Grand Canyon Official Says Fire Damage Will Make Trails Dangerous for Years

March 10, 2026

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. The Inertia