I’ve been able to see is that there’s a lot of force in these debris flows, and they’re taking out berms, and they’re taking out trail structure and infrastructure pretty easily,” said Gibson, after inspecting the trail in February. “It’s going to take a pretty heavy amount of construction work with some heavy stonework for us to be able to have the strength to withstand the debris flows that are going to be coming through there.”
Gibson says he hopes to begin work on the trail in April, noting that they will take extra precautions to ensure workers are not put in danger. There is no estimated date on when the trail will be reopened, but the park says limited visitor access to the North Rim will tentatively begin May 15. However, whenever the North Kaibab trail reopens, hikers will need to proceed with more caution.
“There’s no way that all the hazards are going to be able to be mitigated,” said Gibson. “It’s just not realistic. It’s going to be a source of problems for us.”
For those looking to access the park, many of the more visited South Rim trails are still open. Check the park’s updates for the latest on trail closures.
