The National Park Service said the South Rim of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park will reopen to visitors on Monday, Aug. 18, more than five weeks after lightning ignited the South Rim Fire and forced a full closure on July 10. Access will resume to the visitor center, park store, Tomichi and Gunnison Point overlooks, the Rim Rock Trail between the visitor center and Tomichi Point, and the Red Rock Canyon wilderness route for permit holders. Opening hours for the visitor center and store will run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Key infrastructure remains off-limits while crews repair fire damage and assess safety hazards. The South Rim Drive beyond the visitor center, South Rim Campground, East Portal Road and Campground, and all trails originating from the South Rim will stay closed, as will all burned areas. Officials said the rim road will reopen in stages “as developed areas are determined safe.” The North Rim, which was unaffected by the blaze, reopened in late July. The South Rim Fire is 52% contained and continues to smolder in steep, inaccessible terrain. It is one of more than a dozen wildfires burning on Colorado’s Western Slope. Governor Jared Polis this week signed a statewide disaster-emergency order to accelerate the response. Wildfires are also disrupting other marquee parks: the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park remains shut because of the 143,000-acre Dragon Bravo Fire, underscoring the strain on summer tourism across the region.