The canyon's North Rim, which is less popular with tourists than the South Rim, was cleared of all visitors due to a blaze called the White Sage Fire.

"Last night, Grand Canyon staff safely evacuated approximately 500 guests," the Park Service said in an update Friday.

"All visitors have left the area, and park employees and residents remain sheltering in place. Day use access to the North Rim is closed until further notice."

Jon Paxton, press officer for the Coconino County sheriff's office, told AFP that a hotel and some businesses had all been emptied.

"Most of the folks we evacuated were campers," he said. "This area is high desert and mostly open forest for camping."

The fire is burning outside the Grand Canyon National Park but approaching Jacob Lake, Arizona, a small settlement known as the gateway to the North Rim.

About 8,700 acres (3,500 hectares) have been scorched and the blaze is zero-percent contained, according to authorities, who released images of large columns of smoke rising above the scrubby desert.

- Started by lightning -

The fire was started by lightning during a thunderstorm on Wednesday.

"Crews encountered very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions (and) gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters to safely engage the fire," the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said.

One of the greatest wonders of the natural world, the Grand Canyon is the result of the Colorado River eating away at layers of red sandstone and other rock for millions of years, leaving a gash up to 18 miles (30 km) wide and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep.

The Park Service advised against any hiking into the canyon, due to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. A 67-year-old man died on Tuesday while attempting to reach the river in hot conditions.

Last year almost five million people visited the world-famous site.

Another popular site, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, was also closed Friday because of a wildfire.