Iguazu Falls flood, October 2026: what is open

The Iguazú river is running at its highest of the year: on 12 October the Brazilian park measured 11.8 million litres per second, almost eight times its historical average. Both parks are open, but the Brazilian walkway into the Devil's Throat has been closed since 11 October and the Argentine Devil's Throat Circuit since August. This is what is known on 17 October 2026, and what the parks and the agencies behind them are doing about it.

In short

Both parks are open: the Upper and Lower Circuits in Argentina, the Falls Trail in Brazil
Closed in Argentina: the Devil's Throat Circuit, since 3 August, with no reopening date
Closed in Brazil: the Devil's Throat walkway, since 11 October, until the flow drops to safe levels
Argentina took its Devil's Throat walkways apart in advance, before the floods El Niño was expected to bring
Brazil follows a flow protocol: the walkway closes above 8.5 million litres per second

What is happening

Heavy rain over the state of Paraná, in southern Brazil, from the weekend of 10 October onwards swelled the Iguazú river on its way to the falls. According to Urbia+Cataratas, the company that runs visits to the Brazilian park, the flow peaked on the morning of 12 October at 11.8 million litres per second, the highest figure recorded in 2026 up to that point. On 13 October it stood at 10.5 million, with a forecast of up to 13 million in the following hours. For scale, the park puts the historical average at about 1.5 million litres per second.

It was not a surprise. Since July, the forecasts linked to El Niño had anticipated high flows in September and October, with the potential for extraordinary floods. That forecast is what led Argentina to close the Devil's Throat Circuit in August, two months before this flood.

What is open on 17 October

Argentine side (Iguazú National Park)

Upper Circuit: open, subject to weather conditions
Lower Circuit: open. On 15 October more than five thousand people walked the two circuits
Rainforest Ecological Train, restaurants and visitor services: running normally on 15 October
Devil's Throat Circuit: closed, as a precaution because of the high river flow

Brazilian side (Iguaçu National Park)

Falls Trail (Trilha das Cataratas): open
Closed because of the flood: the walkway into the Devil's Throat, the lower viewpoint at Espaço Naipi, the São João Circuit, Espaço Usina, the Poço Preto path and the Canafístula trail
Closed for works, not because of the river: the Bananeiras path

The situation changes from one day to the next with the river flow. Check each park's status the morning of your visit; we update this post when the parks announce changes.

What Argentina is doing

Iguazú National Park belongs to the Administración de Parques Nacionales (APN), the national government agency for protected areas; the services in the Falls Area are run by the concessionaire Iguazú Argentina S.A. The measures were taken by the two together.

July: more river monitoring. The concessionaire and the park met Copel, the Paraná energy company, to strengthen the river monitoring protocol and get direct, up-to-date flow forecasts. Rain upstream sends a flood wave down the river, and knowing it in advance is what allows the park to act in time
30 July: preventive removal approved. The APN announced that the concessionaire had asked for authorisation to take down the Devil's Throat walkways because of the El Niño forecasts
From 3 August: floors and railings removed. The crews took up the walkway floors and railings over 40 days and stored every piece in a safe place at the Devil's Throat train station, ready to be put back
24 August: work completed. The president of the APN, Sergio Álvarez, inspected the site; the operation finished on schedule
October: precautionary closures. During the peak of the flood the park restricted access to the circuits; after checking that the flow was holding steady, both were open again on 15 October

The reason for taking the walkways apart is the October 2022 flood. That time the water swept away 51 sections of walkway and about six metres of the south balcony at the Devil's Throat, and the circuit reopened more than four months later, after a technical inspection by INTI, Argentina's national institute of industrial technology. Removing the floors and railings in advance protects the structure, so that after the flood it can be put back together instead of rebuilt.

What Brazil is doing

Iguaçu National Park is managed by ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes), the Brazilian federal agency for protected areas; visits are run by the concessionaire Urbia+Cataratas, which applies a safety protocol for high water:

Monitoring: technical teams follow the river flow every day, and every hour when it is high
Walkway closure: when the flow passes 8.5 million litres per second and is still rising, the walkway closes to visitors. It has been closed since 11 October
Railings removed: between 9 and 12 million litres per second and rising, the walkway railings come off so the water can pass freely. They were removed on the morning of 13 October
Reopening: only when the flow is back at the 8.5 million threshold, after an assessment by the technical team and with the authorisation of a specialist engineer
Other measures: the furniture at Espaço Usina was removed to avoid damage, and the park's firefighters lead the safety procedures

What is not known yet

When the Argentine Devil's Throat reopens. There is no official date. The APN says the walkways will be reassembled when the state of the river allows it technically
When the Brazilian walkway reopens. It depends on the flow falling to the threshold and on the engineer's sign-off. The park's latest notice, on 13 October, still had it closed, and no reopening had been announced by 17 October

What it means for your visit

With both parks open, visits go ahead; what changes is the route. In Argentina, plan your day around the Upper Circuit and the Lower Circuit. With the river this high, the park itself describes the experience as the classic one of the Argentine side at its most intense: spray on your skin and a deafening roar. In Brazil, the Falls Trail keeps its panoramic viewpoints over the Argentine falls; what may be missing is the walkway at the end.

Boat rides depend on the state of the river, and the operators decide each day. If you have one booked with us, write to us and we will tell you how the departure stands. To plan the day with the current closures, the one-day guide and Brazil or Argentina explain what each side offers.

Trail guideThe Devil's Throat from both sides, and how each walkway closesRead the trail

Questions

Are Iguazu Falls open?

Yes. On 17 October 2026 both parks are open to visitors: in Argentina, the Upper and Lower Circuits; in Brazil, the Falls Trail. What is closed is access to the Devil's Throat on both sides.

When does the Devil's Throat reopen in Argentina?

There is no official date. The walkways were taken apart in August as a precaution and, according to Argentine National Parks, will be reassembled when the river allows it technically.

Why is the walkway on the Brazilian side closed?

Because of the park's safety protocol: the walkway closes when the flow passes 8.5 million litres per second and is rising, and it only reopens after a technical assessment and an engineer's authorisation.

Is it worth going now?

Yes, if you accept not reaching the Devil's Throat. With the river this high the falls are at full power from the Argentine circuits and the Brazilian trail. Check each park's status the day before.

Sources

Plan your visit

Devil's Throat →Best time to visit Iguazu Falls: weather, water and crowds →Iguazu Falls in one day: which side and how to plan it →Brazil side or Argentina side? →

Iguazu Falls flood, October 2026: what is happening and what the authorities are doing