The Grand Canyon’s North Rim Is Partially Reopening Today After Summer’s Wildfires—Including These Stunning Viewpoints

When a wildfire swept across the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in July 2025, it made national headlines. Not only was it one of the largest wildfires in the U.S. that season, but it also impacted a place beloved by travelers from around the world: Grand Canyon National Park.

Now, three months later, the park has announced the partial reopening of the North Rim.

Starting Oct. 1, Highway 67 will reopen up to the W1 Road, along with the scenic Cape Royal Road. This means visitors can once again experience the breathtaking views from Point Imperial, the highest point on the Grand Canyon’s rim, and Cape Royal, a favorite spot for sunrise and sunset, and one of the few places on the North Rim where you can see the Colorado River.

Overnight use on the North Rim will remain closed, except at the dispersed camping areas of Fire Point and Swamp Ridge, which also reopen on Oct. 1.

These areas of the North Rim will remain accessible only until Nov. 30—or until the first major snowfall—after which the North Rim closes, as usual, for the winter season.

“Reopening portions of the North Rim allows visitors to once again experience some of the park’s most scenic areas while we continue to assess post-fire impacts and begin recovery efforts,” said Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Ed Keable in a Sept. 25, 2025 press release. “This is the first of several phased reopenings planned for the North Rim, and we appreciate the public’s patience as we work diligently to restore access.”

The North Rim may be partially reopened, but it is important to note that this lesser-visited side of the canyon is significantly more remote than the popular South Rim. Following the fires there is no power, running water, fuel, cell service, or visitor services on the North Rim so visitors must bring their own food, water, and supplies. The open North Rim camping at Fire Point and Swamp Ridge, is primitive and requires a backcountry permit. For more information, see here.

For more standard overnight accommodation, North Rim visitors can stay outside the park. One of the closest options is Kaibab Lodge, which has cozy cabins and is located around 1 hour from the now-closed North Rim Visitor Center.

The park’s press release notes that visitors interested in visiting the reopened parts of the North Rim should expect to see crews working on recovery and dead standing trees as a result of the fire.