Grand Canyon North Rim road trip after the Dragon Bravo Fire: what is open and how to plan it

Route Las Vegas, NV → Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ

Distance 275 miles

Estimated fuel $40

What is open on the Grand Canyon North Rim after the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire, per NPS, and how to plan a North Rim road trip from Las Vegas or Kanab with no in-park lodging.

A Grand Canyon North Rim road trip is still worth doing after the Dragon Bravo Fire, but it is now a day-use trip. The July 2025 fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, the North Rim Visitor Center and many cabins, and the National Park Service offered no overnight lodging on the North Rim in 2026. When the rim reopened on May 15, 2026, all paved roads came back, including Highway 67 and the scenic drives to Cape Royal and Point Imperial. Many rim trails stayed closed. As of November 4, 2026, the North Rim is in limited fall day use through November 30 with no water or food. The NPS has not yet announced 2027 opening details.

This guide covers what NPS says is open, what is closed, where to sleep and fuel, and a two-day plan from Las Vegas or Kanab that works with the reduced services.

What is open on the North Rim (per NPS)

Feature	2026 season status	Status as of Nov 4, 2026
Highway 67 to the rim	Reopened May 15, 2026.	Open for day use until Nov 30 or the first major snowstorm.
Cape Royal and Point Imperial roads	Reopened May 15. Vehicles over 22 feet are not permitted.	Closed Oct 15 to Nov 3 for repairs, then open again until the season ends.
Viewpoints	Point Imperial, Cape Royal, Roosevelt Point, Walhalla Overlook and Angels Window accessible by road.	Roadside viewpoints accessible; most connecting trails closed (see below).
In-park lodging	None. Grand Canyon Lodge was destroyed.	None.
North Rim Campground	Expected to reopen "once conditions allow" with no hookups.	Closed for the 2026 season.
Gas station and general store	Operated in summer 2026.	Closed for the season. No drinking water or food on the North Rim.
North Kaibab Trail	Reopened May 15 for foot traffic only; stock use suspended.	Closed from the trailhead to Phantom Ranch.
Bridle Trail	Open between the North Kaibab Trailhead and the former lodge parking area.	Open.

The trail list is the biggest change from a pre-fire visit. As of November 3, 2026, the NPS listed these as closed: Bright Angel Point Trail, Widforss, Transept, Uncle Jim, Cape Royal Trail, Cliff Springs, Cape Final, Roosevelt Point Trail, Point Imperial Trail and both sections of the Ken Patrick Trail. Phantom Ranch, Cottonwood and Bright Angel campgrounds, and the Black and Silver bridges were also closed. Closures change through the season, so check the North Rim status page the week you go.

Timing: the North Rim season and 2027

The North Rim is seasonal. Between December 1 and May 14, the North Rim roads are closed to all vehicles and no services operate. In 2026 the park reopened on May 15 at 6 a.m. Before that, the park had promised season details by April 1 under its principle of "open what we can, where we can, when we can."

For 2027, nothing is announced yet. The NPS ran a public involvement period on long-term North Rim recovery and redevelopment concepts from October 6 to November 6, 2026. Rebuilding the lodge and visitor facilities is a multi-year process. Plan a 2027 trip on the assumption that in-park lodging will still be unavailable. Expect the season to start around mid-May if weather allows, and watch for a spring announcement.

The best window for a road trip is late May through September, when the store, fuel and campground have the best chance of operating. Late fall gives the quietest roads but no services at all.

Where to sleep and fuel

Jacob Lake, AZ. The park entrance is 30 miles south of Jacob Lake on Highway 67, and the rim is another 14 miles past the entrance. The NPS describes Jacob Lake as the nearest lodging, food and fuel, about 45 miles north of the rim.
Kaibab Lodge and the North Rim Country Store. These are on Highway 67 just outside the park. The NPS named the Country Store, along with Jacob Lake, as the nearest fuel, food and water during the 2026 season.
Kanab, UT, and Fredonia, AZ. These have the most lodging choice and work as a base if you are pairing the North Rim with Zion or Bryce Canyon.
Camping. The U.S. Forest Service's DeMotte Campground, 7 miles north of the park boundary, ran first-come, first-served from September 18 to October 31, 2026. Check Recreation.gov for 2027 dates.

Las Vegas to North Rim itinerary: 2 days

Day 1: Las Vegas to Kanab or Jacob Lake

The NPS puts Las Vegas to the North Rim at 275 miles. The route goes north on I-15 for 128 miles to just past St. George, then Route 9 and Route 59 (which becomes Route 389 in Arizona) to US 89A. From there, US 89A runs to Jacob Lake and Highway 67 runs 43 miles south to the rim. Overnight in Kanab if you want restaurants and choice, or Jacob Lake if you want a shorter morning. If you have extra days, Zion is on the way; the Utah Mighty 5 road trip covers how to fit it in.

Day 2: North Rim scenic drives, then back north

Leave early with full tanks of fuel and water and a packed lunch. Inside the park:

Point Imperial. The drive there passes through the burn area, with both scars and regrowth. The short Point Imperial Trail was closed as of November 2026, but the roadside overlook was accessible.
Cape Royal Road. Drive out to Roosevelt Point, Walhalla Overlook, Angels Window and Cape Royal. Vehicles over 22 feet cannot use this road or the Point Imperial road, so leave trailers and long RVs at your campground.
Former lodge area. Overflow parking for the North Kaibab Trailhead is next to the site of the former Grand Canyon Lodge. The Bridle Trail links the two. The Bright Angel Point Trail, the classic short walk from the lodge, was closed as of November 2026.

Return to Kanab or Jacob Lake for the night, or continue to the South Rim. The NPS lists the South Rim at 212 miles from the North Rim, about 4.5 hours each way.

Distances and fuel

From	To the North Rim (NPS miles)
Jacob Lake, AZ	44 (30 to the entrance, 14 more to the rim)
Flagstaff, AZ	207
South Rim	212
Las Vegas, NV	275
Phoenix, AZ	351
Salt Lake City, UT	392

Fuel estimate: Las Vegas to the North Rim is 275 miles one way. At 30 mpg that is about 9.2 gallons. Using the AAA Arizona average of $4.38 per gallon on November 4, 2026, that comes to about $40 one way or $80 round trip, before scenic-drive mileage. Prices differ in Nevada and Utah and change often. Buy fuel before you reach the rim, especially outside summer.

What travelers report

TripAdvisor reviews from 2026 give a consistent picture: the views hold up, the services do not.

A visitor in July 2026, posting on the TripAdvisor North Rim page, spent about four hours on the drive from Kanab plus the scenic roads. They expected little after the fire but found the overlooks quiet and uncrowded, with heavy destruction alongside new growth.
A reviewer in August 2026, writing on TripAdvisor, advised skipping the burned developed area. Instead, go straight to Cape Royal and then Point Imperial. They noted outhouse-style toilets at both and at the entrance, and no other services, so bring food and water.
A longtime North Rim visitor who has hiked rim to rim several times wrote on TripAdvisor in January 2026 that restoring facilities will take years. That matches the NPS framing of rebuilding as a long-term process.

What to watch out for

Expecting to stay at the rim. There was no in-park lodging in 2026, and the campground was not open when the rim reopened in May. Book Jacob Lake, Kaibab Lodge or Kanab.
Arriving with half a tank. Outside the summer service window there is no fuel, food or water on the rim. Fill up at Jacob Lake or before.
Planning around a trail that is closed. Bright Angel Point, Widforss, Cape Royal and Point Imperial trails were all closed as of November 2026. Plan around roadside viewpoints and check the status page.
Driving a long rig on the scenic roads. The 22-foot limit on the Cape Royal and Point Imperial roads applies to total length, and North Kaibab Trailhead parking has the same limit.
Hiking in the burn scar during monsoon storms. The NPS warns that burned watersheds, including Bright Angel Creek, can produce flash floods and debris flows within minutes of heavy rain. Check forecasts, especially July to September.
Confusing the North Rim with the South Rim. The South Rim stayed open throughout. It is a separate 212-mile, roughly 4.5-hour drive away. For other parks where reservations, not fire damage, shape the plan, see national parks that require reservations in 2027.

Bottom line

A North Rim road trip works now if you treat it as a day trip: sleep in Kanab, Jacob Lake or at Kaibab Lodge, fill fuel and water before Highway 67, and spend the day on the Point Imperial and Cape Royal scenic drives. Expect no in-park lodging in 2027 and many rim trails still closed. The NPS has not announced 2027 dates, so check the North Rim status page in spring before you book. Non-U.S. residents should also budget for the $100 nonresident fee at Grand Canyon or the $250 nonresident annual pass. If you are building a bigger western loop, the Glacier Going-to-the-Sun Road itinerary covers another park whose rules changed in 2026.