Wildfire closing part of North Rim in Grand Canyon

A part of the North Rim in Grand Canyon National Park is closing Saturday because of a growing wildfire.

Cape Royal Road, Cape Final Trail and Cliff Spring Trail will be shut down by 9 p.m. Saturday, the National Park Service said in a statement released Friday night. Those areas will be closed indefinitely.

However, the service said the road to Point Imperial and all other North Rim trails and facilities are staying open.

Park officials said the closure is “for public and firefighter safety as crews continue to prep the Walhalla Plateau” as the Obi Fire continues to burn in the area.

Located in the southwest corner of the Walhalla Plateau above Obi Point, the fire was started by lightning July 21. Smoke from the fire is visible from both the North and South Rims of the park, park officials said. Visitors may see increased smoke or haze filling the canyon.

The fire has grown to 2,270 acres, said a fire commander.

In 2016, a wildfire forced the closure of access roads and viewpoints to the North Rim, a popular spot for tourists in summer.

The lodge, campground, bookstore, gas station and other amenities at the North Rim close for several months each year, usually from mid-October to mid-May.