North Rim of Grand Canyon to reopen May 15 following 2025 Dragon Bravo fire destruction

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - We're getting our first look at recovery efforts at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon after last year's wildfires. Parts of the area burned during the White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires will reopen May 15. 

The Dragon Bravo fire burned nearly 150,000 acres in the Kaibab National Forest and along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. As cleanup continues, so do conversations about preventing this level of destruction in the future.

Preparing for visitors once again

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon will begin a phased reopening. The area normally closes for the winter, but in 2026, there will be limited access due to ongoing recovery efforts from the Dragon Bravo Fire. The lightning-caused blaze started on July 4 and went on to decimate historic structures, including the Grand Canyon Lodge, along with plenty of wildlife. 

The Dragon Bravo Fire alone burned nearly 150,000 acres in the Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park. As cleanup efforts continued, we checked in with staff at the historic Jacob Lake Inn as they prepared for a new season of travelers.

What they're saying:

"It has been hard, and we don’t really know what to anticipate this year. We don’t," said Melinda Rich Marshall, manager of Jacob Lake Inn. For more than a century, the Jacob Lake Inn has been a gateway for visitors to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

"We have signatures from people when they were staying with us," Marshall said. "You have some that are from kind of local areas, but there’s some from all over the world really."

Four generations have taken care of the inn and the people who visit. "This one is sort of a memory wall here of the founders, which are my great-grandparents, Harold and Nina Bowman," Marshall said.

Last year, the inn was evacuated as parts of the White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires crept within a few miles of the historic building and lodgings. While the fire did not reach the structures and the inn did reopen after a brief closure, the effects of it are still felt in terms of business.

"In terms of reservations, we are down quite a lot and that is not just for us, that is also for other towns that are near us as well," Marshall said.

With the North Rim set for a phased reopening on May 15, Marshall says the staff is looking forward to seeing more guests stop by. "Come to the North Rim, come see these amazing viewpoints that are still here. We are here for you. We have the cookies ready. We want to be able to provide services for those who are traveling through," she said.

The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed dozens of structures along the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. Marshall says despite this loss, there has also been a resilience shown by the entire North Rim community.

"When I think of this whole experience, the phrase that comes, and it’s gonna make me cry, but it’s beauty from ashes," Marshall said. "It has been really hard, it has, and again, things that we love and places that we love no longer exist in the same way that they did but at the same time it has created greater conversations, it has created more awareness. Also, it has allowed us to have a voice in a way we never have."

"The community has really pulled together"

"It was quite emotional. I think my first time coming to see this particular portion was like, wow, that’s impressive, there’s a lot that’s happened," said Jacob Jacoby, a licensed guide and outfitter.

Jacoby and his parents are licensed guides and outfitters in the Kaibab National Forest. They’ve seen the destruction left behind from the 2025 White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires and say some parts of the national forest they love are unrecognizable.

"A year ago there was a wall of trees so thick you couldn’t see very far. It was a beautiful spot, nice pull out, great place to take pictures and now, as you can see, it’s decimated and there’s not much left," Jacoby said.

The destruction is also displacing creatures that call the trees and forest floor home.

"Thankfully, there are still some areas that are salvaged, and they’re doing very well there, but in these areas that have burned, we’ve seen almost none," Jacoby said.

Jacoby says there are many lessons to be taken from the devastating fires.

"It would be nice if there were some different preventative measures for these large, natural wildfires. Before it burned, there were too many trees. Now that it burned, there’s too few," Jacoby said.

The backstory:

The handling of the Dragon Bravo fire – specifically the decision to let the lightning-caused blaze burn the first few days – has drawn criticism from Washington. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum discussed what he called early mismanagement at a recent Senate hearing, saying the National Park Service should’ve approached the fire with suppression rather than containment efforts.

"BLM land where the fire was put out it was operating under their operational thing under suppression, with the National Park Service is offering under a strategy called containment. Containment did not work due to the winds and conditions," Burgum said.

The Dragon Bravo fire specifically destroyed dozens of structures within the Grand Canyon National Park, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. Jacoby says the loss has been significant, but so has the strength of the North Rim community.

"The community has really pulled together for those who live up here and those that live in the surrounding communities that love to come recreate up here. The whole experience has really tightened us together, and you can feel the love and support," Jacoby said.

What's next:

Every visitor from May 15 on can do their part to be fire wise. To learn more about how to do so, and more about the phased reopening of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/northrimstatus.htm.

Map of the area