As of late September 2025, the Long Bravo Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in Arizona's recent history, was fully contained, burning more than 140,000 acres on the Grand Canyon's North Rim and destroying the historic Grand Canyon Hotel.
The July 4 fire, started by lightning, grew from a small, monitored fire to a massive “megafire” in a matter of days, driven by hot, dry conditions, low humidity and strong winds. By mid-August, it had swept across the Kaibab Plateau, engulfing much of the developed areas of the North Rim, including the visitor center, guest cabins, and park infrastructure. The fire never crossed the Colorado River, which means inner canyons and river corridors Grand Canyon Rafting Travel happens and basically remains the same.
As of early October 2025, the National Park Service has reopened Highway 67 to W1, restoring access to North Rim overlooks such as Imperial Point and Royal Point, while continuing repairs and cleanup of affected areas. Park visitors can check the status of many North Rim landmarks on the website National Park Service website.
While the Long Bravo Fire is an extreme example, wildfires like this are a normal and recurring part of the Grand Canyon ecosystem, and they occasionally impact river travel through the canyon. The impacts range from smoky skies and closures to changes in hiking access.
What Grand Canyon rafters need to know
Grand Canyon river travel has been minimally affected by the Long Bravo Fire. According to Lars Harr, OARS Grand Canyon operations manager, there were variable smoke conditions on the water trip as the fire spread rapidly, but there was little direct disruption.
The biggest impact on rafters comes from air quality. “It depends on the time of day and the section of the canyon,” Hal explained. “When the air cools down at night, the smoke settles in the canyon – amazing sunsets, but definitely more smoke in the campground. As the day heats up, the smoke is blown away by the breeze and warmer air.”
While the river remains open and there are no closures affecting commercial rafting trips, some guests have chosen to cancel due to smoke or visibility issues, especially those whose trips begin or end at Pipe Creek and require hiking in and out of the canyon along the Bright Angel Trail. phantom ranchIt is expected to reopen on November 1, having been temporarily closed during the height of the fire, but river enthusiasts can still stop at Boat Beach to replenish water. Mule baggage service to and from Phantom Ranch will also be suspended for the remainder of the 2025 season.
Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027
OARS expects Grand Canyon river trips in 2026 and 2027 to proceed as planned with some minor precautions. The main concern going forward is flash flooding or mudslides during monsoon storms in burn drainage ditches beneath the fire area, particularly between the 18 Mile and 100 Mile rivers. This includes popular hiking and camping areas such as North Canyon, South Canyon, South Cowip and Bright Angel.
“We warn our travelers to avoid camping along rivers in these areas, or at least choose your campsites wisely,” Hall said. In 2025, monsoon rains temporarily turned the Colorado River a dark brown, almost black, due to runoff from newly burned areas. It's unclear whether this will continue into the 2026 or 2027 commercial rafting seasons.
How common are wildfires near the Grand Canyon?
While wildfires in fringe areas are fairly common, fires that directly impact river corridors are rare. Haar said guests planning a Grand Canyon rafting trip are less likely to encounter wildfires than popular wilderness rafting trips in Idaho or Oregon. “The edge itself is the only wooded area,” he added. “Once you get below the edge, there's not enough vegetation to handle a massive forest fire. It's not something people need to worry about.”
Still, smoke from area fires can affect visibility or air quality. Guests who are sensitive to smoking or suffer from medical conditions such as asthma are encouraged to purchase travel protection And monitor wildfire updates before traveling.
for those Planning a rafting trip during wildfire season In the American West, fires like Dragon Bravo are also reminders that the impact of wildfires can ripple throughout the region, even when the flames are far from the water.
