On October 1, the Kaibab National Forest reopened 11 miles of the Arizona National Scenic Trail between the Kaibab Plateau Trailhead at the Park/Forest boundary and Forest Road 213 near Telephone Hill Trailhead. Passage 40 is now completely open! However, 29 miles of the AZT between The Tipoff (4.6 miles north of the South Kaibab Trailhead) and the Park/Forest boundary along Passages 38 and 39 remain closed. Since the Dragon Bravo Fire had significant impacts to the trail and surrounding landscape, visitors should be aware of hazards associated with traveling within a burn zone. This includes: Watch for falling trees. Even if the tree looks robust, it might be at risk of falling because of damaged root systems and fire-loosened soils. Watch for falling branches. Look up often and be aware of fire-weakened trees, snags and overhead dangling branches. Do not sit down and take a break under a fire-weakened or dead tree. Windy days are especially dangerous. Don’t go out in a burn area if it’s forecast to be windy. Leave the area immediately if the wind picks up and there are hazards around you. Don’t make camp below burned trees. Rainy weather can be very dangerous. Rain increases the likelihood of landslides and flash floods....
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Location
- North Kaibab Trailhead to Kaibab National Forest boundary
Length
- 12.0 miles
Resources
- MAP
- PROFILE
- TRACK
- Waypoints: GPS | MP
- Arizona Euro-American History
- USGS Topographic Maps: Bright Angel Point and Little Park Lake.
- Kaibab National Forest map.
- Grand Canyon National Park map.
- BLM Information Center maps.
Southern Trailhead: North Kaibab Trailhead
- GPS Coordinates: 36.21722° N, 112.05686° W
Access
The parking area is on the east side of AZ 67, 41 miles south of Jacob Lake and 2.3 miles north of Grand Canyon Lodge. The trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot.
Northern Access Point: Kaibab National Forest boundary
- GPS Coordinates: 36.33775° N, 112.10248° W
Access
From Jacob Lake, drive south on AZ 67 for 26 miles and turn left (east) onto FR 611 (4.5 miles north of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance station and 1 mile south of Kaibab Lodge). Drive 1.1 miles and turn right (east) onto FR 610. Wind south and then east 5.1 miles to a pullout on the north side of the road, near a brown AZT post.
Trail Route Description
Passage 39 begins at the North Kaibab Trailhead and traverses the seldom-used north side of Grand Canyon National Park. The North Rim attracts only 10% of the Grand Canyon’s annual visitors, resulting in a serene and solitary environment. Before heading north on this section, take a short walk to the rim and catch one more glimpse, through pine trees and fir, into the vast red limestone of Roaring Springs Canyon.
The trail follows a mix of dirt roads and singletrack across a gentle terrain, with some short, steep sections through rolling, forested hills and lush meadows. This mixed conifer forest is home to aspen, spruce, fir and pines.
This passage meanders above 8,000 feet of elevation, which causes cooler temperatures and the possibility for snow through the spring season and sometimes into early summer.
Difficulty
- Easy to Moderate
Season(s)
- Spring, Summer and Fall
- Current weather forecast
Water
Water sources are scarce and unreliable on the Kaibab Plateau. Check the online Arizona Trail Water Report for current information at https://aztrail.org/explore/water-sources/.
Notes/Warnings
- All water along this passage should be purified prior to use.
- The Arizona Trail is marked with brown fiberglass posts with a Kaibab Plateau Trail decal near the top.
- North Rim facilities are closed from mid-October to mid-May.
- When the AZT is buried under snow in the springtime, hikers are allowed to walk on Hwy 67 before the road opens, typically on May 15. Mountain bikers are not allowed to ride the road and must follow the trail. Hikers walking the plowed and paved road should be aware of vehicles and snowplows; this means no camping, campfires, or full spread meals in the middle of the road.
For more information
- The Passage Steward
- Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 (928) 638-7888.
- Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District, P.O. Box 248, Fredonia, AZ 86022 (928) 643-7298.
- Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, Jacob Lake, AZ (928) 643-7298.
- BLM Information Center (602) 417-9300.
Current Passage Info
Arizona National Scenic Trail Thru-Hiker Update for Autumn 2025
September 10, 2025
Arizona National Scenic Trail Thru-Hiker Update for Autumn 2025 After a dry winter and a parched spring, we all knew this could be the worst wildfire year in recent history. But we held out hope for a bountiful summer monsoon season. Instead, we keep seeing heat records being broken and rainstorms yielding just a few intermittent drops. Living in the Southwest during a prolonged drought is challenging, and despite our efforts to maintain and improve the trail; enhance water sources; and make the Arizona Trail the premier long-distance trail in America, attempting to walk or ride 800 miles gets more intense every year. The White Sage and Dragon Bravo fires have impacted almost 100 miles of the Arizona Trail this season. Through recent reports from agency staff assessing the damage on the ground and from the air show us that approximately 35 miles were directly impacted. Some good news is that only 2% was a high intensity burn; 26% was moderate; and 65% was low intensity. The Arizona Trail Association is working with the US Forest Service to reroute the AZT around the most severely burned areas on the Kaibab National Forest, utilizing trails and dirt roads to provide a...
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29 Miles of Arizona Trail Closed Due To Wildfires
September 10, 2025
The Dragon Bravo Fire has forced 29 miles of the Arizona Trail to close from The Tipoff (4.4 miles north of the South Kaibab Trailhead) on the South Rim of Grand Canyon to the Kaibab Plateau Trailhead at the Park/Forest boundary along Forest Road 610. Highway 67 is closed south of the Kaibab National Forest/Grand Canyon National Park boundary. Please avoid the AZT within Grand Canyon National Park's North Rim until further notice, and check back for updates. Click here for a map of trail closures within Grand Canyon National Park (inner gorge).
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