Walk among the ponderosa pine trees. Look toward the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Enjoy a beer at the saloon. A meal or ranger presentation at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim. Drive the Cape Royal Road to Point Imperial or to the end of the road. All now memories, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon will never be as it was! It was with great sadness I learned of the initial July 4 wildfire jumping the “control and contain” lines. This had been the practice of handling wildfires. A week later though, a place I was to visit in 2 months, was destroyed. Yes, the plants will grow and the animals will return in time. But the historic structures, the main lodge and cabins built by Mary Colter, are part too of the catastrophic loss.
Lightning strikes happened on the north rim many times and some were allowed to continue to burn. However, with a drop in the Arizona humidity and wind the fire spread so fast. Iconic and historic buildings are gone. Hopefully the animals could seek shelter someplace. No human lives were lost. There was another wildfire further up the road that prompted evacuation from the rim. There is only one road in and out from the rim so fortunately people were evacuated then. The Dragon Bravo fire caused the devastation at the north rim. The park will be closed for the 2025 season. So many people have been displaced or lost their homes and/or jobs with the park now closed.
Ways to donate: there are a couple GoFundMe fundraisers. Grand Canyon Conservancy set up fundraiser called Grand Canyon Disaster Recovery Fund. The money collected by the official non-profit partner of the Grand Canyon National Park cannot provide monies to individuals. It will help with the rebuilding and restoration of the north rim. Loaner equipment and temporary housing may be the first efforts once the wildfire is contained. There will be years of work ahead. Donate what you can, if you can. Thanks. Grand Canyon Disaster Recovery Fund
Here are some photos from our last visit to the north rim of the Grand Canyon:
Only a fraction of the number of people visiting Grand Canyon National Park travel to the north rim. It is a 4 – 5 hour drive from the south rim to the north rim. If you have been lucky enough to visit the north rim, share your memories here. I would love to hear what you enjoyed while at the north rim. Someday the north rim will be open again and I will be there!