Grand Canyon flash floods leave around 15 missing, dozens evacuated

At least 62 people were evacuated Saturday from Grand Canyon National Park after parts of the canyon were hit by “significant” flash flooding, officials said.

The flash floods hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, the National Park Service (NPS) said on Sunday. No injuries were reported.

Additional evacuations were planned Sunday in Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch, in coordination with Grand Canyon National Park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

“The flooding caused significant damage throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating pedestrian access across the creek,” NPS said in a statement.

Officials said Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch Canteen, the North Kaibab Trail, the Black and Silver bridges and traffic to the Colorado River in the area are closed “until further notice.” A reopening date was not immediately available, officials said.

They also warned that additional thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are possible Sunday and Monday, which could “result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.”

The Phantom Ranch is a historic and extremely popular lodge close to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by Bright Angel Creek.

Park officials asked people to stay away from the closed areas and said the operator of the lodge, which is usually fully booked months in advance, will inform guests about the state of their reservations.

Grand Canyon National Park is ranked the fourth-most visited national park in the U.S., with 4,430,653 recreational visits in 2025.