A large flash flood swept through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area of Grand Canyon National Park on Saturday afternoon, with more than a dozen people still unaccounted for after evacuations throughout the weekend.
The National Park Service said Sunday that 62 people were evacuated from the area and about 15 people are missing following the flood. Officials are seeking information from the public to account for them as park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety continue evacuation and response efforts. No injuries were reported as of Sunday morning, park officials added.
Bright Angel Canyon stretches from the Colorado River to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim, a roughly 260-mile drive from Las Vegas. Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, has cabin lodging and is a popular destination for hikers and mule riders.
Park officials said additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible Monday, which could cause more flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and changing trail and river conditions.
‘Landslides happening everywhere’
Parth Desai told The Associated Press he was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon with a group of fellow physicians and a park ranger when the downpour started.
“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he said.
Later, as they made their way toward Phantom Ranch, a colleague shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” as a four-foot debris wall headed toward them and they ran up into a patch of cacti, he said. They were finally rescued by helicopter Saturday evening after making it to the Phantom Ranch area, he said.
Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins and the entire North Kaibab Trail are closed until further notice, park officials said Sunday. The Black Bridge and Silver Bridge, which both cross the Colorado River, are also closed until further notice.
“There is currently no estimated reopening date for these areas and other inner canyon closures may be necessary,” park officials said.
The flash flood created significant infrastructure damage throughout Bright Angel Canyon, according to the park service. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, officials said, and park staff are continuing to assess the damage to trails, bridges, utilities, facilities and other infrastructure.
The Colorado River is also closed to river traffic until further notice due to metal structures and debris entering the river, park officials said. Visitors with upcoming river trips should contact their commercial outfitter or National Park Service River Permits for trip-specific information.
Justin Johndrow, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Flagstaff, Arizona, told AP that about one-half inch to one inch of rain fell within about 30 minutes in the rocky area where there is a steep drop in elevation. “Most of it ran off instantly,” Johndrow said.
2025 fire made ‘increased risk of flash floods’ in canyon
The flooding comes one year after the Dragon Bravo Fire devastated the North Rim by burning more than 145,000 acres and the Grand Canyon Lodge, according to the advocacy group Grand Canyon Trust.
Park officials have said that the blaze impacted several key watersheds, including Bright Angel Creek, which carved the Bright Angel Canyon where this weekend’s flooding occurred.
“Increased risk of flash floods and/or debris flows is expected in these watersheds during monsoons or other storms with heavy precipitation,” the park service said. “In steep terrain, runoff can cause flash flooding within minutes of heavy rainfall.”
The park service added that debris flows triggered by storms are capable of damaging buildings, roads and other infrastructure.
“Visitors should exercise extreme caution in all affected watersheds during monsoon season, as burned areas are more prone to flash flooding and debris flows,” park officials said.
How to help
The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor Saturday, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.
This includes individuals who may have been traveling along the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling or staying in the area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.
If you know of anyone who may have been hiking or backpacking in these areas, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009.
When submitting a tip, please provide any information you have about the individual, including their name, approximate location, travel plans, group size, clothing or backpack description, or when they were last known to be in the area. You do not have to provide your name.
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
