Grand Canyon stays open after deadly flash floods, officials say

Search and recovery efforts remained underway Sept. 5 for Tim Smith, the lone person still reported missing a week after deadly flash flooding devastated Bright Angel Canyon.

Crews continued searching the flood-damaged area heading into Labor Day weekend as teams simultaneously assessed the extent of the damage throughout the canyon, according to Elizabeth Peace, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of the Interior in a Sept. 5 email.

Smith had been traveling with two other friends, John Giusti and Brent Rosenkranz, when the flooding struck Aug. 29. Giusti and Rosenkranz died, while Smith remained missing.

Officials had no new developments to announce in the search.

Crews looked for Smith amid a landscape reshaped by the flood.

An Arizona Republic reporter hiked into the canyon two days after the flooding and found a footbridge buried in rubble near the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River.

Farther downstream, what appeared to be much of a building was lying in the river.

Park officials previously said numerous bridges were lost and that aerial surveys showed miles of the Transcanyon Waterline could be damaged.

The 12.5-mile Transcanyon Waterline carries water from Roaring Springs on the North Rim to the South Rim, supplying drinking water and water for fire suppression across much of the park.

The South Rim of the Canyon remained under Stage 4 water restrictions while the waterline was properly assessed.

Park officials asked visitors to bring drinking water from outside the South Rim system and conserve water during their stay.

Hotels within the park remained closed, and potable water spigots at campgrounds were turned off, though running water remained available in bathrooms.

Texas friends Brent Rosenkranz (from left), John Giusti and Tim Smith were on a Grand Canyon trip together when flash flooding swept away Rosenkranz and Giusti, whose bodies were recovered. Smith remains missing.

Fatal trip: Trio of friends on Grand Canyon excursion caught up in flash flooding

Some portions of the park remained closed entering Labor Day weekend.

The North Kaibab Trail, Phantom Ranch and sections of South Rim trails leading to the Colorado River were closed as of Sept. 5, while much of the South Rim remained open for day use.

Most South Rim trails remained open except sections providing direct access to the Colorado River. The North and South Rims also remained open for day hiking, though overnight lodging inside the park was limited.

Grand Canyon National Park emphasized that the park remained open in a Sept. 5 social media post, but asked visitors to bring drinking water from outside the South Rim system and conserve water during their stay.

A campsite in the inner canyon flooded from the Bright Angel Creek flash flood event on Aug., 29, 2026.

Fatal flood: Grand Canyon search for missing hiker continues

Weather was also expected to generally cooperate through the holiday.

The National Weather Service forecast a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Sunday, Sept. 6, before mostly sunny conditions returned for Labor Day, with a high near 79 degrees at Grand Canyon Village.

Arizona Republic reporters Joan Meiners and Shi En Kim contributed to this article.

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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: [email protected], and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon stays open after deadly flash floods, officials say