A new report has calculated that making national parks the responsibility of states would raise costs, cut revenue and reduce access for Arizonans.

“The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is like another world,” said Ethan Aumack, executive director of the Grand Canyon Trust, who has fond memories of skiing through the woods to the rim after the lone road that leads there closes for the winter. “It feels like a much more personal place.”

Officials are reminding tourists that the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is still open for business despite the Dragon Bravo Fire on the North Rim.

Officials in Arizona and Colorado have closed huge swaths of parkland to visitors after lightning-sparked blazes destroyed thousands of acres and hundreds of structures

A fast-moving wildfire near the Grand Canyon’s North Rim has destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of other structures, triggered a chlorine gas leak, and forced widespread evacuations.

A fast-moving wildfire destroyed Grand Canyon Lodge and forced the full closure of the North Rim for the rest of summer 2025. Each year, nearly 5 million visitors are drawn to the staggering vistas of Grand Canyon National Park —many arriving during the heart of summer.