Grand Canyon National Park has confirmed that the iconic Bright Angel Trail will open to hikers on May 15, 2025, a press release from the National Park Service (NPS) revealed. The move comes after months of closures tied to the Transcanyon Waterline project.

Often called the park’s most popular hiking route, Bright Angel lets visitors “walk in the footsteps of the canyon’s Indigenous Peoples, miners, and early tourists,” according to the National Park Service. More than 100,000 people hike the entire trail each year, while hundreds of thousands more hike portions of it.

Although Bright Angel’s reopening has caused excitement among park enthusiasts, several key inner canyon routes remain off-limits through October 1. This delay is due to continued work on waterline and electrical installations, bridge reinforcement, and utility upgrades. Extended closures include the River Trail (between River Resthouse and South Kaibab Trail junction), Silver Bridge, Plateau Point Trail, and Bright Angel Campground group sites. A PDF map of the closure areas is viewable here.

The National Park Service has shared guidelines in efforts to keep hikers safe as the park continues to undergo construction. “From May 15 to September 30, hikers will need to use the Black Bridge to cross the Colorado River. Bright Angel Trail will be open from the South Rim trailhead down to Pipe Creek Beach—but there’s no access to Phantom Ranch via the River Trail during this time.”

As expected, the construction delays are causing frustration among hikers, especially those planning rim-to-rim treks in the upcoming months. Many hikers have taken to social media—particularly the National Park’s Instagram account to share their disappointment over the impact on travel plans.

As mentioned in the National Park’s social media post, rim-to-rim hikers (who had originally planned to hike the River Trail) can still use the South to North Kaibab Trail as an alternative route. An extra perk? Hikers can also make use of the River Resthouse which will remain open.

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