Grand Canyon Trail Update: Closures & Misinformation

Описание: Grand Canyon rim to rim hiking update: closures, misinformation, and realistic alternatives you can still hike right now
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If you’re planning a Grand Canyon rim to rim or rim to river hike, there’s some important news that will affect your plans. The National Park Service has officially extended multiple closures, including the river trail between River Rest House, Silver Bridge, and Plateau Point. That means the classic South Kaibab to Bright Angel rim to river route simply isn’t possible anytime soon, with mid-2026 being the earliest—and realistically later than that.

I break down what this really means for hikers and why some of the information floating around online is overly optimistic. While people are attempting alternatives by dropping down South Kaibab, traversing the Tonto, and then going down and back up Bright Angel, that is an extremely demanding hike. It requires strong fitness and real Grand Canyon experience, and it’s not something I’d recommend casually.

To get expert insight, I talked with Brian from the Grand Canyon Hiker Dude Show, who was recently interviewed by the media about the closures. He explains why reports about North Kaibab reopening in May are almost certainly incorrect, based on direct communication with the National Park Service and the extent of fire damage from the Dragon Bravo Fire. Realistically, rim to rim hiking in 2026 is very unlikely.

The good news is that the South Rim still offers incredible hikes that start and finish on the rim. Brian shares his “South Rim Six Pack” route, a challenging but rewarding way to experience multiple trails while rim to rim remains unavailable. I’ll continue to share verified updates as conditions change so you can plan safely and realistically.


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