A shared experience among many visitors to the Grand Canyon’s North Rim was the wonder of the Grand Canyon Lodge’s sun room. From there, sweeping views of the canyon were made visible for the first time, artfully crafted by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood to maximize the grandeur of the natural landscape in Arizona.
This week, the lodge—a National Historic Landmark—was among at least 50 structures consumed by a wildfire, including administrative and visitor facilities along with a waste treatment plant and gas station. Amid the spread of the Dragon Bravo Fire, the Grand Canyon’s North Rim is now closed until further notice.
“Each guest helped make Grand Canyon Lodge more than just a destination, but a place filled with life-long memories,” the lodge administration shared in a statement on Facebook. “It is with heavy hearts that we share this devastating news. We know that Grand Canyon Lodge has meant as much to so many of you as it has to us.”
Distinct from the South Rim, which attracts nearly ten times the amount of visitors, vacationers and locals alike praise the North Rim’s tranquility and stunning views. The Grand Canyon Lodge was originally built in 1928 and designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Underwood designed the building alongside Steven Mathe, the park’s director at the time.
According to the Grand Canyon Historical Society, the lodge burned down in 1932 after a fire broke out in the kitchen. It was then rebuilt on its original footprint and reopened in 1937. The reconstructed lodge was scaled back, according to the National Park Service (NPS), no longer featuring a second story or observation tower. The building remained the only lodging available on that side of the park, with visitors sleeping in its surrounding cabins.
Alongside stunning views of the Grand Canyon, the lodge housed a gift store, post office, and dining facilities. The exterior featured massive ponderosa beams that framed a facade made of native Kaibab limestone. Underwood returned to again oversee the design and construction. Much of the original materials from the 1928 construction were used when the lodge was rebuilt.
The public has responded with expressions of grief and frustration, with some criticizing emergency response. Local leadership is among the critics including Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and Senator Ruben Gallego, who echoed a call from Hobbs for a full investigation into the handling of the fire.
The Dragon Bravo Fire is still burning just south of the White Sage Fire, a larger flame that continues to grow near Arizona’s border with Utah.
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