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WORLD BRIEFING · DEVELOPING STORY

Grand Canyon flash flood tears through Bright Angel Canyon, destroying bridges and forcing evacuations

At least 62 people were evacuated from the remote Phantom Ranch area as authorities worked to account for visitors who may have been in the flood corridor.

· By Daniel Schlief · Summary of attributed outside reporting and official records

Remnants of stone bridge pylons along Bright Angel Creek after the August 29 flash flood
Remnants of a destroyed footbridge along Bright Angel Creek. NPS Photo/J. Thompson.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — A violent flash flood ripped through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area Saturday afternoon, forcing helicopter evacuations, destroying nearly every footbridge across Bright Angel Creek and sending boulders, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River.

The flooding began at approximately 2:30 p.m. on August 29, according to the National Park Service. By Sunday morning, 62 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail. No injuries had been reported in the Park Service's latest published update.

Arizona's Family reported Sunday afternoon that officials had revised the number of people unaccounted for to roughly 15 after initially seeking information about more than 20. “Unaccounted for” does not necessarily mean a person was caught in the flood; investigators were checking whether people believed to be in the remote area were safe.

A wall of water and debris

The storm dropped about one-half inch to 1 inch of rain in approximately 30 minutes, according to a National Weather Service meteorologist quoted by The Associated Press. Bright Angel Creek descends roughly 6,000 feet from the North Rim toward the Colorado River, allowing runoff to move rapidly through steep terrain.

The Park Service said nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed. Crews were assessing damage to trails, utilities, buildings and other infrastructure.

Major closures

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail were closed until further notice. The Black Bridge and Silver Bridge were also closed. River traffic was suspended because metal structures and debris entered the Colorado River.

The Bright Angel Creek watershed was among the areas affected by the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire. Burned watersheds can face greater flood and debris-flow risk, but officials had not issued a final finding attributing this flood's severity to the burn scar.

Officials ask the public for information

Anyone with information about hikers or backpackers in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29 should contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch at 888-653-0009.

Sources and media

Media note: the displayed image is credited as an NPS photograph. Privately submitted images and commercial news video are linked, not copied.