Fires in Grand and Black Canyons (AZ, CO), Use Our Fire Map to Stay Up to Date

It's mid-summer and for much of the country that means it's prime boating and river season. For some areas, particularly the West, it's also fire season. This means that in addition to checking flows and weather before heading to the river, it's a good idea to also check for any wildfires, smoke issues, or closures that may impact your plans. We've built a map to help you with trip planning and safety.

The American Whitewater Wildfire Information Map shows all the runs in our National Whitewater Inventory along with the latest wildfire information. The map loads with rivers and fires shown by default but there is much more information available by selecting additional map layers in the menu on the top right. This includes smoke and air quality info, live AlertWildfire webcams (where available), past fire history, US Forest Service closure areas (WA & OR only), and more. Maps can be easily shared, customized and printed, and other tools allow measurements, drawing, and more. Click the (i) button in the top-right blue header for complete instructions.

There are currently major fires impacting rivers in Black Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. The South Rim Fire at the Black Canyon has burned over 4,000 acres with 0% containment. The Park is completely closed to visitors, including river use and access to the Black Canyon put-in on the East Portal Road which is currently surrounded by fire. The Dragon Bravo on the Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim has completely destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge. As of July 16, Grand Canyon river trips are still permitted to launch and river exchanges are allowed to travel on Bright Angel Trail to Pipe Creek. Boats are not allowed to stop at Phantom Ranch, and many of the inner canyon hikes are closed. 

This is an exceptionally challenging time for our wildfire responders and park managers. Where there are closures due to active wildfire, please respect them. It is a great idea to take extra precautions and make smart choices on wildfire-affected rivers in order to avoid further stressing first responder and river manager resources right now. As always, if you are injured, make a plan, and call for help.